Today, Ukrainians are proving their commitment to European values every day — both on the battlefield and on the home front, demonstrating the powerful force of horizontal cooperation.
As part of a nationwide communication campaign promoting participatory democracy in Ukraine we will highlight complex, sensitive, yet essential topics of our time — such as human rights, inclusion, and democracy. To do this, we will use unique tools: documentary films, cultural events, and related human rights discussions and debates. These will take place during the annual Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival in Kyiv, the Travelling Docudays UA across the regions of Ukraine, and on the DOCUSPACE online cinema.
We will engage with people from different social groups, perspectives, and experiences at all levels, as well as with leading Ukrainian and international civil society initiatives and state institutions. In total, we will screen more than 60 documentaries and hold 700 offline and online events, reaching at least 6 million views. Moreover, the project will strengthen the capacity of 27 civil society organizations.
This will increase public participation in civic and political life, foster cultural diplomacy, and promote unity around European values.

The Action’s overall objective is to foster a vibrant civil society in Ukraine, build unity around European values, and contribute to ensuring that human rights are upheld throughout the war and the recovery process.
The specific objective is to organize a nationwide communication campaign on human rights upholding, inclusion, and EU values of participatory democracy in Ukraine using empathy-inducing tools of Docudays UA film festivals and online activities throughout 2025 across Ukraine:
1. Organizing focus film programs and supporting events on democracy during the 22nd International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival Docudays UA in Kyiv on June 6-13, 2025, under the umbrella theme “Rare Resource”;
2. Organizing the 22nd Travelling Docudays UA festival in at least 19 oblasts of Ukraine in October-November 2025 under the umbrella theme “Rare Resource”;
3. Organizing supportive online events within the campaign at DOCUSPACE online cinema and DOCUDAYS’ social accounts under the umbrella theme “Rare Resource”;
4. Ensuring the accessibility of the festivals and online events (inclusive environment, accessible cultural products and supporting events);
5. Holding two training activities for local CSOs (organizers of the Travelling Docudays UA) on participatory democracy, human rights and communities’ engagement throughout the war and the recovery process.

1. Reached at least 6 mln views in Ukraine with communication activities on fostering vibrant civil society in Ukraine using the creative and empathy-inducing tools of Docudays UA film festivals in Kyiv and at least 19 oblasts of Ukraine, as well as online;
2. Ensured circulation of quality documentary films under the umbrella theme “Rare Resource”: at least 60 films are presented at national (International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival Docudays UA, DOCUSPACE online cinema) and local levels (Travelling Docudays UA festival) in the offline and online formats;
3. Organized at least 40 human rights and cultural events in cooperation with CSOs and public institutions at the national and local levels;
4. Increased capacity of at least 27 representatives of local CSOs.