IsraAID Ukraine completes conflict resolution program for schools and communities

IsraAID Ukraine completed a three-month program aimed at increasing conflict resolution skills in Ukrainian schools and communities. “Dialogues in Schools” successfully trained educational professionals serving over 15,000 students in 28 educational institutions across Ukraine. A partner program “Dialogues in Communities” worked with representatives of the IDP councils from Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, along with local NGOs. 

 More than three years since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, mental health needs continue to rise across the country, leading to an increased sensitivity to conflict in many Ukrainian communities. IsraAID’s “Dialogues” programs support communities in developing conflict management skills and solving internal disputes in high-stress situations – particularly amid three years of ongoing humanitarian crisis.  

 Working in partnership with the local NGO “My School and I”, IsraAID’s “Dialogues in Schools Program” conducted conflict management workshops for 84 professionals serving in 28 educational facilities across Ukraine – including in Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Zakarpattia, Kyiv, Luhansk, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Rivne, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernivtsi and Chernihiv regions. The program ran from November 2024 through February 2025. As one school principal from the Chernihiv region noted, following the program they were able to resolve a long standing conflict between a student’s parents and teachers, finding a solution that worked for all parties. 

 Seventy-five local leaders participated in the “Dialogues in Communities” program was implemented in collaboration with the IDP councils of Mykolaiv and Odesa regions, equipping community leaders with the necessary skills to solve internal disputes and create long-term resilience.  

 IsraAID has been supporting Ukrainian communities since the first days after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. The organization works across the east and south of Ukraine, providing mental health and psychosocial support programs, educational support, access to safe water, medical support, and urgently needed aid supplies. To date, IsraAID’s programs have reached over 400,000 vulnerable Ukrainians across the country, as they continue to endure ongoing war and humanitarian crisis.  

 IsraAID Ukraine’s Psychosocial Support Project Manager Iryna Kaliuzhna, said: 

 “The ‘Dialogues in Schools’ project is about care, support and trust. We strive for every child to feel safe at school, to know that they are heard and understood. Through implementing dialogical practices and a special focus on students’ mental health, we help schools become not just places of learning, but spaces where mutual understanding, respect and genuine support flourish.” 

 -ENDS- 

 Further information is available on request, including IsraAID Ukraine Country Director Alena Druzhynina and other individuals involved in this operation. 

 CONTACT:
 
Shachar May (Israel)

Email: [email protected]

Yana Stavska (Ukraine) 

Email: [email protected]

Notes:
 
IsraAID is a leading international humanitarian non-governmental organization, based in Israel. Since 2001, IsraAID has become synonymous with a rapid response to humanitarian crises and a long-term commitment to working with affected communities. During and after emergencies, IsraAID partners with communities to re-build their lives – and their futures – together. As of May 2025, IsraAID has responded to more than 100 emergencies, in more than 65 countries.