Bukovinian Agency for Regional Development

Bukovinian agency for regional development (BARD) is a non-governmental organization whose purpose is to achieve high standards of quality of life in the Chernivtsi region of Ukraine on the basis of sustainable development, public participation and fair competition. Founded in 2009, its mission is to explore, implement and disseminate best practices to achieve high standards of quality of life on the basis of sustainable development, civic participation and fair competition. BARD’s values are honesty, transparency and proactivity. BARD concentrates its efforts in the following areas of work: Sustainable mobility, in particular – development of bicycle infrastructure, Road safety, Participation, in particular – fostering corporate social responsibility, promotion of volunteering and active citizenship. Within Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps, the organisation works on preparation and implementation of projects in the following topics: citizenship and democratic participation, European identity and values, transport and mobility, quality of life in the community, environment protection and sustainable development, promotion of healthy life-style, education, increasing regional competitiveness and cross-border cooperation. In this context, BARD’s regular activities are: 1) Mapping routes for bicycles in Chernivtsi and from Chernivtsi to nearby towns and villages. 2) Promotion of sustainability through the following annual events: Bikeday. Every last Saturday in May, starting in 2009, we organize a cycling holiday in Chernivtsi in the context of all-Ukrainian cycling movement. The aim is to promote sustainable mobility, particularly - the bicycle as a mode of urban transport, active and healthy lifestyle. Bike2Work - activity in cooperation with local business when cyclists get free hot drinks and treats on the way to work/study. Organized several times a year. European Mobility Week - a week in September, during which, starting in 2011, we promote sustainable urban mobility in Chernivtsi and, since 2018, support its implementation in small towns and villages around Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia and Odesa regions. EcoFestival - yearly event (since 2016) to promote waste sorting and recycling (established by our EVS-volunteer from Poland). Trainings on active citizenship - training for youth, local community leaders with duration from 1 to 3 days on active citizenship, cooperation, youth participation, social projects. Since 2015, we have delivered hundreds of small trainings (15-30 people) on active citizenship and project management to people wishing to engage in or start up initiatives, and administered over 30 of them through a re-granting scheme in 3 regions of Ukraine. Educational Camps - training courses in form of 3-5-days camp on sustainable development topics. 3) Trainings, seminars, workshops, camps, discussions related to the areas of our work. 4) Advocacy and cooperation with local authorities, patrol police, local businesses. 5) Supporting small local initiatives, activists and grass-roots projects with expertise and, where possible, other resources. BARD works with a wide range of stakeholders and target audiences. Many of our activities and events involve people under the age of 30 who have fewer opportunities, making them a target audience for ESC activities. Our activities are supported by different international donors like the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives, the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ/GIZ), European Union, International Renaissance Foundation, British Council. Extracurricular activities at the Chernivtsi National University about European Integration, Eastern Partnership and the European Programmes for Ukraine.