Within All-Ukrainian Communication Campaign on EU support for civil society and independent media in Ukraine ‘TogetherWeActFest’ took place in Kyiv

The TogetherWeActFest, organised by the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine on the occasion of the Europe Days, gathered influencers, experts, CSOs and media representatives, officials, Kyiv residents and visitors at Mystetskyi Arsenal. This is a flagship public event in the framework of nationwide communication campaign 'Together We Act. Together We Are Europe', which was launched on May 3 and will last until the end of July 2024 across all regions of Ukraine.

The EU has shown its solidarity and unwavering support for Ukraine amidst Russia's illegal war by providing military, financial, humanitarian and budgetary assistance to the country and by consistently supporting Ukrainian civil society and independent media. The 'Together We Act' communication aims to raise awareness of this support among Ukrainians, showcase the key role of civil society and media in Ukraine's resilience and recovery, demonstrate their EU-backed achievements, and encourage citizens to participate in efforts for Ukraine's  sake.

A special highlight of the TogetherWeActFest was the decoration of a unique Europe-Ukraine ceramic mural, which remarkably survived attack on Boychuk Academy by the Russian aggressor. Together with children from Fastiv, the EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová and Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna joined in decorating the mural.

Katarína Mathernová, Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine:

'The relentless will to fight and defend freedom and democracy in Ukraine is a whole society effort. The many individuals that are active in civil society organisations and media are essential part of it. Against all odds, Ukrainians have shown unprecedented force and resilience as well as a deep commitment to European values. The European Union values our close partnership with the civil society and independent media and will continue relying on it throughout Ukraine's EU integration'.

Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine:

'We hope that soon we will officially begin negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union and hold the first Intergovernmental Conference. And it is hard to imagine this process without civil society engagement, which has become our reliable bedrock and watchdog for transformation. Civil society is already actively participating in the European Commission's explanatory sessions as part of the official screening of the Ukrainian legislation. We also expect civil society to be actively involved from the moment the first negotiating chapters are opened. It is Ukrainian society and business that should define the red lines to safeguard national interests. It is up to each and every one of us to decide what position Ukraine will take at the end of the negotiation process and on our future path as a full-fledged Member State of the European Union'.

Open discussion 'Impact of the EU support on CSOs and media in Ukraine on its path towards the EU. Place and role of CSOs in Ukraine's recovery process' was attended by leading experts, CSO and media representatives, as well as representatives from the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

Inspirational speeches were delivered by Oleksandra Matviichuk, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2022 and head of the Centre for Civil Liberties, journalist Andriy Kulikov, Oleksandr Starodubtsev (NAPC), Hanna Kramarenko (Atlant), Natalia Cheremoshentseva (Dignity volunteer initiative), and TNMK frontman Oleh Mykhalyuta,singer Svitlana Tarabarova.

At the SOLIDARITY CSO Alley and in the dedicated tents, Ukrainian CSOs of different levels – from national to local – demonstrated both the results of their work and their new management strategies. The East Europe Foundation and its partners, the International Renaissance Foundation, ISAR Ednannia and its partners, Network 100 Percent Life Rivne, Changemakers, Institute for Sustainable Development of Communities (ISDC), SUVIATO, and Smilyvyi Irpin, FREE ZONE, BPeopleUkraine, Kyiv Defenders, Divergent Woman, and Volunteer centre organised lectures, discussions, surveys, consultations, trainings, quizzes, business and learning games, etc… The State Emergency Service of Ukraine in partnership with the East Europe Foundation conducted a mine safety training.

At the EU pavilion, visitors get comprehensive information about EU-Ukraine relations and the unprecedented assistance the European Union has been providing to Ukraine during the war, including to CSOs and the media. Currently, 2,330 projects are being implemented in Ukraine, and more than EUR 104 million has been allocated to support this sector. The minimum grant amount is EUR 60 thousand, and the maximum is EUR 10 million. More than 800 grants have been awarded to civil society representatives at the local level.

EU Study Days programme was presented by the EU Networks in Ukraine and Communicating the European Union for Ukrainians (CEU4U) projects, which also offered themed, prize-winning Euroquizzes for quests.

In the HOLOSY ('voices') media tent, Suspilne TV, Rubric media solutions, and the online publication Skhidnyi Variant, as well as Detector Media, held courses on media literacy and the use of artificial intelligence in journalism, the latest techniques for finding and evaluating effective solutions and fact-checking. The Internews team delivered a presentation-quiz titled 'Debunking Disinformation about the EU and Ukraine's European Integration'.

The media outlet "Rubryka" and the online publication "Eastern Variant" have also covered the work of the media network "Recovery Window". They shared insights on how the aggregator of recovery materials works from all corners of Ukraine and why media associations are worth joining for civil society organizations. Additionally, they discussed how to create materials in the solutions journalism format and how to make community initiatives that aid in our country's recovery from the effects of enemy aggression more visible.

Event's partners, Docudays UA, organised a screening and discussion of the 89 Days documentary with the participation of the film's director, Pavlo Dorohoi.

street exhibition #TogetherWeAct. SUPPORT presented information about civil society organisations that have benefited from the European Union's support since the first days of the full-scale war. The exhibition will remain open to the public for two more weeks at St. Sophia's Square before traveling to four additional cities across Ukraine.