Estdev

Period: 01.08.2021–31.12.2022.

Country: Ukraine.

Description: The purpose of this project is to enhance societal resilience in Western Ukraine by strengthening local media outlets, which play a crucial role in shaping local opinions and attitudes, as well as developing civic communities. The project will focus on four topics. Firstly, developing critical thinking and media literacy among the local journalists and communities. Secondly, developing journalists’ and journalism students’ professional capacity, critical thinking, fact-checking skills, and know-how on how to recognize and inform the public of hostile information operations used as part of hybrid war to polarize society. Thirdly, encouraging journalists to build active linkages to communities and produce the content, which could lead to building a network to promote best democratic practices. And finally, facilitating a dialogue on the topic of Euro-Atlantic reforms between journalists and policymakers, CSOs, enterprises and regional opinion leaders.

Target Group: Local journalists from five regions in Western Ukraine: Chernivtsi, Volyn, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Rivne.

Funding: U.S. Department of State Office of the Assistance Coordinator for Europe and Eurasia under the Eighth Round of the Development Cooperation Partnership (DCP) Program and ESTDEV.

Budget: $200,000.