“Discrimination is imperceptible, but it exists“- Teaching in effective strategies of anti-discrimination work in Ukraine

The training room is filled with drawings and photographs, presentations and various strategies of activities aimed at weakening the conflict in Ukraine. During the week-long training held in Kiev, representatives of Ukrainian civil society worked on how one can effectively resist conflict-based discrimination using creative methods.

The discrimination cases in Ukrainian society are increasing owing to the armed conflict in the east of the country. During the training it was said that the grounds for such actions are primarily the origin from any particular region, political beliefs or other conflict-relevant signs. The training was attended by ten representatives of Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Kharkiv Oblasts – the regions that accepted the largest number of internally displaced persons, as well as Sumy, Cherkasy, Vinnitsia and Lviv Oblasts.

Marina Chernivsky from Berlin, the coach of the pilot project “Change of Perspectives Plus”, implemented by the Central Charitable Organization of Jews in Germany, demonstrated to the activists various tested tools for effective anti-discrimination work. The first two training modules taking place within the previous project, explored, in particular, the causes of prejudice and stereotypical thinking and methods of recognizing their various forms of manifestation. In the third module, participants got acquainted with strategies that can be used to avoid situations of discriminatory attitude. In addition, participants learned how to conduct consultations on the prevention of conflicts arising from discrimination in the form of role-playing games. Marina Chernivsky presented various approaches and strategies for preventing and resolving conflict situations, such as the principle of multi-perspectivity, the “Empowerment” method (work aimed at self-reinforcing of the target group’s participants without discriminating the participants’ data), as well as ways of a dialoguing that prevents discrimination between various groups.

In addition, the participants had the opportunity to develop specific ideas and concepts for mini-projects, where new methods and gained knowledge will be applied immediately after the training event is completed. In general, as a part of the project training “Overcoming the consequences of the war together”, five mini-projects will receive funding in the amount of ,500 euros, which will give participants the opportunity to take effective measures to overcome the discrimination of internally displaced persons and (former) participants of military activities at the beginning of the following year.

After the implementation of the mini-projects under the professional supervision of the coach Marina Chernivsky, in September 207, the fourth and last module of training in strategies to prevent discrimination and anti-discrimination work is planned. Upon completion of the training, the participants will become qualified consultants and multiplier of anti-discrimination work for post-conflict regions.