UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II
SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT APRIL 2019 – SEPTEMBER 2019
SWIFT IV IQC AID-OAA-I-14-00006 TASK ORDER AID-OAA-TO-17-00009
October 2019
This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by Chemonics International Inc. The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.
CONTENTS
ACRONYMS ...... ii PROGRAM DESCRIPTION ...... 1 UCBI II PROGRAM AREAS ...... 1 UKRAINE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL COUNTRY CONTEXT ...... 3 NATIONAL ...... 3 REGIONAL ...... 5 GRANTS SUMMARY ...... 7 ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS ...... 8 OBJECTIVE 1: BUILD ACCEPTANCE OF A DIVERSE UKRAINE ...... 8 OBJECTIVE 2. INCREASE CONFIDENCE IN POSITIVE, DEMOCRATIC CHANGE ...... 12 OBJECTIVE 3. INCREASE MEDIA NARRATIVES ABOUT UNITY AND POSITIVE CHANGES ...... 16 PROGRAM EVALUATION ...... 19
i UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 ACRONYMS
ASC Administrative Service Center CoR European Committee of the Regions CSC City Services Center DSP Department of Social Protection DDGS Direct Distribution of Goods and Services EU European Union EBU European Broadcasting Union EECP Entry-Exit Checkpoint FAA Fixed Amount Award FMR Final Monitoring Report IDP Internally Displaced Person IMF International Monetary Fund GCA Government Controlled Area M&E Monitoring and Evaluation NGCA Non-Government Controlled Area NGO Non-Governmental Organization NSDC National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine OSBB Apartment Building Co-Owners Association OTI Office of Transition Initiatives PDA Program Development Assistant PDO Program Development Officer PSA Public Service Announcement RA Rolling Assessment SCORE Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Index SeeD Centre for Sustainable Peace and Democratic Development SO Sub-Objective STTA Short-Term Technical Assistance UA:PBC National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine UCBI II Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative II USAID United States Agency for International Development
ii UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Office of Transition Initiative (OTI)’s program in Ukraine helps to ensure political stability and national unity in Ukraine by expanding acceptance of a pluralistic Ukrainian civic identity based on common values. While the program handed off its regional efforts in Donetsk and Luhansk to long-term United States Agency for International Development (USAID) programs in early 2019, OTI continues to implement confidence building initiatives at a regional and national level. In the Azov Sea region, OTI implements activities that mitigate the effects of Russian aggression by demonstrating the dividends of reform, inspiring confidence in economic transformation, and supporting media that counters disinformation. At a national level, OTI supports diverse and innovative media, and communications activities that promote national unity, raise awareness of reform, and foster inclusive civic values.
In the past six months, UCBI II provided citizens with opportunities to play a more productive role in their communities by supporting civil society efforts to hold the government accountable, and by using media as a platform to better disseminate balanced information and amplify public awareness as well as the impacts of reforms. This approach has required significant and ongoing dialogue with host authorities and communities, both in Kyiv and in the regions.
UCBI II assistance comes in the form of small, in-kind grants (goods, services, and technical support procured directly by UCBI II and provided to grantees) and fixed amount cash awards to a range of partners, including national and local civilian government entities, civil society organizations, and community leaders. UCBI II provides targeted assistance in order to:
● build acceptance of a diverse Ukraine; ● increase confidence in positive, democratic change; ● increase media narratives about unity and positive change.
UCBI II PROGRAM AREAS UCBI II’s overarching goal, to expand acceptance of a pluralistic Ukrainian civic identity based on common values, remains a valid guiding framework for the program, yet changes have been made to take advantage of the political opportunities presented with the new Presidential Administration, as well as to streamline management and focus program development teams.
To achieve the program goal, the team has identified three objectives. Additionally, the previous broad sub-objectives have been replaced with more specific “lines of effort” to reflect what UCBI II has learned in the past year and to focus management teams. UCBI II’s programming is guided by contextual analysis of local dynamics and geographic regions; activities addressing each objective vary based on the assessed needs and identified opportunities.
1 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 The strategic framework prioritizes the following program areas:
In response to this framework, UCBI II supported activities in Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpattia, Kharkiv, Odessa, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Oblasts during this reporting period.
2 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 UKRAINE NATIONAL AND REGIONAL COUNTRY CONTEXT
In May 2019, Ukrainians elected a new President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, with an overwhelming 73 percent of the popular vote. The majority of voters in every region, with the notable exception of Lviv, voted for Zelenskiy, demonstrating that Ukrainians are ready for change. Surveys conducted since the election show that Ukrainians are more optimistic now than at any point since the Revolution of Dignity and have high expectations, including quick improvements in the economy, an end to the war in the east, and fundamental reforms within the government.
