The United Voices in Action (VIA) program helps Ukraine’s internally displaced persons (IDPs) learn valuable conflict resolution and advocacy skills to reduce their vulnerability to exploitation and increase community cohesion. 

The program brings together IDPs, receiving community members, government representatives, and media figures and connects them with resources to advance local level conflict resolution, stabilization, and integration.

• The program will support over 2,000 IDP and receiving community members from up to 27 communities in nine oblasts of Ukraine, connecting them to valuable conflict resolution and advocacy resources.
• The primary audience of this program is IDPs under age 18 or over age 35 who will help drive integration in receiving communities and advocate for IDP rights to reduce vulnerability to exploitation.
• This program hosts Ideation Workshops for IDPs and receiving community members to generate ideas for joint community projects. Small grants will be available for the implementation of the projects and IREX will provide coaching for project design and implementation.

1. IDPs and receiving communities can apply best practices in advocating for their rights and leading social cohesion activities in their communities.
2. IDPs and receiving communities increase intergroup social cohesion through joint community projects to address issues of mutual concern and mitigate factors that exacerbate tensions.
3. IDP local and regional integration plans and implementation are informed by IDP and advocacy group inputs to better address the needs of marginalized subpopulations.

• Provide conflict resolution and media literacy trainings for IDPs and receiving community members to promote social cohesion and reduce IDP vulnerability to exploitation.
• Host Advocacy Academies to build advocacy skills for IDPs and receiving community members and enable them to create change in Ukraine by drafting local and regional policy recommendations.
• Train media and government representatives to recognize implicit biases and accurately represent the IDPs in their communities.
• Organize Living Libraries with IDPs, government administrators, media representatives, and receiving community members to build empathy and awareness surrounding IDP issues.
• Host Ideation Workshops for IDPs and receiving community members to meet and discuss ideas for joint community projects that contribute to social cohesion at the local level.
• Contribute to locally driven IDP integration plans, resulting in more inclusive, active, and resilient Ukrainian communities representing diverse interests and united against destabilizing forces and conflict.
• Provide psychosocial support to IDPs to build IDP resilience to exploitation and capacity to engage in intergroup trust building.
• Host activities with young IDPs and receiving communities to develop conflict resolution skills.
• Create local IDP Initiative Groups in each target community and empower them to use their advocacy skills and identify key priorities to the IDP Councils Congress.
• Provide interactive resources containing important information for IDPs, including a website, an advocacy newsletter, informational campaigns, information stands, and online experience exchange sessions.
• Improve capacity of local and national authorities to develop and implement policies that address IDP needs in consultation with IDP communities.

IREX works together with local partners, and with the support of the U.S. Department of State.