Initiators: Participants in Dialogues in Action Joseph Skorobagyi, rector of the parish of Archistratyga Mikhaila UGCC, and Svetlana Kolyada, local librarian

Where: v. Zabuzhzhya, Lviv region

Result: Scaling the local public initiative to a huge project, the bright personal growth of the participants of the Dialogue in Action: o. Joseph founded the Christian School of Animation of the Sokalsko-Zhovkivka diocese of the UGCC, and Svetlana became the head of several villages at once: Boyanichi, Gatkivka, Zabuzhzhya, Konotopy and Opilsko Sokal City Council.

Details of cooperation: We have had a long history of cooperation with the Zabuzhzhya community of Lviv region within the framework of the projects “Dialogue in Action 2.0” and “Dialogue in Action 3.0”. During our cooperation, the village became part of another, Chervonograd territorial community, but this did not greatly affect internal changes.

The initiators created in the village their own NGO “My Territory” and a modern hub of the same name. This is the special case when only two active people were able to create a common space, renovate a room in the People's House, equip a sports hall and rally young people. Over the years of our work, we not only managed to jointly develop and gradually implement a strategic development plan, but also witnessed personal changes. Thus, Father Joseph expanded his youth ministry, in particular within the Sokalsko-Zhovkivka diocese and the UGCC Youth Commission: he founded and developed the Christian School of Animation. He actively supports various projects and competitions, keeping pace with time and technology in his ministry. Svetlana left her post as a librarian because the community expressed great confidence in her and asked her to join a larger cause. Therefore, after the local elections in 2021, she was elected mayor of Boyanichev, Gatkivka, Zabuzhzhya, Konotop and Opilsko-Sokal city councils. Our participants are now actively accommodating displaced people in the community, providing shelter to more than 200 people, and are also looking for new resources to help those in need.

[In addition to the history of Zabuzhzhia, we have another inspired example of the village Sosnivka of the same Chervonograd AHG. Irina Semion, a local entrepreneur, dreamed of an open-air cinema for the young people of the village. In addition to having succeeded in realizing this idea, the DÚD responded to the idea of teaching restorative practices for community school teachers by conducting a series of thematic trainings. Now Irina continues to help the whole community, actively cooperating with Zabuzhya.]