Description: The training will bring together Ukrainian community leaders from Poland and Lithuania to strengthen their civic participation skills, build inter-community cooperation, and translate community needs into concrete action. Over four intensive days, participants will explore democratic processes, practice community engagement tools, and enhance cross-border cooperation on civic participation between Ukrainian community leaders in Lithuania and Poland.
Format: 4‑day residential, highly interactive training combining experiential learning, peer exchange, and applied project work.
Dates: 14-17 April 2026
14 April – Katowice, University of Silesia
15–17 April – Podlesice, Hotel Ostaniec
Venue: Katowice, University of Silesia / Podlesice, Hotel Ostaniec
Working language: English
Target group: Ukrainian community leaders living in Poland
Registration form: https://forms.gle/U8RgxaycnAz7VeRL7
Participant Profile
We invite Ukrainian community leaders, active volunteers, coordinators, cultural activity leaders, project initiators, and emerging civic actors of Ukrainian origin who currently live anywhere in Poland — large cities, regional centres, and rural municipalities. Both representatives of formal organizations (associations, foundations, culture centres, diaspora groups) and informal community initiatives are welcome.
Participants should (eligibility criteria):\
- Arrived in Poland on 24 February 2022 or later from Ukraine.
- Hold Ukrainian citizenship.
- Be 18+ and involved in community or civic work.
- Have a sufficient level of English.
- Commit to full participation in the 4-day training.
- Be motivated to strengthen civic participation and community engagement where they live.
We aim for balanced representation, diversity in age and gender, and inclusion of smaller or emerging local initiatives — not only well‑established organizations.
Aim: To empower Ukrainian community leaders living in Poland and Lithuania with the knowledge, skills, partnerships, and practical tools needed to initiate, strengthen, and sustain civic participation and community development initiatives in their local contexts.
Objectives:
- Build Civic Competencies: Develop participants’ understanding of democratic systems in EU, rights‑based participation, and effective models of civic action at community level.
- Strengthen Community Leadership & Engagement: Equip leaders with practical methods to mobilize community members, facilitate dialogue, identify community needs, and design inclusive participation processes.
- Accelerate Local Civic Initiatives: Support participants to co‑create local activities, form partnerships with institutions, and plan follow‑up implementation after the training.
Training course topics:
- Civic society & democratic participation: how community voice influences change.
- Mapping community needs, assets, and stakeholders.
- Community leadership roles, competencies, boundaries, and self‑care.
- Inclusive engagement: reaching diverse age groups, newly arrived people, and those at risk of exclusion.
- Project basics: from idea to action (problem tree, objective setting, stakeholder buy‑in, budget basics, risks).
- Working with institutions: who does what (municipalities, NGOs, integration centres, cultural institutes, education).
