In December 2024, YMCA-YWCA Denmark received a 4.4 million DKK grant from CISU's Neighborhood Fund to launch the "Voices of Defenders" project in collaboration with YMCA Lviv. This initiative aims to support young activists, including war volunteers and veterans in Lviv, by providing them with tools to foster change in their communities during and after the ongoing conflict.
Key components of the project include:
Space – Creating safe physical and social spaces where young people and veterans can meet, organize, rest, learn, and act together.
Advocacy – Training young activists in leadership, public speaking, lobbying, and campaigning to empower them make their voices heard nationally and internationally.
Capacity – Supporting the long-term capacity of YMCA Lviv to coordinate volunteers, manage psychosocial support, run democratic training and engage in civil society networks.
Reintegration – Working with war veterans and their families to support their social reintegration and active participation in local community life.
The primary beneficiaries are young war volunteers and veterans who play crucial roles in sustaining Ukraine's civil society. War volunteers undertake essential tasks such as delivering supplies and providing psychological support in conflict zones, often without adequate structural backing. Veterans face challenges like trauma and reintegration into civilian life. "Voices of Defenders" seeks to assist these individuals in processing their experiences and becoming active citizens advocating for democratic progress.
This project builds upon the longstanding partnership between YMCA-YWCA Denmark and YMCA Lviv, which has been active since 2012, particularly through the Local2Local collaboration with YMCA-YWCA Aarhus. The grant elevates this partnership, enabling young people from both Denmark and Ukraine to play pivotal roles in driving change within Ukraine.
By focusing on creativity, community, and advocacy, "Voices of Defenders" aims to strengthen the resilience of Ukraine's civil society and empower its youth to contribute to a democratic future
