Funded by USAID, the Yedyna Hromada (United Community) program fostered community cohesion in conflict-affected regions of eastern Ukraine.

The program built tolerance and communication skills among community leaders and residents, internally displaced persons, local government officials, civil society actors, and other stakeholders. It also provided small grants for joint community projects to build trust, address pressing needs, and help communities resist divisive influences.

• 93% of participating local leaders reported creating positive change in their communities as a result of their participation in the program.
• 1,079 community members learned about and practiced their constructive dialogue skills through guided dialogue sessions and project training.
• 12 community projects engaged over 3,000 community members in more than 100 different local events. Beneficiaries reported an increase in a shared vision of the community’s future, as well as improved cooperation and understanding among individuals who represent diverse groups.
• 94% of community project members reported that they noticed positive changes in their communities as a result of their participation in the program.

• Support key leaders in developing conflict resolution and cohesion-building activities in eastern Ukraine.
• Facilitate meaningful dialogue in a safe space to foster trust, tolerance, and positive relations among community members.
• Strengthen community unity through joint projects that address local issues.

•  Training for key leaders: Staff trained key influencers—local government officials, media professionals, civil society actors, and informal community leaders—in 12 target communities throughout Ukraine on conflict mitigation, tolerance building, effective communication, and other topics that built community cohesion. Leaders then became members of project initiative groups, working alongside community members in implementing local projects.
• Dialogue sessions: Joint community dialogue sessions with support from professional dialogue facilitators helped community members identify and seek resolution for divisive local issues and conflicts. As a result of these dialogues, the level of interaction and cooperation between community members increased, as well as trust and positive relations among opposing sides of the conflict. The project paid special attention to elevating marginalized voices during dialogues, in particular the voices of internally displaced persons, women, veterans, ethnic minorities, and youth.
• Community projects: The project supported community projects that were wholly community driven. Project ideas were generated through dialogues and community members worked together to design and implement projects that addressed their specific needs. As community members saw the benefits of positive relations, they were motivated to continue working together to peacefully resolve issues of mutual concern. Staff also strengthened participants’ technical and management capacity.