While much is still unknown about Ukraine’s new president, and there is significant skepticism about his experience, allegiances, and policies among Ukraine’s elites and civil society, there are reasons for optimism. The Zelenskiy Administration has prioritized improving national unity, implementing a more inclusive policy toward Donbas, and addressing key reform areas, such as anti-corruption, pension, health and educational reforms. A number of the president’s initial appointments have been scrutinized by civil society, suspicious of oligarch influence. However, Zelenskiy has been forward leaning on Ukraine’s European ambitions and has clearly portrayed Ukraine as a strong democracy compared to Russia. These ambitions, a national mood of positive change and a more inclusive European Ukraine, can be amplified by UCBI II to achieve its objectives.
However, Ukraine’s challenges persist. Russian aggression in the east and south of the country are creating vulnerabilities that USAID is trying to address through UCBI II and other programs. USAID has made the Sea of Azov region a strategic priority and is building the appropriate mechanisms to advance national unity and effectively address the challenges of Ukraine’s media and communications environment.
NATIONAL Several key issues impacted the country context during the reporting period. Presidential and Parliamentary Elections in Ukraine Comedian-turned-candidate Volodymyr Zelenskiy gained a landslide victory in the second round of the Ukrainian presidential election on April 21st, having received more than 73 percent of votes. He beat his contender, the incumbent President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, by nearly 50 percent of the vote, winning with an unprecedented margin that has never been seen before in the history of second-round elections in Ukraine. His landslide victory is both an indicator of Ukrainian citizens’ incredible hunger for change and the enduring influence of the entertainment industry on public perceptions of the country’s trajectory.
3 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced a snap parliamentary election during his swearing-in ceremony as Ukraine's new president. He also mentioned that ending the conflict with Russian-backed rebels in the east would be his top priority.
Originally scheduled to be held at the end of October, snap elections to the Ukrainian parliament were held on July 21, 2019 after newly inaugurated President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dissolved parliament on May 21, 2019 during his inauguration.
According to the official results published on August 7, 2019, the Servant of the People party, created by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, won an overwhelming majority, receiving 254 seats out of the 450 in total. The first time a single party has secured an absolute majority since independence in 1991 with no need for any coalition partner. According to a survey conducted by Razumkov Centre for Economic and Political Studies, 52 percent of respondents believe that with a one-party majority in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, there will be more positive consequences for the country. Only 11 percent say it will have more negative consequences and 23 percent believe it will have both positive and negative consequences.
In its manifesto, the Servant of the People party outlined several economic promises, such as modernizing the economy, creating “the state of the smartphone”, fighting corruption, encouraging foreign investment, simplifying the business climate, and raising living standards, among others.
While expectations in Ukraine are generally low when it comes to politics, Volodymyr Zelenskiy managed to revive hopes for change. According to a pre-election survey from the International Republican Institute (IRI), 48 percent of Ukrainians expect the economic situation to improve over the next 12 months, which is a remarkable increase compared to a similar IRI poll in September 2018, when only 14 percent of respondents held the same view. Simultaneously, the number of Ukrainians who are pessimistic about the country’s future dropped from 71 to 39 percent. Furthermore, the president’s approval ratings are between 60 and 67 percent.
With the president’s party now in charge of both the presidential and parliamentary arms of government, Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to deliver much needed reforms.
The First Steps and Laws
Representatives of foreign diplomatic, political, and business circles have generally welcomed the early work of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the appointment of the new Cabinet of Ministers, and the President’s legislative initiatives.
Officials from various states have welcomed the fact that the Ukrainian Parliament voted in favor of lifting parliamentary immunity, saying it is the first major victory for the newly elected President’s reform program. Most representatives of foreign diplomatic circles working in Ukraine have also shown understanding of the presidential initiative to amend Article 106 of the Constitution to empower the president to create independent regulatory bodies, such as the
4 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), and appoint and dismiss directors of NABU and the State Bureau of Investigation.
Foreign governments and international organizations have signaled they are also ready to cooperate with the new government of Ukraine in political, economic, financial, and humanitarian spheres, taking into account the continued foreign political course of Kyiv toward integrating with the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s strategy for the settlement of the Donbas war is still evolving. While the president is in search of a compromise with the aim of improving the humanitarian situation and reconnecting the Donetsk and Luhansk regions with the rest of Ukraine, his party promised to introduce legislation that would increase the country’s military spending to five percent from the current 3.4 percent and reform the armed forces to NATO standards.
While Zelenskiy will have legislative backing, the next challenge towards the settlement of the crisis will be talks within the so-called Normandy format, a diplomatic group of senior representatives of the four countries (Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France) to resolve the war in Eastern Ukraine, or with Russia exclusively. The president has expressed his willingness for a compromise, however, now it depends on the Russian side if they intend to engage in real dialogue or not.
