Participatory tools can help integrate displaced Ukrainians, experts say

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While co-decision mechanisms in Ukrainian municipalities have been suspended due to the war, participatory tools could still help support and integrate Ukrainian displaced people, according to experts.

Before the Russian aggression against Ukraine, hundreds of Ukrainian cities and municipalities were implementing participatory initiatives, giving citizens a say in local decision-making.

In Lviv, for instance, up to 200,000 inhabitants were taking part in the participatory budgeting process by voting or submitting ideas financed through the city budget, according to Volodymyr Kebalo, project officer at the Council of Europe in Ukraine.

In his view, this participatory tool helped foster trust between residents and local governments.

Moreover, participatory budgeting is “good practice for fighting corruption and for engaging citizens in public life,” according to Leonid Donos, director of the Association Communities Participatory Development.

After the Russian invasion, Ukrainian cities stopped participatory projects and all local resources were repurposed to support the war effort and humanitarian needs. 

Yet, participatory approaches could still play a crucial role during the crisis, according to experts.

Internally displaced people

Because of the war, there are currently around 7 million internally displaced people in the country.

“We have to adapt policies and decisions based on their needs and engage them in the decision-making process,” Kebalo said.

The Council of Europe is currently using a participatory approach, including consultations and workshops, to develop the new regional education policy in the Lviv region.

“The aim is to identify and incorporate the needs of displaced teachers and school students into the education process and make the education environment profitable for them,” he explained.

Donos, meanwhile, is currently working with the United Nations Development Program to implement a participatory component to humanitarian support.

The goal is to “create a space for conversation with internally displaced people,” to understand their needs and foster cooperation with residents and local authorities, he said.

Refugees in host countries

Co-decision mechanisms can also help reduce tensions between refugees and the local population in the countries hosting Ukrainians fleeing the war, according to Josh Lerner, director of People Powered. 

“I think it’s really important to do it now, as soon as possible, but also to do it carefully,” he said, adding that in the long term “people can get resentful” if they see resources are being spent on newcomers.

“If you don’t have spaces for dialogue and deliberation, then resentment can erupt in ugly ways,” Lerner added.

Reconstruction efforts

Participatory schemes could even play a role in the reconstruction of Ukraine, according to Serhiy Loboyko, advisor to the Kyiv city government and head of the Centre for Innovations Development.

“In the stage of development and prioritisation of the reconstruction projects municipalities in different regions will have different priorities,” he told EURACTIV, adding that “it’s important to not just rebuild, but to do it better and to engage local citizens, NGOs and businesses.”

Moreover, a participatory approach to planning and funding Ukraine’s reconstruction at the local level could foster trust with international donors.

“It will be important for them to see that citizens, local stakeholders can work together with local governments, control the implementation process and in this way minimise risks of corruption or bad execution by local governments or sub-contractors,” he said.

[Edited by Nathalie Weatherald]

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