“Together We Act. Together We Are Europe” communication campaign completed on August 3 at #TogetherWeActFest-Cherkasy

The nationwide communication campaign “Together We Act. Together We Are Europe”, which aimed to inform Ukrainians about the European Union’s support for civil society organisations (CSOs) and independent media during the war, concluded on August 3 in Cherkasy.

The campaign, implemented by the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, launched May 3, 2024, coinciding with World Press Freedom Day. Its aim was to showcase the crucial role of CSOs and the media in ensuring Ukraine’s resilience and recovery, and to emphasize the importance of the EU’s immediate and consistent support in maintaining and strengthening civil society’s capacity, as well as developing and scaling up its activities in the face of the challenges of war and reconstruction. The campaign spanned the entire country, featuring mass public events, exhibitions, discussions, and thematic meetings held in various regions of Ukraine.

To help Ukrainian CSOs overcome the challenges of the war, the EU approved an unprecedented decision for its donor structures – to allow Ukrainian grant recipients to reorient and use previously allocated funds for the needs of defending Ukraine, saving lives, and addressing the urgent needs of the citizens as early as on February 24-26, 2022.

During the full-scale war, the EU has tripled its support for civil society, reaching €101 million. To date, 56 grant projects and 1,877 sub-grant projects are being implemented in Ukraine across 15 key areas of civil society organisations and media. These projects focus on social protection and support for vulnerable groups and the military, human rights protection, support for groups with shared interests, business development and employment, strengthening amalgamated communities, promoting reforms and European integration, and ensuring the free development of independent media. The grants range from €299,000 to €10 million, with 346 projects with budgets from €500 to €639,000 implemented through regional grant programs. The EU provides this assistance through its strategic partners: the International Renaissance Foundation, the East Europe Foundation, the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting, ISAR Ednannia, and CO 100% Life Rivne Network, as well as with storng support of the European Endowment for Democracy.

Key topics of the “Together We Act. Together We Are Europe” communication campaign included:

• Support for reforms that bring Ukraine closer to the European Union and promote Ukraine’s alignment with EU rules and standards.
• Support for CSOs that unite people around shared interests, promote mobilization of communities and cooperation among different civil society groups.
• Support for CSOs focused on working with the most vulnerable groups, including psychological support.
• Support for independent media as a voice and instrument of democratic transformation for Ukrainian civil society, as well as a means of fighting disinformation and debunking fakes spread by Russian propaganda.

During the numerous events of the communication campaign, people had an opportunity to learn about the experience and concrete results of dozens of civil society organisations (CSOs). This included both established organisations and those formed in response to the challenges of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The European Union’s systemic assistance enabled these CSOs to persevere, provide vital aid to people, and subsequently strengthen and expand their influence. It also facilitated the involvement of new citizens in collaborative efforts and the scaling up of their activities.

The results and future plans of this work were discussed both at events organised within the campaign and at partner events, such as the EuroSummit of Civil Society Organisations, Media Toloka, and the conference for Journalist’s Day. Large-scale public events took place in Kyiv and other four regions of Ukraine: the #TogetherWeActFest and the #TogetherWeAct SUPPORT exhibition. The festival of civil society organisations and media in Kyiv attracted over 3,000 attendees, and numerous visitors were welcomed in Khmelnytskiy, Rivne, Vinnytsya, and Cherkasy. In total, the campaign’s events were attended by approximately 10,000 guests.

On July 5th, journalists and EU partners from civil society organisations (CSOs) participated in a field visit to Katyuzhanka and Irpin in the Kyiv Oblast, where they learned about EU-funded projects aimed at strengthening local communities, promoting effective reforms and reconstruction, and supporting youth.

As part of the campaign, a thematic online quiz was held on the EuroQuiz platform, where children and young people learned about the European Union’s support for Ukrainian civil society and media. One hundred quiz winners received prizes.

On August 1, a final meeting was held in Kyiv with representatives of the European Union, its partners in Ukraine, EU-supported CSOs, and media outlets. Participants discussed the campaign’s results and shared plans for the future. Over 100 participants from across Ukraine attended the meeting.

Millions of Ukrainians learned about the EU’s support for civil society and media through numerous publications and stories in special projects on 1+1, Espresso, Suspilne channels, NV, Rubryka, Gazeta UA, Ukrainian Radio, Detector Media, Ukrinform media outlets, and regional publications. The campaign aimed to inform the widest possible audience not only about the activities of CSOs but also about the opportunities that EU support provides to every Ukrainian. Ultimately, reforms, reconstruction, and European integration are carried out for the benefit of the people and require the active participation of every citizen. “Together We Act!” is not just a slogan; it is a concept that the EU, in cooperation with CSOs and media, has successfully implemented during wartime and will continue to be crucial in the future.

To learn more about the communication campaign “Together We Act. Together We Are Europe” and its results, follow its events on the official website or follow the pages of the EU Delegation to Ukraine onFacebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X.

Contacts:

Tetiana Voronina, media expert, EU Project Communicating EU for Ukrainians (CEU4U), which is being implemented by Ecorys, tvoronina9@gmail.com, +38 067 501 11 83