BUILDS-UP: Building Universal and Inclusive Local Design - a Swedish-Ukrainian Partnership

Facts

Contact person:: Derek Stanford Hutcheson
Financer:: Swedish Institute
Responsible at MaU:: Derek Stanford Hutcheson
Project members at MaU:: Derek Stanford Hutcheson

Tom Nilsson

and Anne Faurskov Hutcheson
External project members:: Mariia Tyshchenko - Executive Director NGO "Poruch" (Ukraine)

Clara Orstadius - Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD)
Collaborators :: Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD)

NGO "Poruch" (Ukraine)
Time frame:: 14 December 2024 - 13 December 2026
Faculty/department:: Faculty of Culture and Society

Department of Global Political Studies
Research environment :: Russia, Ukraine and the Caucasus Regional Research
Research subject:: Global Politics

Urban Studies
Website:: Project page Swedish Institute

Project description

The BUILDS-UP project aims to enhance knowledge and build capacity among local authorities in Ukraine regarding challenges facing persons with disabilities and functional variations, and other marginalised people in society. The collaborative project is coordinated by Malmö University in partnership with the Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD), the Ukrainian NGO "Poruch" and with Ukrainian municipal officials as the main programme participants. It aims to improve the situation for people with functional variations as Ukraine 'builds back better'.

The cooperation project addresses challenges from the war, supports Ukraine’s drive towards EU alignment. and builds additional capacity among Ukrainian municipal officials. Based around a training in universal design and policy processes, activities include two in-person workshops and a capacity-building assignment carried out in home municipalities (with online expert participation and specialist training seminars).

Participants will conduct a needs analysis and identify a policy solution to improve the accessibility of local physical and/or digital spaces. Municipal and ministry officials will gain additional tools and understanding to empower persons with disabilities and other marginalised people. Long-term, participants will become part of a Ukrainian and Swedish network of knowledge, to the mutual benefit of both sides and with long-term capacity-building impact.