What the president and his party can achieve with regards to the crisis will be an essential factor in deciding the political results of the Servant of the People party, as almost half of Ukrainians regard the resolution to the Donbas war as the best way to increase their trust in the Verkhovna Rada.1
REGIONAL
Zelenskiy Appointed a New Governor in Zakarpattya
On July 6, in Uzhgorod, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy introduced the newly appointed head of Zakarpattia Regional State Administration, Ihor Bondarenko. The presentation took place in the Zakarpattia Customs Office. The President stressed that the main task of Bondarenko’s team is to fight smuggling and corruption in the region.
Hungary Starts Large-scale Cultural Program in Zakarpattya
The Government of Hungary allocated 2.5 billion forints (over 7.5 million euros) to a large-scale Hungarian culture program in Zakarpattia. In particular, it includes renovation of cultural heritage buildings, as well as theater and musical programs of the highest level.
1 Emerging Europe Analysis, https://emerging-europe.com/intelligence/four-takeaways-from-ukraines- parliamentary-election/
5 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 The New Governor of Kherson Region Appointed and New Priorities Identified
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy appointed Yuriy Husev as the head of the Kherson Regional State Administration. Husev, who served as Deputy Minister of Defense in 2014-2016, announced a pilot launch of the LIFT (Elevator) program in the region, which aims to make a transparent and modern selection process of the Heads of District State Administrations. The new head of the region also promised to equip Chongar and Kalanchak entry-exit checkpoints (EECPs) for a more comfortable crossing of the administrative border with the temporarily occupied Crimea by Ukrainians. Zelenskiy suggested December 20, 2019 to be the benchmark for the final launch of the EECPs with service zones, otherwise, the governor should be dismissed.
Zelenskiy in Ivano-Frankivsk Calls on Local Officials to Work on Roadbuilding and Development of Touristic Infrastructure of Carpathians
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy introduced a new Head of Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration (RSA) Denys Shmygal during his working trip to the Ivano-Frankivsk region.
Among the priorities, the new governor mentioned the development and rehabilitation of infrastructure. Denys Shmygal emphasized that, “one of the main problems that must be solved is the restoration of roads, bridges, because without this we cannot talk about tourism, industry or investors." He also focused attention on the importance of solving environmental problems (i.e. illegal dumping and wastewater treatment plants), supporting business, and implementing a number of urgent issues in the social sphere, particularly in education and medicine. Furthermore, during the working visit to Ivano-Frankivsk, the President urged local officials to present blueprints with estimates before they ask for funds from the national budget to complete infrastructure projects.
6 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 GRANTS SUMMARY
Between April 1, 2019 and September 30, 2019, UCBI II initiated a total of 47 activities, including sub-grants, short-term technical assistance (STTA), and direct distribution of goods and services (DDGS) for a committed total of $4,822,071.
Figure 1 Number of grants cleared: April 2019 - September 2019
Figure 2 Dollar amount of grants cleared per month, April 2019 – September 2019
7 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS
During the reporting period, the project issued grants to non-government organizations (NGOs), civic initiatives, state and local authorities, and other organizations on the international, national, and local levels. UCBI II initiated activities in Kharkiv, Odesa, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zaporizhzhia and Zakarpattia.
Examples of UCBI II activities, captured under the three objectives they work towards, are provided below.
OBJECTIVE 1: BUILD ACCEPTANCE OF A DIVERSE UKRAINE
UCBI II often uses the Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Index (SCORE) findings in its programming to better understand the regions’ specific drivers of Soviet nostalgia in eastern Ukraine, intergroup hostility towards the eastern regions, and far-right radicalization and political violence in western Ukraine. UCBI II finds that support for a Ukrainian identity that is ethnically and linguistically diverse is eroding, particularly in western and central Ukraine. These perceptions are directly related to anxieties concerning the war and a growing social distance between western and eastern Ukraine. These trends have also been confirmed through UCBI II’s initial programming in western Ukraine. The program has observed that the relatively forward leaning civil society in the west has a small constituency and is unwilling or unable to stand up against undemocratic trends in their communities. Those undemocratic trends, embodied by the growing ability of extremist national groups to function with little accountability, are decreasing the political space for a discussion about reintegration and national unity.
UCBI II believes that by including a more diverse range of stakeholders, it can expand this pluralistic community and engage a significant proportion of both the polarized and disengaged segments of the population.
Building on UCBI II’s experiences and relationships in eastern Ukraine, the program has continued to support and institutionalize cross-regional exchange and relationships around issues such as civic engagement, local government, and youth causes. To increase political space for conversations about national unity and reintegration of eastern Ukraine, UCBI II supported activities of strategically selected organizations in western and central Ukraine to expand their audiences locally and enable a more inclusive conversation about Ukrainian identity. UCBI II focused on regional networking of organizations in western Ukraine.
