Don't Close Your Eyes

In director Rahel Grunder's film, you will meet six self-help initiatives in Romania and Transcarpathia in south-western Ukraine, as well as the strong people who have brought them to life: People who are fighting resignation with their skills, energy and ideas. People who create places where they and others can find new hope, support and something like peace in the community.

After more than two years of war, the future of millions of Ukrainians is still uncertain: they live as displaced persons in their own country or as refugees in one of the neighbouring countries. In order to be able to respond as quickly and simply as possible to the very different needs of these people, HEKS/EPER has applied the "Survivor and Community-led Response" (sclr) to supplement its emergency aid in the region. As part of the sclr programmes, HEKS/EPER supports a wide range of self-help initiatives developed and supported by those affected - refugees and internally displaced Ukrainians or their host communities.

Partnering with Christian Aid and the Local to Global Protection Initiative, who developed the approach and continue spearheading its promotion, allowed HEKS/EPER to build on experiences from different countries and to empower affected communities as first responders.

«Don’t Close your Eyes - Finding peace together», 2024, Ukraine, 55 minutes
Director: Rahel Grunder / Production: HEKS

Would you like to show the film in your community or institution?

We would be happy to assist you! Please contact us by email: events@heks.ch or by phone: 044 360 88 07

Further information

Focus

Localisation of development cooperation

Localisation' is on everyone's lips. Locally anchored' humanitarian aid and development cooperation means that organisations, whose headquarters are often far away from the areas where they are active, are increasingly transferring resources, skills and responsibility to national and local actors. HEKS/EPER implements various measures to promote locally-led development. However, certain approaches are new and require us to rethink familiar roles and structures.

Don’t Close your Eyes - Finding peace together

Don't Close Your Eyes

Further information

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