On November 29, 2022, the Forum "Economic Development of the Uman District 2.0" was held in the city of Uman, dedicated to the economic development of the communities of the Uman District during the war.
More than 100 people from business and public organizations gathered at the forum, as well as teams of local self-government bodies from Uman, Khrystynivka, Monastyrysche, Buky, Zhashkiv, Ladyzhynsk, Talniv, Yarmilsk, Palanka, Dmytrushky, Babanka and Polianetske communities and the city of Cherkasy.
In July of this year, the International Conference on the Restoration of Ukraine URC2022 was held in the city of Lugano (Switzerland), according to the results of which the conference participants, 40 countries, and almost 20 international organizations supported the plan for the restoration of Ukraine. Their readiness to support Ukraine is reflected in the joint Lugano Declaration.
The declaration sets out seven principles, called the Lugano Principles, that determine the criteria and methods for Ukraine’s recovery process. These principles are partnership, reform orientation, transparency, accountability and rule of law, democratic participation, multi-stakeholder involvement, gender equality, and inclusion and sustainable development.
An important point is that Ukraine needs to be restored now, even before our victory. Therefore, the issue of the development and promotion of Ukrainian business and the attraction of investments in the conditions of Russian aggression must be resolved now. That is why the Forum "Economic Development of Uman District 2.0" is timely. It discussed the role of local self-government bodies, community projects, business plans, and the participation of public organizations in the development and reconstruction of regions, complying with the Lugano Principles.
The forum attracted speakers from all over Ukraine. Experts in economic development, cluster development, and attraction of investments in communities and representatives of donor organizations participated in the forum:
- Mariana Oleskiv, The State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine
- Volodymyr Vasylevskyi, investment banker, former director of Ternopil Regional Development Agency
- Vasyl Goshovskyi, head of Mykolaiv Regional Development Agency, managing partner of industrial park Vinnytsia (online)
- Tetanya Goncharenko, member of the community of entrepreneurs Theowners and Invest Global Summit
- Volodymyr Vorobey, PPV, Lviv
- Lyubov Ropalo, manager of the "Sustainability" program of the Eastern Europe Fund and head of Cherkasy Regional Development Agency
- Oleksand Sinyuk, manager of program activities, "Support of MSMEs and territorial communities from the USAID Agriculture Program"
- Oleksandr Yurchak, Ukrainian Cluster Alliance
- Valeriya Goncharenko, Ukrainian Cluster Alliance "The role of government in cluster development at the level of communities. Experience and cases"
- Andriy Sydor, president of Lviv Tourist Alliance, DIK ART company
- Oleksandr Mazurchak, mayor of Kamiansko-Podilskyi 1997-2008, initiator of the city's tourism development
- Andriy Ginkul, NGO "Reform Center".
The Memorandum on Cooperation between Territorial Communities was signed with the common intention of developing domestic tourism, which means the economy and infrastructure. The signatories were not only the communities of the Uman district but also the Talniv and Studena communities from the Vinnytsia region.
The forum was organized by the Kherson Community Development Center as part of the NGO "Agency of Regional Development of the Tavria Association of Territorial Communities" (ARD TATC) (Nova Kakhovka), the "Union" Foundation (Kherson), Charitable Foundation "It's Craft" (Nova Kakhovka), and in partnership with Uman city council.
The city of Uman became a temporary shelter for part of the teams of Kherson public organizations, which were forced to leave the Kherson region due to the threat to their lives when the Kherson region was occupied by russian mercenaries.