Civil Society Builds Connections and Promotes Unity in Ivano-Frankivsk
With the support of UCBI II, a progressive youth NGO conducted a series of educational training for young people in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. In their social mini projects, the participants have incorporated the topics of multiculturalism, tolerance, gender equality, and eco-consciousness.
8 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 The young activists had an opportunity to participate in two study tours to eastern and southern Ukraine, where they met and networked with like-minded people from those regions.
Another local NGO supported by UCBI II is working with small and remote communities in the region, elevating their efforts to find or refurbish public spaces and mobilize pro-active residents in those communities, by applying an inclusive approach. The participants of the project also went on a study tour to Donbas to see how civic initiatives are successfully implemented in an area affected by the conflict.
To contribute to the development of tolerance and unity among the 45 and older age demographic and the wider community of Ivano-Frankivsk and Kalush, UCBI II initiated an activity of intergenerational training programs, three community events, and a study tour to Donbas. Specifically, the grantee continues to conduct four courses consisting of a total of 40 workshops and three large community events focused on digital competencies, art, critical thinking, and woodworking workshops. In addition, local professionals working with the elderly will go on a study tour to eastern Ukraine where they will meet with organizations who have implemented projects on social inclusion of the 45 and older age demographic.
Building Connections Across Ukraine
In small towns in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Odesa, and Zakarpattia, UCBI II supported a festival series entitled “From a Country to Ukraine” which brought together communities to organize unique celebrations of Ukrainian culture. Each weekend festival was planned and implemented by a coalition of civil society and local government and highlighted themes such as diversity, economic innovation, and Ukrainian art and literature, with approximately 30,000 residents attending. The organizing teams will continue to serve as platforms for expanding USAID- From Country to Ukraine Festival in Berehove, supported civic engagement and Zakarpattia, August 2019 confidence building activities in new communities in southern Ukraine.
Breaking Stereotypes to Champion Tolerance and Pluralism
UCBI II initiated an activity to focus on mapping stereotypes in eastern regions (Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts), as well as in Zakarpattia and Ivano-Frankivsk through public interviews and life stories of public opinion leaders in the east and west of the country. The partner analyzed what stereotypes people believe about themselves, local government, culture, politics, language, and
9 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 levels of patriotism. To highlight insights from the mapping exercise, the grantee uses media and art to visually express Ukrainian identity and integrity of the country and start a dialogue about the identified stereotypes. This includes a social media campaign that encourages young people to show how they are overcoming stereotypes, a series of public service announcements (PSAs) shown online and on Ukrainian railways, and an art residence that invites known artists to create works challenging the stereotypes identified through the mapping activity. The PSA content ranges from a boxer talking about the stereotypes associated with criminality in Donbas to a miner addressing certain mindsets regarding nostalgia for the USSR, and students talking about language and separatism. Other videos include a teacher, a veteran, a dance center director, and a local politician, all sharing their experiences. By directly addressing this subject matter, the partner aims to overcome negative stereotypes that continue to splinter modern Ukrainian society.
Addressing the Root Causes of Division in Zakarpattia
The media environment of the Zakarpattia region could be described as crowded, polarized, and lacking independence. In order to promote balanced narratives and information about potentially divisive issues in Zakarpattia among local audiences and across Ukraine, UCBI II supported Varosh online media. The project’s aim was to prove that local media organizations can produce high-quality multimedia content and integrate it in all- Ukrainian context, while remaining Varosh Talks, Offline Event, September 2019 independent and following high standards of journalism. While conducting its activity, Varosh doubled all the indicators projected for their own publications and tripled the anticipated number of participants at their offline events. For example, Varosh’s typically averages 2,000 views per article on their website; however, on their Facebook page they increased user engagement to more than 16,000 views per article. Similarly, typical attendance at offline events hosted by Varosh is roughly 60 people; but through the support of UCBI II, Varosh engaged 350 people at a recent event.
The Hungarian community are the largest minority in the Zakarpattia region making up 12.1% of the population (roughly 220,000 people). A lack of diverse media programming for the Hungarian community in Zakarpattia prompted a need for objective and independent media coverage of the socio-political situation in the region and Ukraine. With only one TV channel broadcasting in Hungarian, the community became susceptible to the influence of Hungarian political propaganda. UCBI II supported the development of a Hungarian department of UA:PBC Zakarpattia to become a reliable source of objective information for Hungarian speaking viewers of all ages. During the reporting period, UCBI II initiated a grant to the Zakarpattia UA:PBC branch
10 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 and equipped Hungarian language Editorial Department with technical equipment, a Hungarian translator, and tools for an outreach campaign and to develop daily and weekly news and cultural Hungarian language content.
