The Agency for Private Initiative Development (Ivano-Frankivsk) has launched the project “Coalition of Civil Society Organizations to Support Heritage Communities” co-financed by the British Embassy in Ukraine, which will last until February 2019.

We invite CSOs with the ability and experience in the field of preservation and development of local heritage, as well as a desire to cooperate with like-minded colleagues, to the All-Ukrainian Coalition of Civil Society Organizations to Support Heritage Communities. To do this, please fill out the questionnaire at the link: http://goo.gl/dJ9fTD.

The main challenge for the project team was that heritage sites are gradually disappearing in Ukraine, most of which (73%) are located in rural areas. Rural communities, including newly established united territorial communities (UTCs) do not have sufficient knowledge / motivation to understand the cultural and economic value of these sites, as a result of which their unique heritage, created over centuries, is neglected and may be lost.

CSOs can become a powerful resource to help communities use their potential.

Therefore, the project aims to join forces, build partnerships, establish professional networks and expand opportunities for Ukrainian CSOs working in the field of heritage and local development, in order to contribute to the improvement of national policy, provide appropriate tools for decentralization reforms and effectively support the ability of ATCs to preserve and use the economic potential of cultural and natural heritage

Active CSOs already working in the field of local development and preservation of cultural heritage are invited to join the coalition. The coalition’s activities will be coordinated at the subregional level by experienced Ukrainian CSOs – the Creative Center of the CCC (Kyiv), the New Generation Civic Center (Kherson), the Agency for Sustainable Development of the Luhansk Region (Sevierodonetsk), and the Tourism Association of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast.

The coalition will unite at least 20 organizations in the field of heritage and local development from all over Ukraine, which

· will become a resource for the economic development of rural communities by developing a universal toolkit of programs for business development based on the potential of heritage in rural areas;

· will form and lobby for recommendations on changes to legislation to improve policies in the field of cultural and natural heritage;

· will prepare a team of trainers/consultants who will be able to support rural communities in understanding the role and importance of local heritage and will become their mentors, providing professional advisory support;

· will be able to train other CSOs, expanding the composition and strengthening the professionalism of the network (coalition).

The coalition's plans and proposals for legislative changes to address problems that hinder the preservation and economic use of heritage will be made public at its founding conference with the participation of donor organizations and foundations, line ministries, and the House of Reforms in Kyiv in November 2018.