East Europe Foundation (EEF)

🌍In the ongoing global struggle against Russian aggression, sanctions remain a potent deterrent. Although the Russian political leadership is actively seeking ways to circumvent certain restrictions, notably through affiliated countries, still, it’s clear that economic sanctions are undermining Russia’s ability to keep up its expansionist drive in Ukraine and Europe, and are vital to global stability. “Will sanctions continue to shape the future of global diplomacy? How can it evolve to remain effective? What critical insights must the international community grasp?” Dr. Ilona Khmeleva, Socio-Political and International Advocacy Cluster Lead, shares her thoughts on these issues in a column for the Atlantic Council. 🔗 Check the analytical center’s site for the full English piece for a deeper understanding: http://bit.ly/3Rs8XlP

AI aiding in getting funding for international youth exchange initiatives 🚀 The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine has launched an innovative AI module for automated application verification in youth exchange project competitions. This advancement simplifies the application process, enhancing efficiency and accessibility. 🤝 Key Benefits: ✔️ Partial or full application review with improvement recommendations 📝 ✔️ Reduced error risk 🛡️ ✔️ Time efficiency ⏱️ How it Works: The AI analyzes applications, providing targeted feedback on key sections. 🤖 Important Considerations: ⏳ Verification may take 3 to 15 minutes 🔄 Unlimited verification attempts are available ✅ AI module usage is voluntary This AI integration marks a significant step in the digital transformation of Ukraine's public services. 🇺🇦 We're confident this tool will empower youth projects and contribute to national development. This service is developed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine within EGAP Program implemented by East Europe Foundation with Swiss government support. 🇨🇭

👩🔬 Ukraine’s First Electronic Medical Residency Placement Takes Place On March 17, 20 graduates from medical higher education institutions underwent a ranked medical residency placement using an electronic system. All of them are specialists in ‘Medical Diagnostics and Treatment Technologies’ from four higher education institutions: 📍 Zaporizhia State Medical and Pharmaceutical University 📍 Kharkiv National Medical University 📍 Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv 📍 Bogomolets National Medical University The placement was conducted for the medical residency specialty ‘Laboratory Diagnostics, Virology, Microbiology’. Now, all graduates will study in the healthcare facilities they selected during the application process. 💬 «The introduction of electronic medical residency placement is another step towards the digital transformation of medical education and healthcare. EGAP Program, in collaboration with partners, supports such solutions to simplify and make processes more accessible for Ukrainians», noted Victor Liakh, East Europe Foundation President. Medical residency placement will be conducted in two stages. In the first stage, applications from graduates with the highest ranking scores are reviewed. Upon approval, they are offered training in their chosen higher education or healthcare institution. In the second stage, applications not approved in the first stage are reviewed. In such cases, the system generates offers as close as possible to the graduates’ stated preferences. 🇨🇭The electronic medical residency placement system was created on the Diia.Engine Platform in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine within EGAP Program implemented by East Europe Foundation with Swiss government support.

🧑⚕️E-System for Merit-Based Medical Residency Placement Launched in Ukraine From now on, the process of assigning medical and pharmaceutical master's graduates to medical residency will be fully automated, ensuring transparency. 🗒️The system stores resident data, academic performance, and generates electronic documents for medical residency completion. The system eliminates the possibility of external interference or influence on the medical residency placement results. It is integrated into the unified job portal in healthcare institutions. This means residents will fill positions genuinely needed by healthcare institutions. Placements will be made among all graduates of medical and pharmaceutical higher education institutions, taking into account their merit-based score. For the first time, medical graduates will be able to choose their desired placement by specialty. 💬 «EGAP Program, implemented by East Europe Foundation with the support of Switzerland, in partnership with others, is making efforts to create digital solutions that change the approach to managing public processes. The electronic medical residency placement system is further proof that technology can ensure transparency and trust in important public sectors,» noted Victor Liakh, East Europe Foundation President. 📅 The first placement in the system will take place as soon as on March 17, 2025. The system was created on the Diia.Engine Platform in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine within the Swiss-Ukrainian EGAP Program, implemented by East Europe Foundation.

🌍Ukrainians are actively participating in the e-democracy development. In particular, this is proved by the E-Government Development Index, where Ukraine ranks 1️⃣ in the “E-participation” category. The efforts taken by the Foundation, our donors, and partners allowed us to implement such digital solutions in over half a thousand communities. This toolkit helps communities introduce necessary changes and solve challenges efficiently, transparently, and in a user-friendly manner for residents, simplifies access to administrative services, improves communication between authorities and citizens, and promotes development and adaptation to changing conditions. Vira Nedzvedska, Vice President for Strategic Partnerships, East Europe Foundation, used the opportunity to tell the international community about this and more. Vira participated in the 10th European Congress of Local Governments held in Poland , where she spoke on the “Are Local Communities Prepared for the Digital Future?” panel 💬 “Digitalization makes services more accessible, attracts investors, and increases trust in authorities. Communities that actively implement digital technologies get more development opportunities,” Vira noted. During her speech, the Vice President talked about the initiatives developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Transformation within the framework of the Swiss-Ukrainian EGAP Program: “Digital Transformation Index of Ukrainian Communities”, the Diia.Digital Community portal, the E-DEM e-democracy platform, and SVOI tools". Vira also told about projects on CivicTech solutions and the CDTO Campus initiative aimed at training experts in digital transformation. ✅At the Congress, they also discussed other important topics – politics and security, economics and finance, regional infrastructure, green energy, international cooperation, etc. This year, more than 2,000 participants from different countries joined the event.