Helping Vulnerable Groups Resist Radicalization
UCBI II continued to monitor political extremism in Ukraine and assess the effect that such groups have on populations who are vulnerable to narratives and actions that could destabilize the peace process. These groups include, but are not limited to, veterans and young people in parts of western and central Ukraine and large cities in eastern Ukraine.
The veteran community in Ukraine has been identified as an at-risk group that may be susceptible to, and active in, radical or extremist movements. Since the beginning of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, almost 350,000 men and women have been demobilized. Only some veterans are granted official veterans’ status by Ukrainian governmental institutions. Official veteran status, and the benefits it confers, is bogged down by a complex and confusing bureaucratic and legal structure, creating a significant amount of dissatisfaction among veterans that is used as a recruitment tactic by radical groups.
One of the main drivers of radicalization is a perception among veterans that the public holds negative view of them and does not appreciate nor understand their experience. As such, UCBI II initiated the Zavdyaki Tobi video campaign which contributed to the introduction of a new tradition to expressing gratitude to veterans. This new tradition is part of an effort to shift public sentiment toward appreciation and understanding of veterans and mitigate the stigma that veterans experience. Within the framework of this activity, the partner developed and produced four, 5-minute episodes in a TV commercial timeslot which explore four stages that veterans experience when transitioning to civilian life. These videos promoted a gesture of gratitude – encouraging people to place Yanina Sokolova, a Ukrainian celebrity, promotes a hand over their heart when meeting a expressing gratitude to the veterans in Zavdyaki Tobi member of the military or a veteran in media campaign public.
UCBI II supported an NGO that has solid expertise on activities supporting veterans both online and offline. In late 2018, the partner established close communication and consulted with the newly established Ministry of Veterans Affairs to support the Ministry. With UCBI II’s support, the NGO upgraded its website and enabled production of additional information for, and about, veterans through research and a web-based platform.
11 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019
UCBI II also supported the Ministry for Veterans Affairs to organize the Second Veterans Forum (working name “Ukraine is Where We Are”) in Kyiv on August 23, 2019. The forum gathered approximately 400 participants from the veteran’s community around Ukraine, government representatives, and foreign delegations to discuss challenges faced by the veteran community and services available to them.
The Forum focused on the adjustment of veteran related policies (including new bills) for newly elected/appointed governmental officials; the adjustment of the Ministry for Veterans Affairs efforts to better address the community’s needs; the formation of new partnerships to enhance services provided to veterans; and reporting on the results related to veterans spaces, e-Veteran, unified registry, principles of medical rehabilitation, events for heroization and honoring.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attended the Forum and reassured veterans that the state is committed to supporting veterans and emphasized that the Ministry would not be folded as had previously been rumored. The President also suggested that veterans themselves should select and nominate a candidate for the post of the Head of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs. One of the main organizers of the Forum, Oksana Koliada, was appointed as Minister of the Temporarily Occupied Territories, Panel discussion during the Veterans Forum, Kyiv IDPs and Veterans on August 30, 2019. New bills, based on the consultations at the Forum will be registered in Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada), in early November.
OBJECTIVE 2. INCREASE CONFIDENCE IN POSITIVE, DEMOCRATIC CHANGE
During the reporting period, a significant portion of UCBI II’s programming focused on eastern and southern Ukraine including a limited continuation of programming efforts in Kharkiv and Odesa, and an expansion of programming in the Azov sea regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
UCBI II’s approach in the region uses civic engagement and culture to strengthen and empower pro-reform communities and help mitigate the region’s isolation, anxiety, and vulnerability to Russian misinformation. UCBI II's approach includes building civil society linkages through community development activities and festivals, supporting youth entrepreneurship, improving local government service delivery, and strengthening the ability, capacity and willingness of local media to provide information about local political, economic and cultural issues, and reforms.
12 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019
To reduce feelings of isolation, particularly in the Azov sea region, and raise the profile of the reform community in eastern Ukraine, UCBI II continues to invest in opportunities for citizens to come together, improve their communities, and engage in modern Ukrainian culture.
In Kharkiv, UCBI II continued to strengthen and improve the sustainability of the pro-reform community and further establish it as a progressive and European regional hub for eastern Ukraine. In Odesa, UCBI II implemented activities cleared in early 2019.
UCBI II supported a 6-day theater festival with educational and networking components along with a one-day promotional event in Kharkiv aiming to increase civic responsibility and improve collaboration between communities in the region. Significant to the success of this activity was the active involvement of many local organizations, NGOs, culture activists, and the development of a strong network established around common values. According to feedback from attendees, Parade Fest demonstrated that it is easier to raise difficult questions through art and theater activities and to start a dialogue across different social demographics (especially increasing participation Parade-Fest, Kharkiv, September 2019 from individuals outside of the NGO community sphere). During the activity, cooperation through an open dialogue with the City Council was established, which is rare for events in Kharkiv. Thus, this activity and engagement can serve as a starting point for local activists and authorities to find common ground for future projects which address mutual interests.
