IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CONCEPT IN THE ACTIVITY OF THE RED CROSS SOCIETY OF UKRAINE

Abstract

In 2019, the Council of Delegates of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement adopted a Resolution on the Implementation of Community Engagement and Accountability Policy. The resolution concerns the operational programs of all organizations that are associated with the Movement and adhere to its principles. Since the beginning of the Russian armed aggression in Ukraine, the Red Cross Society of Ukraine (URCS) as the largest humanitarian organization in the country has focused its efforts on helping the most vulnerable categories of citizens, in particular, internally displaced persons (IDPs), whose number has increased several times. Involvement of communities (in particular IDPs) is about making joint decisions about how the programs and operations of the URCS are designed, managed and implemented, and about influencing management and operational decisions. The article purpose: to find out the features and prospects of implementing the concept of community engagement in the activities of the URCS. Methods applied: analysis of program documents of the URCS, which outline the principles of implementing the concept of community engagement in the Society’s activities. In practice, community engagement is a combination of science and art. The science is drawn from sociology, political science, psychology, social work, and other disciplines, and the organization’s concepts are drawn from the literature on community participation, community mobilization, voter formation, community psychology, and cultural influences. The artistry comes from the understanding, skills, and sensibilities used to apply and adapt science in ways that meet the interests of the community and the goals of specific engagement efforts.