🧑💻 An electronic register for industrial hemp has been launched in Ukraine. The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine has launched the electronic register for industrial hemp eKonopli. The electronic register will make the industrial hemp market more transparent and open, and will also simplify reporting for enterprises engaged in the sowing, cultivation, and processing of hemp for industrial purposes. 🍀 The implementation of the eKonopli system is another important step towards deregulating the cultivation of industrial hemp in Ukraine. One of the key features of the system is the use of the declarative principle for providing information to the registry, which significantly reduces bureaucratic hurdles and increases transparency in the sector. Additionally, the system will allow for the collection of objective statistical and analytical data. The e-Konopli system is integrated with related state registers and systems, such as the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs and Public Formations (EDR), the State Register of Property Rights to Real Estate (DRRP), the State Land Cadastre (DZK), and the Information and Communication System «eRoslynnytstvo». Previously, to register industrial cannabis, an entrepreneur had to submit an application to the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drugs Control, with the process taking from three months to a year. Now, registration in the electronic registry will take up to 40 minutes. 📍 The service is implemented by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine within the framework of EGAP Program, implemented by East Europe Foundation with the support of the Government of Switzerland. The registry was created based on Diia.Engine – a platform launched by the Ministry of Digital Transformation. Thanks to the use of this tool, significant time and resources were saved during the development of the registry.

📩We are excited to share our update on our latest achievements, key news, and impact stories in this EEF Digest February 2025. Thank you for your ongoing support and interest in our projects! 

🌐Predicting risks and exploring adaptation strategies during times of uncertainty was the central theme of this year’s Points of Light Global Network Gathering. The event is traditionally organized by the international non-profit organization, Points of Light, and brings together representatives from non-governmental organizations in more than 20 countries. Victor Liakh, President of East Europe Foundation, also participated in one of the discussion panels. As part of the discussion on "Preparing for the Future in Uncertain Times," Victor focused on the full-scale invasion and its impact on both Ukrainian and global discourse. He emphasized that how our team is adapting to these challenges is just as crucial: fostering a culture of crisis management, stress resilience, building strong partnerships, and focusing on what we do best for the Foundation's sustainability. 📌"Sustainability is a multi-level process that includes strategic vision, adaptability, partnerships, people-centered leadership, and a commitment to continuous learning. There are no easy solutions, but with the right approach, NGOs can succeed even in the most difficult conditions!" said Victor. Points of Light is an international organization that brings together representatives from the non-profit sector, business, and volunteer organizations into a unified network to collaboratively address social challenges facing humanity. Founded in 1990 by George H.W. Bush, the organization now includes over 140 member organizations across more than 30 countries.

🎬 Introducing the new online course "Inclusive Humanitarian Aid"! 🎯 Its main goal is to help organizations implementing humanitarian programs enhance their awareness and professionalism in inclusion and learn how to create barrier-free spaces. The online course consists of nine lectures that will deepen your understanding of the needs of people with disabilities and make inclusion one of the core values of your organization. Meet the online course instructors: 🔸 Oleksandr "Teren" Budko — a veteran and public activist 🔸 Uliana Pcholkina — a public activist, leader of Group for Active Rehabilitation NGO The free course "Inclusive Humanitarian Aid" is now available on Educational Online Platform: https://cutt.ly/3rrJopg5. "Inclusive Humanitarian Aid" online course was developed as part of "Together for Support" program, implemented by East Europe Foundation and funded by the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund United Nations OCHA.

On February 21, Kyiv hosted an event that brought together local organizations and donors to discuss important issues of cooperation and support for civil society.   🤝 Partnership and Networking The Meeting for Change has become a platform for sharing experiences, finding new partnerships, and expanding opportunities for civic initiatives. Participants presented their projects, discussed challenges and ways to overcome them.   💡 Opportunities for Organizations East Europe Foundation presented three active support programs: 🔹 Impulse is a three-year project of the International Renaissance Foundation and East Europe Foundation with support from the Norwegian Agency for Development and Cooperation (Norad) and in partnership with Sweden (Sida - Styrelsen för Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete) aimed at strengthening civil society for the restoration of Ukraine. 🔹 Phoenix: The Power of Communities is a project implemented by East Europe Foundation with support from the European Union. Its goal is to support the development of civil society organizations to rebuild the affected communities and promote Ukraine's European integration. 🔹 Capable and Resistant is a program implemented with financial support from Switzerland to strengthen the resilience and effectiveness of civil society organizations that support the affected population. The program includes grants in the amount of UAH 400,000 to 4,000,000, institutional development, online courses, and experience exchange.   📚 The participants also learned about the possibilities of the free online educational platform Zrozumilo!.   The Meeting for Change has once again confirmed that through cooperation and support we can build a strong civil society in Ukraine!   Many thanks to National Network of Local Philanthropy Development for organizing and inviting us!