According to latest SCORE data, Odesa demonstrates a low level of civic engagement. This negatively affects community unification and the development of a more European image of the city. Based on UCBI II’s previous experience in eastern Ukraine, grassroots initiatives and active participation in community development have tangible benefits for vulnerable communities and is important to ensuring the success of Ukraine's democratic transition. As part of the country’s reform of housing and communal services, aimed at improving the quality and cost-effectiveness of housing stock, new co-owner housing associations (OSBBs) have become successful examples of productive cooperation between community residents. UCBI II activities and engagement encourages citizen participation in, and organization of, these OSBBs.
13 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 Through an in-kind grant, UCBI II supported a local NGO to conduct a short-term skills-building course for neighborhood activists and OSBBs, the City Courtyards Festival, and a neighborhood engagement campaign. These efforts contributed to building networks of engaged and innovative citizens. The participants of the trainings shared their willingness to organize similar activities in their own courtyards and to share their experience regarding organizing and managing OSBB’s within their community. The main festival was held on a central street, a block of which was open only to pedestrian traffic. There were events also happening in a courtyard off the street - lectures, presentations, and photo exhibits. The main festival location featured local City Courtyards Festival, Odesa, September 2019 artists, vendors, informational stands about social, historical, and cultural initiatives, and activities for children. Many attended and gave positive feedback about the festival; specifically, they emphasized the necessity of providing further support to courtyard initiatives to preserve and celebrate their historical heritage. Some indicated that this is an effective initiative to bring neighbors together and they wish something like this would happen in their courtyard. Since it is easy to become isolated in increasingly urbanized environments, initiatives that bring people together around tangible common goals and encourage productive cooperation between neighbors are essential to encouraging a positive community-based
identity.
Building a New Civil Society in Azov Region
General mistrust of local authorities contributes to low levels of civic engagement and undermines a sense of agency among local populations in the Sea of Azov region. UCBI II’s experience in the East showed that cycling is an effective instrument for mobilizing local communities, engaging and developing activist groups, and advocating for sustainable development of cities through improved infrastructure. UCBI II supported a local NGO in conducting an advocacy campaign that included promotional and networking events as well as training and study tours for cycling activists in four strategic cities in the Sea of Azov region.
UCBI II supported a three-day annual conference in Vinnitsa, Ukraine, focused on the intersection of civil society, transportation policy, and sustainable local development with civil society, private sector representatives, and local authorities as well as international guests from Latvia, Kyrgyz Republic, Belarus, and Denmark in attendance. The event provided the participants with an opportunity to meet and interact with other cycling advocates and learn about effective tools and approaches in cycling advocacy. Vinnitsa was selected as the location to inspire attendees because of its history of positive cooperation between the local authorities and cycling
14 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 advocates, its active cycling community, and commitment from the local authorities to develop the cycling infrastructure in the city. Vinnitsa has been implementing a cycling infrastructure development strategy for the past seven years. To demonstrate their cooperation, the mayor of Vinnitsa gave opening remarks at the conference.
The activists in attendance noted that the experience at the conference inspired them to replicate community engagement activities in Berdyansk, Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. The participants aspire to host a forum in their native cities in the near future and work on improving cycling infrastructure to attract investment from the private sector, reduce negative impact on the environment, and promote tourism, sports, and a healthy lifestyle. It was also imperative to have local authority representatives in attendance from the UCBI II target regions so they could witness first-hand the benefits of cooperating with the cycling community and supporting initiatives such as cycling infrastructure concepts and installation of street bicycle parking racks.
Berdyansk, a coastal tourist town, is one of the most conflict-affected places in the Zaporizhzhian region. Residents are under extreme stress related to the proximity to Mariupol (80 km) and the front line (100 km). Following the crisis in the Azov Sea in November 2018, the threat of the escalation of Russian aggression only added to the anxiety felt by the residents about the future of their region. UCBI II’s experience working with conflict-affected, divided communities in the East has shown that art and cultural activities are effective in alleviating anxieties and promoting civic values and social cohesion as a vanguard against Russian influence.
Since 2017, the Berdyansk Animation Festival “Snail Fest” is held annually in the fall to promote Berdyansk as an interesting tourist destination, not only during the summer season. Animation is a unique topic for festivals in Ukraine and appeals to animation enthusiasts from outside the city. The festival is interactive and has inclusive activities for all ages, which attracts a wide range of local audiences and raises civic engagement.
