Vidnova Program

[Ukrainian in the comments]

✨ The Commit Podcast and Vidnova Plus introduce a new guest episode by Maryna Bratchyk – a journalist and participant of MicOn podcasting workshops.

🎙 Maryna explores' what feels “on time” during war and how it reshapes the way Ukrainians think and feel. War forces us to question things we didn't imagine before, complicating life not only through physical loss but also through deep emotional exhaustion. Through personal stories, this episode looks at judgment, guilt, and different realities inside and outside Ukraine. This podcast is a space to speak openly about what sits heavy on the heart. Thoughts that may seem untimely, but are in fact essential for Ukrainians as a nation, both at home and abroad.

📌 This episode is in Ukrainian. English subtitles are available on YouTube through automatic translation.

🔗 Listen on Spotify, YouTube or SoundCloud: https://tr.ee/4VmIrXj5p3

Host:
Maryna Bratchyk

Guests:
Mariia Kravchenko featuring her dog Jessie 🐶
Oleksandra Kiselova
Diana Dochi
Yulia

Mastering and editing:
Maryna Bratchyk

Producer:
Maryna Bratchyk

Music:
Background music sourced from https://freemusicarchive.org/home (Gnossienne 3 by Podington Bear)

Supervising:
Benjamin Lorch, Berlin School of Podcasting
Malwina Fendrych-Bluhm, Communications & Projects Lead, Commit gGmbH

This episode was produced as part of the MicOn Podcast Workshops, a component of the Vidnova Plus Engagement program, developed and implemented by Commit gGmbH and funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the speakers and authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

[Ukrainian in the comments]

🌱️️️️️️ What does it mean to build a home between two worlds? The Commit Podcast and Vidnova Plus present a new episode of the Between Borders podcast by Alexandra Kiselova, participant in the MicOn podcasting workshops.

🎙 Lost and Found Somewhere Among the Worlds is an honest conversation about emigration, belonging, and preserving your true self while building a life in a new country. Together with Stu (Anastasiia Kozlova), a cultural studies researcher and Ukrainian author who is writing her first memoir about the journey of Ukrainians, Alexandra explores loneliness not only as one of migration's greatest challenges, but also as a space for creativity, reflection, and personal growth. Through personal stories and thoughtful reflection, the episode explores what it means to rebuild your life from scratch, find your own voice in a foreign country, and navigate between two worlds without losing yourself. It is a conversation about inner borders, adaptation, identity, and finding an anchor within oneself.

📌 This episode is in Ukrainian. English subtitles are available on YouTube via automatic translation.

🔗 Listen on Spotify, SoundCloud or YouTube: https://tr.ee/4VmIrXj5p3

Host:
Alexandra Kiselova

Guest:
Stu (Anastasiia Kozlova)

Mastering and editing:
Alexandra Kiselova

Producer:
Alexandra Kiselova

Music Credits:
The Light — Alex Jones & Xander Jones (YouTube Audio Library)

Supervising:
Benjamin Lorch, Berlin School of Podcasting
Malwina Fendrych, Communications & Projects Lead, Commit gGmbH

This episode was produced as part of the MicOn Podcast Workshops, a component of the Vidnova Plus Engagement program, developed and implemented by Commit gGmbH and funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the speakers and authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

[Ukrainian in the comments]

✨ The Commit Podcast and Vidnova Plus introduce a new episode.

🎙 Ukrainian Music on the International Scene: Language and Integration – a guest-hosted conversation by Ann Krekhno, a cultural manager with Bohdan Semenchenko, a musician, member of Komisiia bandand Aureol music project.

📌 This episode is in Ukrainian. English subtitles are available on YouTube through automatic translation.

🎵 Language creates a unique atmosphere. When we listen to music in Italian, we may imagine the landscapes of Tuscany; Brazilian music can evoke images of Rio de Janeiro. But what comes to mind for international listeners when they hear a song in Ukrainian? In this episode, Ann and Bohdan discuss the integration of Ukrainian music into the European music scene and explore how Ukrainian musicians can connect with international audiences while responding to the realities of war.

🔗 Listen on Spotify, YouTube or SoundCloud: https://tr.ee/4VmIrXj5p3

Host:
Ann Krekhno

Guest:
Bohdan Semenchenko

Mastering and editing:
Ann Krekhno

Producer:
Ann Krekhno

Music:
Komisiia — Насипай, Пінг-понг
Aureol — Все мине

Supervising:
Benjamin Lorch
Malwina Fendrych, Communications & Projects Lead, Commit gGmbH

This episode was produced as part of the MicOn Podcast Workshops, a component of the Vidnova Plus Engagement program, developed and implemented by Commit gGmbH and funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the speakers and authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

📢 Open Call: Experts, Facilitators & Mentors

Would you like to share your knowledge, facilitate meaningful learning experiences, or mentor people who want to make a difference in their communities?

Join Vidnova Plus Engagement—a skill-building program supporting people from Ukraine living in Berlin and Brandenburg to turn ideas into action and become active members of local communities.

We’re looking for:
✨ Experts in project management, organizational development, and facilitation (4–5 November 2026 and 13–14 January 2027)
✨ Facilitators for our in-person and online workshops (30 September–2 October 2026)
✨ Mentors to accompany participants online throughout the program (October 2026–January 2027)

What we offer:
🤝 Fair compensation
🌍 Collaboration with an international team
💜 The opportunity to become part of the growing Vidnova Plus community
🗓️ Application deadline: 16 August 2026

How to apply:

👉 Mentors
Please apply using the mentor application form: https://wecommit.typeform.com/VPAppMentor3C

👉 Experts & Facilitators
Please send your CV and a signed offer (a digital signature is sufficient) to [email protected] by 16 August 2026. Your offer should include:

1. Your name and contact details.
2. A title indicating that this is an offer for the Vidnova Plus project.
3. The workshop date you are available to facilitate (please select one of the three workshop periods).
4. A short description of the services you offer (e.g. facilitating an online or offline workshop), including your areas of expertise related to project management, organizational development, or facilitation.
5. Your daily fee (honorarium).
6. The date and your signature.

If someone from your network would be a great fit, we'd be grateful if you shared this opportunity with them! 💜

[Ukrainian in the comments]

✨ The Commit Podcast and Vidnova Plus present a new episode produced and hosted by Dr. Mariya Heletiy—an international security and conflict resolution expert and participant in the MicOn Podcast Workshops.

🎙️ In this episode, Mariya explores a fundamental question: What can ensure lasting peace and security for Ukraine and Europe beyond the battlefield? Moving beyond headlines and political slogans, the conversation examines what peace truly means in the context of an ongoing war—is it merely the absence of fighting, or does it require something deeper and more sustainable?

Together with international security expert Roman Yasmonytskyy, Mariya discusses the challenges of building lasting peace, lessons from past peace processes, the role of deterrence and justice, Ukraine’s Peace Formula, and Europe’s responsibility in shaping a secure future. It is a conversation about how Ukraine’s future is inseparable from Europe’s security for decades to come.

📌 This episode is in English. Ukrainian subtitles are available on YouTube via automatic translation.

🔗 Listen on Spotify, SoundCloud or YouTube: https://tr.ee/4VmIrXj5p3

Host:
Mariya Heletiy

Guest:
Roman Yasmonytskyy

Mastering and editing:
Mariya Heletiy

Producer:
Mariya Heletiy

Music Credits:
Brock Hewitt: Stories in Sound — Endurance
Roo Walker — Awakening

Supervising:
Benjamin Lorch, Berlin School of Podcasting
Malwina Fendrych-Bluhm, Communications & Projects Lead, Commit gGmbH

This episode was produced as part of the MicOn Podcast Workshops, a component of the Vidnova Plus Engagement program, developed and implemented by Commit gGmbH and funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the speakers and authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

[English and German in the comments]

🙌 Відкрито новий конкурс до програми Vidnova Plus Engagement

Для дорослих з України, зареєстрованих у Берліні та Бранденбурзі, які хочуть активно долучатися до життя своїх місцевих громад! У межах Vidnova Plus Engagement ви зможете втілювати свої ідеї в життя, будувати змістовні зв’язки, розвивати свої навички та долучатися до проєктів, які мають значення.

🟨 Концепція
•Розпочніть волонтерську діяльність в організації або розробіть власну ідею соціального проєкту для своєї місцевої громади.
• Розвивайте навички у сфері управління проєктами, фасилітації, організаційного розвитку та комунікації.
• Отримуйте індивідуальний супровід ментора та підтримку протягом усього шляху.
• Приєднуйтесь до спільноти людей зі схожим досвідом вимушеного переміщення, міграції та побудови нового життя в Німеччині.

🟦 Практична інформація
• 25 місць
• Тривалість програми: вересень 2026 – січень 2027
• Кінцевий термін подання заявки: 13 вересня 2026 року
• До участі запрошуються дорослі (18+) з України, які проживають і зареєстровані в Берліні або Бранденбурзі та мають статус за §24 або інший дозвіл на проживання в Німеччині.

