Promoting a culture of remembrance and resilience in Odessa

Context

October 2021 marked the 80th anniversary of the Odessa massacre, an event in which tens of thousands of Jewish citizens were brutally murdered by Romanian troops and German task forces. To date there has been no place of remembrance for relatives and surviving dependants. There is also a lack of opportunities to obtain information about the past and relate the events to subsequent generations. The project has built a memorial to facilitate an appropriate culture of remembrance.

Due to the Russian war of aggression since February 2022, which also has a major impact on Odessa, the project has changed drastically from its initial position. The main focus is on relief that the city's authorities can use to strengthen resilience and supply the population with basic provisions.

Objective

Odessa City Council's requirements to ensure basic provisions for the population during the war are improved.

Approach

The project provides support in procuring goods to maintain basic services in the city. These include small buses, lorries and fuel to maintain municipal mobility, as well as medical supplies such as first aid kits so that those affected can be treated quickly in emergencies. The project has also provided assistance in equipping numerous warm spaces with high-performance routers in order to stabilise internet connections. IT devices such as laptops and printers enable the municipal authorities to better organise the large number of internally displaced persons.

The project is training municipal employees in the procurement of goods and equipment. They learn to draw up competitive tenders and to procure goods that improve basic supplies, which they then direct to where they are required.

Last update: April 2023