ICC-Ukraine 2017 Annual Report By Dr. Kseniya Khovanova-Rubicondo National Network Coordinator December 2017 ICC-UA Annual Report 2017 1 Who we are? The National Intercultural Cities Network of Ukraine (ICC-UA) includes six cities offering a good geographical coverage of the country. The ICC-UA members – Lutsk, Melitopol, Odessa, Pavlograd, Sumy and Vinnytsia – recognize the importance of the diversity advantage for the development of their communities and take strategic approach to the implementation of the ICC’s urban model of intercultural integration fostering intercultural dialogue, urban space development along the goals of intercultural mixing, promoting best practice exchange, and giving more visibility to their Network at the local, national and international levels. Since 2015, when the II phase of the Ukrainian Network was launched, the ICC-UA members have been working diligently to implement the key points of the Recommendation CM/Rec (2015)1 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in their communities. Namely, the ICC- UA cities - encourage the implementation of the urban model of intercultural integration in their communities within their means of competences and via individual ICC strategies development; - bring the urban model of intercultural integration to the attention of local and regional authorities, relevant national, regional and local institutions, organisations and networks - effectively apply the tools which have been developed – the ICC Index in particular – to facilitate the implementation and measure the impact of the urban model of intercultural integration on their communities; - promote the diversity advantage in their communities and support the setting- up of city networks for the exchange of experience and learning in this respect; - and take note and facilitate the dissemination of the guidelines provided by “The intercultural city step by step: Practical guide for applying the urban model of intercultural integration” document, including via the ICC-UA Guidebook preparation in the official language of Ukraine. 2017 ICC-UA Annual Report 2017 2 Lutsk Lutsk is a city in northwestern Ukraine with the population of 217,103 people1 that includes people of different origins – Polish, Belorussian, Russian, Georgian, Czech, Jewish, Azerbaijani, Armenian, Roma, Crimea Tatar and others. The city has a well-established European network of sister-cities, which counted 18 total in 2016, and collaborates very dynamically internationally. Already in 2016, the year when the city officially joined the ICC-UA network, a number of events were carried out in Lutsk focusing on intercultural priorities of the city. Melitopol Melitopol is located in South Eastern Ukraine, some 70 km from the Sea of Azov and around 150 from the Crimea. The "city of honey" is famous for its cherry plantations and its engine-building industry. Melitopol is a unique city where many ethnicities and nationalities have coexisted in harmony for over 200 years. Ethnic and national groups are completely integrated in the city’s social and political life. Odessa Odessa is the third most populous municipality of Ukraine - 1 008 217 people.2 It is a major seaport and transportation hub on the Black Sea shore (south of Ukraine). Odessa is a remarkable example of the colorful diversity of nations and cultures. More than 130 nationalities have historically cohabited in the city leaving a special mark to its culture, historic sights, architecture, cuisine and even language that is believed to emerge as a result of the interweaving of different cultures. 1 State Statistics of Ukraine, 2015. 2 As of July 1, 2016 according to the data of the Main Department of Statistics in Odessa region. 2017 ICC-UA Annual Report 2017 3 Pavlograd Pavlograd is an industrial city in the eastern Ukraine and one of the oldest settlements in Dnipropetrovsk region. Today Pavlograd counts slightly more than 109,000 inhabitants diverse in their cultural background. Regardless its industrial focus, Pavlograd has always had a high quality cultural life and institutions. It is a home to many known artists and typical for the region and internationally recognized - e.g. by UNESCO - painting and embroidery traditions. Sumy Sumy is a city in the north-east of Ukraine and is the capital of the Sumy region (oblast). It was founded in 1652 as a Cossack fortress and was intended to protect Sloboda from the Crimean Tartar attacks. Subsequently, Sumy was incorporated into the Russian Empire and evolved into an important economic center, mainly due to the sugar industry development. Today the city counts 271.000 inhabitants, of which 75% are Ukrainians, whereas 15% are non-nationals. Vinnytsia Vinnytsia is a city in west-central Ukraine, located on the banks of the Southern Bug. It is the administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast and the largest city in the historic region of Podolia. Administratively, it is incorporated as a town of oblast significance. It also serves as an administrative center of Vinnytsia Raion, one of the 27 districts of Vinnytsia Oblast, though it is not a part of the district. Population: 371,698.3 3 According to 2013 estimations. 