💡 Перед поданням заявки:
Приєднуйтесь до нашої онлайн-інформаційної сесії 12 серпня 2026 року о 16:00, щоб дізнатися більше про програму, поставити свої запитання та зрозуміти, чи підходить вам Vidnova Plus Engagement. Посилання ви знайдете в нашому Linktree.

🔗 Повна інформація доступна на нашій вебсторінці: https://vidnova.org/uk/calls/vidnova-engagement-заклик-до-участі-третя-когорта/

Vidnova Plus Engagement створено та координується Commit gGmbH за фінансування Європейського Союзу.

[Ukrainian and German in the comments]

👉Throwback to our second Vidnova Plus Dialogue
📍25 June 2026, Berlin

A month ago, we brought together Ukrainian and international civil society practitioners, entrepreneurs, fundraisers, and community builders to explore one question:
Fundraising for social initiatives: What actually works?

The conversations throughout the day—across workshops, the Open Space, and the panel discussion—highlighted a few key ideas:
💡 Relationships are recources.
Funding is often the result, not the starting point. Sustainable support grows through dialogue, transparency, and genuine human connection.
💡 People support people.
Behind every initiative are individuals with stories, values, and motivations. Authentic storytelling is about helping others understand why your work matters.
💡 Fundraising belongs to the whole organisation.
It is reflected in the way we communicate, collaborate, involve our communities, and stay connected with supporters long after a project ends.
💡 Resilience comes from diversity.
Strong organisations don’t rely on a single source of funding. They build a balanced ecosystem of grants, partnerships, donations, volunteers, and communities that believe in their mission.

Thank you to everyone who joined us with openness, curiosity, and generosity. Thank you to our speakers, experts and facilitators for sharing not only practical tools but also honest reflections from your own journeys: Sebastian Wehrsig, Kateryna Pavlova, Martin Georgi (Deutscher Fundraising Verband), André Koch-Engelmann and Benita Piechaczek (UPJ e.V.), Nataliia Zviagintseva (Austausch e.V.), Maryna Hovorukhina (Commit gGmbH), Heike Kraack-Tichy (emcra GmbH), Michael Teffel (OD Coach), Kontanze Gergs (machen!, DSEE) and Annegret Wulff (Commit gGmbH).
And thank you to KiezLab Berlin for creating such a welcoming space for dialogue.

Photo credits: Antonina Polukhina (.photo)

Vidnova Plus is coordinated by Commit gGmbH and funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union.

🏔 For the third time, the Vidnova Community came together in the beautiful Carpathian Mountains from 1–5 July 2026.

Here are a few highlights from this year’s gathering:
• We explored meaningful collaboration, nonviolent communication in teams, and the challenge many leaders face in balancing strategic direction with emotional support for their teams.
• We reflected on radical collaboration across national and international partnerships, shared memory as a foundation for community-building, and the role of both online and offline spaces in creating lasting connections.
• We discussed neurodiversity, different ways of participating, and how teenagers see societal development in the future. Participants also experienced therapeutic gardening as a way of connecting through shared action.

✨ Our heartfelt thanks go to all participants for shaping such a thoughtful, and inspiring program through questions, experience, openness, and willingness to share.

We are also deeply grateful to:
• Mariana Zaviyska, for holding the Open Space and creating room for thoughtful and honest conversations.
• Olesia Moroz () for leading the singing workshop that has become a beloved tradition, weaving together traditional and new Ukrainian, Crimean Tatar, and Romani music traditions.
• Oksana Borovets (.borovets) for capturing in camera the spirit and memorable moments of our time together.
• for hosting us in a space whose architecture naturally invites genuine connection. 💚

This Vidnova Community Gathering began and ended with one of the core principles of Open Space: “When it’s (not) over, it’s (not)over.” And this definitely didn’t feel like an ending. The conversations, ideas, and connections will continue beyond these few days. We’re especially excited that the next gathering will be hosted by the community itself. We can’t wait to see where it will happen🌱

📸 Full photo album available in Flickr, by Oksana Borovets.

This gathering was organized by Commit gGmbH with financial support from Robert Bosch Stiftung ().

[Ukrainian and German in the comments]

🔜 New cohorts of Vidnova Plus (Engagement, Dialogue, MicOn) are coming soon! Want to find out which one is your match?

Join an online info session on 12 August 2026, 16:00–17:30 (Berlin time) to learn more. This session will be hosted in Ukrainian by Program Managers of Vidnova Plus: Tetiana Kriukovska and Maryna Hovorukhina.

📍 Please note: This session (as well as the program itself) is for people from Ukraine based in Berlin or Brandenburg holding a §24 — or another residence permit.

🔗 Reserve your spot now: https://wecommit.typeform.com/infosession3C

Created and implemented by Commit gGmbH and funded by the European Union.