The Truly Together Project has been closed with the final conference on June 2nd 2014 in Zakarpattia

The conference have brought together practitioners and experts to discuss rural development in Ukraine and to transfer lessons learned by rural communities in Slovakia.

The Truly Together Project has been working almost 2 years to support eight rural communities in 4 oblasts of Ukraine – Zakarpats’ka, L’vivs’ka, Cherkas’ka and Ivano-Frankisvs’ka. The Project enabled communities to implement local important initiatives, as well as get experience shared in
Slovakia. The project impact and results and future plans have been discussed during the conference.

Video interview, Ruslan Zhylenko, Carpathian Foundation Ukraine director.

The agenda of the conference was built in form of panel discussions in two languages – Ukrainian and Slovak with simultaneous translation. During the section “Experience and challenges of rural development in Ukraine“ their experience presented Natalia Klymova, ISAr Ednannia, Kyiv, Petro Lazarchuk Westen-Ukrainian Resource Center, Lyudmayla Popyuk, Ministry for regional development, construction and communal housing of Ukraine.

The second panel discussion focused on Slovak development assistance program and their speeches presented Janka Burianová, The Consular General of Slovak Republic in Uzhgorod, Izabela Nagyová, project manager, SAMRS (SlovakAid), Darina Kosegiová, Department for Development Assistance and Humanitarian Aid,  Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Peter Brezáni, junior researcher, Slovak Foreign Policy Association.

‘We try to respond the needs on Ukraine, – Ms. Janka said. – Currently the main purpose is to share development experience. We are opened to cooperation.’

The final section has presented the best examples of Ukrainian communities within Truly Toogether projects: “Chesnyky cheese (Oleh Zhuravins’kyi, ECOM, Chesnyky village, Ivano-Frankivsk oblas’t; “Digitalization of historical heritage films of Ternovo village” (Leonid Rybar,  Civic Resource center for Ternovo village development, Ternovo, Zakarpattia), “Drinking water”, Kahraamanova Natalia, Dzherelo Civil Organization, Cherkasy oblas’t).

Also there were presented two rural development best practices of Western Slovakia: Sverzov village as an example of raising non-state funding and AlmaCenter – an example of protection and restoration of Hemer folk traditions, a historic area of Slovakia.

Photo report of the conference may be viewed here.

You may review the Facebook profile or tag yourself if participated in the conference here.