The first ever Ukrainian Parliamentary Advocacy Academy, organized under the USAID RADA: Next Generation Program, took place in Kyiv.
Over the course of four days, the team of the Alliance for Ukraine’s Recovery and representatives of civil society organizations from across the country delved into key aspects of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine: from drafting and adopting bills to opportunities for public participation in parliamentary oversight. Practical workshops and the interactive game “Legislative Process” were especially useful, as they allowed participants to see all the stages of a draft law from idea to entry into force.
“Advocacy is a tool that enables the public to influence the legislative process and promote systemic change. An in-depth understanding of legislative processes allows us to better defend the interests of communities and find ways to effectively cooperate with the parliament. This is another step towards ensuring that the voice of citizens is heard and taken into account in decision-making at the state level,” said Mykyta Laktionov, Deputy Head of the Ukraine Rebuilding Alliance.
The knowledge gained will help us to communicate the interests of citizens to government officials even more effectively, to engage in a constructive dialogue on legislative initiatives and to implement innovative solutions in our legislative activities. New acquaintances and networking were especially valuable, as they helped us to establish partnerships and work together in the future.
We express our gratitude to the organizers – USAID Ukraine, Internews Ukraine and all the trainers for their professionalism and support.