UCBI II supported Snail Fest 2019 to Snail Fest in Berdyansk, October 2019 expand the reach of the festival by bringing in international animators, conducting a large-scale promotional campaign, and holding an animation competition on social topics to help foster the festival as a platform for cooperation between innovative and creative citizens. The program of the four-day festival also included workshops on animation, screenings of animated work, and lectures. One of components was an inclusive space for activists and teachers from other regions where they could learn about using animation to spread their ideas.
15 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 OBJECTIVE 3. INCREASE MEDIA NARRATIVES ABOUT UNITY AND POSITIVE CHANGES
Ukraine's media industry, once a powerful and influential provider for the Russian language world, faces several challenges preventing it from playing a positive role on important social issues in Ukraine. The war in eastern Ukraine, as well as bans on the broadcast of Russian language content, have limited access to traditional markets for Ukraine's once thriving Russian language producers. While there is a growing demand for Ukrainian language content among audiences in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian state has taken steps to subsidize Ukrainian language "patriotic" content, broadcasters and producers are still less willing to take risks and experiment with new formats and more nuanced, niche content. Additionally, Ukraine's civil society, which has been the main engine of change since 2014, has not been able to effectively amplify their voice and message through traditional media, and has not developed working relationships with the media.
Challenges in the media environment in Ukraine have long been an issue addressed by several media development, literacy, and de-bunking efforts, UBCI II has taken an innovative and forward learning approach toward creating a more balanced narrative. USAID and its partners in the international and local media support community increasingly recognize that the best defense against misinformation is well targeted, factual information that supports positive narratives.
UCBI II’s objective is to influence media narratives and perspectives about unity, reform, and democratic change in Ukraine. The program employs several approaches to achieve that objective, as outlined below.
Develop, Underwrite, and Market Audience-Focused Content
UCBI II works with a broad range of media partners, including commercial broadcasters, independent media, social media outlets, and public relations firms to create content targeting specific audiences. Specifically, UCBI II focuses on content that emotionally resonates and audience-driven, including talk shows, entertainment, and marketing campaigns. In addition to financially supporting the creation and distribution of content, UCBI II employs international and Ukrainian creative experts, such as script “doctors”, social media market PitchUA, Kyiv, April 2019 experts, and public relations managers, to shape and market content. Through PitchUA, an open call for pitches held in spring 2019, UCBI II is expanding the number of creative, socially relevant media concepts that can find support outside of UCBI II. As a result of
16 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 PitchUA, UCBI II identified five partners for further activity development. All of them are implementing high-quality, socially relevant content, guided by UCBI II supported local and international experts. The launch of the PitchUA competition gained very high interest among TV, film, mass media, and other creative industry representatives demonstrating increased industry interest in creating socially valuable content with an understanding of the importance of its impact on the society.
Build Connections Between Government, Civil Society, and the New Media Sector
To ensure that UCBI II supported media products have local legitimacy and ownership, and reflect genuine Ukrainian issues, UCBI II builds relationships between government actors, civil society, activist groups, and media outlets. UCBI II brings experts into pitching and content review processes and match-makes activists with media projects. UCBI II also draws on international experience to teach activists and experts how to develop relationships and work with the media sector. In most cases, UCBI II-supported media activities are supported in collaboration with, or on behalf of, the Ukrainian government or media outlets.
UCBI II supported the 2019 edition of the nation-wide broadcast "New Leaders" program, a competition series that highlighted local leaders and civic activists who were improving and leading the new Ukraine, producing complementary content that promotes and explains the reforms featured on the program and funds the program's winning project. UCBI II supported 20 news broadcasts on the projects and reform themes featured on "New Leaders". The broadcast partners for this program, ICTV and STB, are among the most watched in Ukraine. More than 210,000 people voted in the program’s project competition and the majority voted in favor of reform in Ukraine. More than 20 civil society organizations have become independent project experts as judging panel of the competition. “New Leaders” has 80 percent viewership across Ukraine as a result of a large promotional campaign on three major channels, live prime-time broadcasts on ICTV, online activities on the project website, social pages, and YouTube channel. This activity brought together more than 500 bright ideological Experts of the “New Leaders” Program leaders who will continue to work and implement their reforms in Ukraine after the completion of “New Leaders”.
17 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 Strengthen the Network of Ukrainian Voices on Social Media
Social media use, on Facebook and YouTube in particular, has significantly increased in recent years, with most urban populations reporting that they get more of their information from these sources than from traditional media. These are also platforms where Ukrainian creators have a weaker presence than their Russian counterparts. UCBI II trains, supports, and networks new vloggers and video creators, with a specific focus on YouTube, to create a network of youth - orientated, social media creators.
UCBI II initiated several activities to promote positive changes in Ukraine using different approaches, such as a school of bloggers, focused on the capacity development of the bloggers who demonstrate a pro-Ukrainian position and are willing to be more effective in content development and audience engagement. A UCBI II grantee held a Battle of Bloggers with 17 blogger participants, and UCBI II contracted an international expert who provided training to ten bloggers who produced more than 260 stories on their social media accounts sharing honest and relatable messages about day-to-day life of people living in Donetsk and Luhansk and conflict- affected areas.
18 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 PROGRAM EVALUATION
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is an integral part of project performance management systems, critical for learning, accountability, and outreach. UCBI II’s project evaluation is a systematic process of analysis, with clear feedback generated during monthly activity site visits performed by staff, regular M&E meetings, findings from an independent monitoring firm contracted by UCBI II, and media monitoring. Information gathered by UCBI II staff and by external evaluators is examined by project management, who use it to make strategic decisions.
During the reporting period, UCBI II program staff conducted an average of three to four activity site visits per month. Information collected through site visits and a third-party M&E firm aided in completing final monitoring reports (FMRs) for completed activities. Site visits also ensure that lessons learned are captured for future activity development.
During the reporting period, UCBI II also completed a nationwide data collection for Phase II of the SCORE Index. UCBI II conducted five outreach events in different regions to familiarize the public, practitioners, and partners (UNDP, Caritas Ukraine/Germany and German Humanitarian Assistance, Teple Misto, Urban Space 100, Nakipelo and Urban Space 50) with the SCORE tool and the main findings. The main topics included: trust in institutions and perceptions and benefits of the EU.
UCBI II is conducting a cluster evaluation to identify the changes in perception of health reform and the broader democratic change process in Ukraine related to UCBI II supported planning, equipping, and renovation of three primary healthcare hospitals in Severodonetsk. An M&E firm is conducting public opinion surveys of citizens, health professionals and representatives of city councils of Mariupol and Severodonetsk (CATI, face-to-face interviews) of those interacting directly with these activities, and desk-research of secondary information available on the evaluated projects. This cluster evaluation identifies the levels of knowledge and support of health care reform and its elements by all the target audiences of the project, as well as the sources for receiving information about the reform and the analysis of informational campaigns which operated within UCBI II` s activities.
In addition to the evaluation of completed activities, UCBI II commissioned base line research of Melitopol and Berdyansk citizens’ perception about healthcare reform and service delivery. The report captured the level of knowledge and attitude of Berdyansk and Melitopol citizens towards health care provision in their cities and health care reform. This assessment is intended to guide programmatic activities and ensure continued relevance of potential activities aiming at increase support for governmental reforms (healthcare reform) and democratic changes.
UCBI II also engaged an M&E firm to conduct a cluster evaluation of Parade Fest in Kharkiv and From Country to Ukraine Festival in Zaporizhzhia and Zakarpatska regions. In August and
19 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019 September 2109, the firm held key informant interviews aimed at measuring participants’ and organizers’ perception, opinion, and attitude towards similar activities in future.
UCBI II continued cooperation with Mobile News Service organization to monitor online media focused on health reform, radicalism, and veterans related content. The organization monitored key influencers on these topics and provided UCBI II with weekly reports defining the key narratives that are most popular in each selected area.
Ukraine saw political instability in early 2019 around the April presidential election and later parliamentary elections. These elections raised concerns about radicalization of different groups. UCBI II initiated several monitoring and research initiatives to better understand the issues and ways of mitigating extremism in Ukraine.
UCBI II engaged an organization to map radical groups in Ukraine and monitor top radical actions, groups, and their leaders’ activism. The organization provides a weekly monitoring report of activities of approximately 20 radical and extremist groups and behavior of other extremist or non-extremist groups. The reports detail extremist groups’ actions, plans, what leaders and opinion makers of the radical groups are reporting, posting, and discussing in social and traditional media; what is the response to these actions and statements by media, civil society, authorities; public perception and sentiment of extremist groups; recruitment and "push and pull factors"; and connections with veterans, military, police. The monitoring enables UCBI II, Ukrainian policy makers, and other relevant stakeholders to better design programs that mitigate consequences of radicalization in Ukraine.
In addition to this research, and as a part of support to a government ministry, UCBI II engaged a political/violent extremism mitigation expert to work with UCBI II staff and key government stakeholders to assess the challenges that extremism poses to stability and peacebuilding in Ukraine, identify relevant international experiences, and make recommendations for both strategies and activities to address this issue. As a result of this activity, UCBI II received an analysis of political extremist elements in Ukraine, risk factors, and suggested approaches for the international community, Ukrainian government, and civil society, based on relevant international experience and actionable recommendations for USAID and UCBI II to improve reporting on monitoring of extremist groups, actions, and sentiments.
20 UKRAINE CONFIDENCE BUILDING INITIATIVE II SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT, APR 2019-SEP 2019