Recognizing the challenge to urgently address peacebuilding needs in areas affected both directly and indirectly by the conflict, IAC presents its approach to engaging community residents, specifically young people, into peacebuilding and promoting community security and social cohesion activities in their communities. The approach described is based on findings of the Recovery and Peacebuilding Program in Ukraine and aligned to the needs of target communities, consistent with the SDGs, in particular SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals).
Our approach deploys youth-driven development framework for promoting social cohesion and building social capital in fragile and post-conflict environments in target 32 communities of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts (GCA): Dobropilska, Druzhkivska, Pokrovska, Myrnohradska, Slovianska, Siverska, Soledarska, Toretska, Svitlodarska, Mangushska, Volnovaska, Vuhledarska, Sartanska, Velykonovosilkivska, Mariinska, Avdiivska, Bilovodska, Krasnorichenska, Kreminska, Lozno-Oleksandrivska, Milovska, Nyzhnoduvanska, Novoaidarska, Troitska, Lysychanska, Popasnianska, Sievierodonetska, Stanychno-Luhanska, Shchastynska, Triokhyzbenska ATC, Zolote (of Hirska ATC), Pryvillia (of Lozno-Oleksandrivska ATC).
Aiming to increase young people’s participation in community life and strengthen their capacity to implement youth-driven projects directed at the improvement of community security and social cohesion, IAC is planning to utilize an innovative approach that will reveal the potential of a newly developed gamified web-platform “FUNdraiser” (http://fundraiser.games/). In this regard the work and involved activities will be mainly focused on applying an edutainment methodology for learning and implementation of local initiatives that could be referred to as social impact challenges.
Combining the multi-tiered resources available for free access on web-platform “FUNdraiser” together with the concept of Community Security and Social Cohesion Working Groups (CSSCWGs) established in the UN RPP target communities in 2020-2021, the expertise of IAC will be implemented into a logical development framework aimed at helping young people to build sustainable fundraising strategies for their own initiatives in the areas of community security and social cohesion, to raise funds and additional resources for their projects as well as to contribute to connectivity between youth and local stakeholders.
The web-platform “FUNdraiser” was thoroughly developed with a gamified approach in mind: young people will join into teams and are to pass 15 training modules with progressive difficulty, incentive points calculated on the educational progress, additional limited in time challenges and task assignments and much more - there young and inspired teams will be able to communicate actively with peers, to find the partners among the stakeholders registered, to set up the cooperation with local CSSCWGs representatives. In addition, the web-platform “FUNdraiser” has over 110 templates and materials to help youth, youth-led and youth-serving organizations and community stakeholders plan, implement and raise resources as well as participate in effective programs for enhancing social cohesion and community security on a sustainable basis.
Staying on the top of the need to serve the challenging time the youth faces in conflict-affected communities of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts (GCA), IAC will direct the efforts onto the following:
to provide an effective educational approach developed on web-platform “FUNdraiser” for capacity building of young people in particular - to support their aspirations in elaboration of community projects directed at community security and social cohesion, to help them raise resources, to guide them on building the partnerships and secure the outcomes of these initiatives to be sustainable.
to maintain inspiring step-by-step guidance for web-platform users (youth teams) and assist them in gaining practical experience while utilising their fundraising skills, mobilizing resources and funds for their projects, establishing community partnerships, and later on - mentoring them on successful implementation of their project.
Expected outcomes of Project Implementation
Considering the young people will be actively engaged in the gamified activities of the web-platform “FUNdraiser” with its fun and challenging learning tasks and additional resources, afterward, the young agents of change will show:
deep understanding and appreciation of cooperation with peers, CSSCWGs and local CSOs;
acceptance of the particular challenges associated with community security and social cohesion in their communities and will be able to clearly describe them and address;
commitment to strategic fundraising approach to raising funds and resources in relation to plan and implement the sustainable initiatives in community security and social cohesion spheres;
ability to utilize diverse fundraising methods and techniques: crowdfunding, grants, local participatory budgets, private sponsorship, volunteer and in-kind support, social entrepreneurship etc.