2017 ICC-UA Annual Report 2017 4 Executive Summary The year 2017 was marked for the Ukrainian ICC Network by a number of intercultural events, common initiatives, fruitful meetings, workshops and new created opportunities. All activities planned for the years 2016-2017 in the relevant Action Plan of the Network were successfully completed. This report offers a detailed review. To mark the 10th anniversary of the Intercultural Cities Programme of the Council of Europe this year, the ICC-UA members took seriously and accomplished efficaciously one of the key conditions of the ICC-UA Memorandum - to conduct Intercultural Cities (ICC) Index analysis of their communities within 12 months following the ICC-UA Memorandum signature with the Council of Europe. Today, the Ukrainian ICC Network is proud to admit that its every member was ICC Index tested by the end of 2017, which obviously adds to our common success as the ICC-UA Network and as the ICC Programme as a whole. As a result, all Ukrainian cities received a comprehensive feedback from the Programme experts including ICC Index rating and detailed recommendations on all 14 policy areas constituting intercultural approach. For some time, the ICC experts have observed an association between the intercultural performance of the ICC cities as measured by the ICC Index and the degree of satisfaction with living conditions in these cities.4 Interestingly enough, as upon the ICC Index testing of its member-cities, this observation appears to be valid for the Ukrainian ICC Network as well. Two cities-members of the ICC-Ukraine Network – Vinnitsa and Lutsk – that scored comparatively high on the ICC Index, are also among the top three in the national rating of the 'most comfortable for living'5 cities in Ukraine. Other two members of the ICC-UA - Odessa and Sumy – who are also well ranked on ICC Index – are listed in the top 20 in the municipal nationwide survey commissioned by the International Republican Institute in Ukraine in February 2017. 4 See the conclusions of the comparative study of the ICC Index and Eurobarometer's Quality of Life Data conducted by the Council of Europe’s expert in November 2016. 5 This rating is a result of a municipal nationwide survey commissioned by IRI conducted in February 2017 by the sociological group "Rating". 17,500 respondents took part in the survey evaluating the quality of cities' life by analysing more than 20 types of provided services. 2017 ICC-UA Annual Report 2017 5 ICC-UA Progress in 2017 In 2017, the Ukrainian ICC members organized and participated in a number of ICC partner initiatives, national and international exchanges, meetings and trainings further promoting urban model of the intercultural integration. Several seminars, workshops, study-visits, information sessions, inter-religious and inter-cultural gatherings were held in ICC-Ukraine communities focusing on newcomers, youth, educators, journalists, city administrators, SMEs, and with specific attention to internally displaced persons (IDPs), given the nowadays situation in Ukraine. The representatives of municipal services and various city organizations from Pavlograd, Lutsk, Odessa, Vinnytsia, Sumy and Melitopol took part in the ICC study visits, trainings and other thematic meetings in Ukraine, France and Portugal. The II Annual ICC-UA Meeting of Local Coordinators was held in Odessa on April 18-19, 2017 with the participation of all members. It was for the first time in its history that Odessa welcomed the ICC Network partners and event. Located on the Balck Sea shore, Odessa is also the first city in ICC-UA Network with a million population. More than 130 different nationalities live in the city that looks at its cultural diversity as a source of economic development and inspiration. The most recent example of this is the side-by-side establishment of two city parks – Greek and Turkish – in the central area of Odessa, designed following the suggestions and agreement of the representatives of both cultures. The Turkish Park was officially opened in May 2017 with the presence of the leaders of the country. Odessa highly values its ICC-UA Network membership and the opportunities provided by the ICC Programme and the Council of Europe in terms of international contacts and intercultural competence expansion, expert support, exchange of best practice and know-how of European and international ICC partners. "Odessa is a city of peace and tolerance. We treat the representatives of all nationalities living in our city with deep respect. And we are ready to become an international platform for showing an example of cultural diversity and intercultural integration. In Odessa, we have some success stories in this regard, and we are ready to share our experience" said Gennady Trukhanov, the Mayor of Odessa. Following the suggestion of 2017 ICC-UA Annual Report 2017 6 the national ICC-UA coordinator, the meeting participants agreed that Odessa can be rightfully called an intercultural harbour of Ukraine.