From July 7 to July 12 German-Ukrainian Bureau had the honor of hosting a delegation of civil society, mayors, and city councils from 7 communities (hromadas) in Chernihiv Oblast: Koryukivka, Nizhyn, Ripky, Horodnia, Ichnia, Bakhmach, and Chernihiv.
Our team, headed by project leader Tetiana Lopashchuk, prepared for our guests a comprehensive program of meetings in Berlin and in Schwerin, the capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which has an official twin region with Ukraine - Chernihiv Oblast. The goals of the visit were to present the first experience of rebuilding Chernihiv Oblast communities, to identify current challenges and needs, and to develop partnerships and learn from the experience of German towns.
We were able to have fruitful meetings with the Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Construction, the Ministry of Economic Cooperation, all three German municipal and city associations of different levels, the president and members of different parliamentary factions of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and others. We also had valuable meetings with the NGO Nord Haus UA and learned from SKEW's experience in building partnerships between German and Ukrainian cities.
We believe that for many participants, this trip to Berlin will be just the beginning of fruitful relationships with German cities and official institutions. This study visit was made within the framework of the project "Local Resilience and Recovery: Potential of Ukrainian Civil Society in Chernihiv Oblast" and thanks to the support of the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. We are also grateful for the help of the Dobrochyn NGO, which became our partner and guide in the Chernihiv region.
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