Activities and events, planned within the Project Implementation
24 May - 6 June
Registration of fundraising challenge participants, formation of youth teams in 32 target communities, creation of projects on the platform, which are dedicated to solving community problems in the areas of public security and social cohesion.
28 May
Conducting an online conference for interested young people from 32 target communities on the terms of fundraising challenge and opportunities of the FUNdraiser learning platform
7 June
Launch of fundraising challenge on FUNdraiser
7 June
Opening of learning module 1 "Learning more about public security and social cohesion in the community"
June 9
Opening test 1 "Task 1. Public safety starts from you!"
June 10
Opening of learning module 2 "We make a logical-structural matrix of the project"
June 14
Opening of learning module 3 "Mastering the key terminology in the field of attracting resources to your project"
June 16
Opening of test 2 “Civil society infrastructure”
June 17
Opening of learning module 4 "Building a fundraising strategy for your project"
June 21
Opening of learning module 5 "Identifying opportunities to attract funds and resources for your project"
June 24
Opening of learning module 6 "We make a plan for the implementation of fundraising strategy"
June 25-28
Opening of Olympiad 1 "Start!", Duration 72 hours
June 28
Opening of learning module 7 "Learn about the possibilities of attracting financial support through grants"
June 30
Opening of test 3 "Fundraising is interesting!"
July 1
Opening of learning module 8 "Identifying ways to raise funds from the local budget"
July 5
Opening of learning module 9 "Learning crowdfunding"
July 6-14
Opening of Olympiad 2 "Fundraising event" Rock Your Community ", duration 200 hours
July 8
Opening of learning module 10 "We involve volunteers"
July 12
Opening of learning module 11 "Learning how to build relationships with sponsors"
July 15
Opening of learning module 12 "Learning to generate income to be self-sufficient"
July 19
Opening of learning module 13 "Invite partners"
July 21
Opening test 4 "Why do we need grants"
July 22
Opening of the training module 14 "Building a communication strategy to attract funds and resources"
July 24
Online battle of teams to train the pitching skills before the Superfinal pitching event.
July 25-29
Opening of Olympiad 3 “PR campaign“ Case for Support”
July 26
Opening of learning module 15 "Learning to manage a fundraising campaign"
July 28
Opening test 5 "PR-strategy for your project"
July 30-31
Completing the fundraising challenge, summarizing, updating the ratings on the platform. Identifying of 15 winning teams for online pitching events.
August 1
The official announcement of the TOP-15 teams to participate in online pitching
August 2
Conducting 1st online pitching for the TOP 1-5 teams
August 3
Conducting 2nd online pitching for the TOP 6-10 teams
August 4
Conducting 3rd online pitching for the TOP 11-15 teams
August 6
Superfinal in Sviatohirsk for 30 representatives from 15 TOP teams. Evaluation of the projects of the jury with the participation of authorized representatives of the UN Program for Peacebuilding and Reconstruction. Identification of 5 winning teams that will receive grants to co-finance their projects in the field of public security and social cohesion.
August 23-24
Selection of 2 mentors for 5 winning teams, coordination of webinar schedules for each and online consultations on the implementation of their projects in communities
August 30 - September 3
Conducting online webinars for 5 winning teams (minimum 1 webinar per 1 team)
August 30 - November 30
Carrying out 3-month mentoring support for 5 winning teams according to a pre-agreed schedule. Conducting an online master class on creating short videos. Dissemination of 5 online success stories of the winning teams for their public security and social cohesion projects
December 1-12
Analyzing the outcomes of projects from 5 participating teams.
December 15
Evaluation of fundraising challenge results.
This publication was prepared by the project "Digital Web Platform for Young People: Development, Design and Adaptation" in the framework of the UN Programs for Recovery and Peacebuilding Program together with financial support from Denmark, Switzerland. Thoughts, advice or recommendations, stated in the document, represent the author's view and do not necessarily correspond to the views of Dania, Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden.