Partner Organizations

The Centre of Public Initiatives – Ideas for Change (IfC) was founded in Kyiv in November 2015 and started its project work in January 2017. IfC sees itself as a „Think & Act & Change Tank“ and devotes its work to the development of new ideas and the transformation of Ukrainian society. The activities of IfC include conflict management and regulation, foreign policy, support for the reform process and equality. The IfC is in charge of implementing the project „Women’s Initiatives for Peace in Donbas(s)“, which builds links between representatives of the various sides of the conflict.

Tbilisi-based IDP Women Association “Consent” works towards the achievement of a democratic and peaceful society with equal opportunities for IDPs, with a particular emphasis on women. It was established in 1996 by women from the IDP community. It supports the improvement of economic conditions, health and education of IDPs and other minority groups with the special emphasis on women and youth. Since 2010, the Association, in partnership with CARE International in the Caucasus and four other NGOs from five regions of Georgia (including the two breakaway regions), has implemented the project “Strengthening Women’s Participation in Peacebuilding in the South Caucasus”.

Meet the Faces Behind the Project

Sonja Schiffers (Project Lead, Polis180): Sonja is Co-President of Polis180 and Co-Head of Polis’ Program Area Gender and International Politics. In 2016 she implemented the project „Beyond the Protocol – Women and International Politics in Germany and Ukraine“. Sonja is a Visiting Fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs and a PhD candidate at Freie Universität Berlin. Her dissertation deals with illiberal foreign policy, more specifically with Russian and Turkish foreign policy towards Georgia and Bosnia.

Nicola Habersetzer (Project Assistant, Polis180): Nicola is currently obtaining a master’s degree in Political Science at University of Potsdam, writing her thesis about human rights in Russia. She completed a study stay at the People’s Friendship University in Moscow and gained work experience at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, the Embassy of Germany in Tallinn, Estonia, and the Federal Ministry of Defence.

Julia Kharashvili is the Chairperson of the IDP Women Association “Consent”. After the war in Abkhazia (1992-93) and displacement, together with colleagues she created the NGO in order to support internally displaced women. Between 2008- 2010 she served as the Deputy Director of the International Relations department in the Georgian Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation (2008-2010). Julia is  a member of the coordination group on the implementation of Georgia’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. Since 2014 she is a member of the High Level Advisory Group for the Global Study on the impact of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

Ivane Kharashvili  graduated from Georgian Technical University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Telecommunication Engineering. In 2010 he obtained a Master’s Degree in Administrative Management at “KROK” University, Kyiv. Ivane worked for the International Committee of Red Cross, the Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation of Georgia, UNHCR, the  the Norwegian Refugee Council and DVV International. Since 2006 he has been working working for the IDP Women Association “Consent”. Since 2016 he is the founder and director of LLC Pepela Design Laboratory. In 2014 he participated in a training course on the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. 

 Olena Zakharova founded the Centre of Public Initiatives – Ideas for Change in 2017 after having worked as the Director of ICPS’s Foreign Policy Department since August 2013. Olena already partnered with Polis for the 2016 project „Beyond the Protocol – Women and International Politics in Germany and Ukraine“. Between 2003-2013, she worked at the Political and Security Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and at the Department for Association and European Integration of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Between 2007-2011, she was the First Secretary of the Embassy of Ukraine in Canada (Ottawa). 

Yuliia Kaplan is associated member of the Centre for Public Initiatives “Ideas for Change”. During the last 15 years Yuliia has been working as a senior consultant at the National Institute for Strategic Studies. She also provides expertise for the civil society sector: i. e. for Donbas Think Tank on the reintegration of the temporarily uncontrolled territories and for the civil organization “Influence Group” on the protection of the rights of internally displaced persons in Ukraine. From January – February 2018 Yuliia completed a course at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies (Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany).