Drawing on the successes and lessons learned from the CSO-funded United Voices in Action (VIA) 1.0), implemented by IREX since 2021, the new VIA 2.0 program aims to empower internally displaced persons (IDPs) to lead community cohesion efforts and establish effective support structures that enhance their resilience and contribute to Ukraine’s national recovery. 

United Voices in Action 2.0 will expand upon the foundations laid in VIA 1.0 by collaborating with the Government of Ukraine to provide resources for IDP integration, prevent exploitation, and support both IDPs and host communities in achieving sustainable integration. 

Through this program, IREX will assist IDPs and host community members across 15 oblasts in building resiliency, fostering social cohesion, and promoting economic viability. IREX’s efforts will strengthen and expand the existing IDP Council network, provide over 1,000 training sessions, meetings, and events to enhance government capacity and improve services for IDP integration needs, and allocate nearly two million dollars in subgrants to local organizations, benefiting thousands of Ukrainians.

1. Engage in Planning Processes: Collaborate with the Government of Ukraine at all levels to ensure the provision of resources for the integration of IDPs with their host communities and to prevent exploitation, including human trafficking.
2. Support Sustainable Integration: Assist IDPs and host communities in achieving and sustaining integration by incorporating input from both groups and prioritizing conflict resolution and mitigation strategies where appropriate.

Under VIA Phase 1, IREX:

• Established 41 IDP Councils (29 at the city/district level and 12 at the regional level) to protect IDP rights, reaching 3.69M through national awareness campaigns.
• Submitted 22 legislative proposals: 13 accepted, 9 pending.
• Trained 500+ participants in “Yedyna Hromada” workshops to improve social cohesion, combat hate speech, and ways to avoid stereotypes.
• Engaged 441 participants in "Design Thinking" sessions, leading to 22 local NGOs receiving grants to implement projects aimed at enhancing social cohesion and facilitating IDP integration, which resulted in 927 events with 13,555 attendees (9,776 IDPs).
• Conducted "Resilience during War" psychosocial training for 400+ IDPs in 25 communities, forming 117 peer-to-peer psychological support groups assisting 1,023 individuals.
• Provided humanitarian aid to 1,754 IDPs and delivered 17,696 legal consultations to IDPs and host communities.
• Held “Advocacy Academy” for 160 IDP council and NGO representatives from 15 regions, granting 19 NGOs funds for IDP rights advocacy campaigns about IDP rights and benefits. 

• Connect IDPs with resources to support integration into communities and to protect themselves from exploitation.
• Build capacity of policy makers at the national, regional, and local level to support IDP needs.
• Develop and monitor integration plans through IDP Councils and support the strengthening of IDP Councils at the regional level. 
• Foster local IDP leadership through VIA Ambassadors, community liaisons to serve as network connectors bringing together the IDP population and community influencers (e.g., cultural centers, police, and employment services) 
• Provide psychosocial support including targeted support to those preparing to return to recently de-occupied territories and elderly IDPs.
• Build resilient and cohesive communities through social cohesion training for IDPs and host community members.
• Enhance economic viability by supporting IDPs to find employment and offer small grants for the start-up of new or relocated businesses. 
• Create information sharing resources and campaigns to educate the public about IDP rights and to reduce harmful stereotypes.  
• Provide impact grants to strengthen local NGOs addressing critical issues for IDPs such as housing, employment, and psychosocial support.