From Inclusion to Participation: Supporting People Displaced from Ukraine through Education and Advocacy

The project aims to strengthen the social inclusion and active civic participation of refugees from Ukraine in Hungary. Through interconnected activities, it supports participants’ empowerment, ensuring their experiences and needs are reflected in decision-making, while also supporting their educational progress and linguistic integration.

The direct target group includes Ukrainian children and adults: children receive support to succeed in the Hungarian education system, while adults participate in language programs and participatory processes. A secondary target group consists of decision-makers and professionals involved in the advocacy process. The broader Hungarian society is an indirect target group.

Key activities include co-created online content and a participatory advocacy process culminating in a theatrical performance for decision-makers. The communication campaign builds on participants’ narratives to strengthen dialogue and reduce prejudice. In the theatre process, participants identify key issues based on their experiences, which are then explored interactively with decision-makers.

Tutoring and language classes both improve integration and ensure continuous engagement, grounding advocacy in real-life experiences.

HVL university (Bergen) supports the project through methodological expertise and knowledge transfer. Results are reflected in strengthened skills, embedded methodologies, and dialogue with decision-makers, contributing to a more inclusive society.

The project aims to strengthen the social inclusion and active participation of refugees from Ukraine—particularly children and adults of working age—in Hungary, through information and awareness-raising efforts that involve the stakeholders themselves. As a result of the war that has been ongoing since 2022, the integration of refugees living permanently in Hungary has increasingly become a structural challenge. According to a preliminary analysis by SEIS Hungary 2025, 71% of them plan to stay in Hungary, while 91% have unmet basic needs. Eighty-seven percent of respondents are women, and 55% are raising children. Language barriers pose a major obstacle: less than half of those aged 12–64 communicate well in Hungarian, which hinders access to education, the labor market, and public services. Negative attitudes also hinder inclusion: one in five respondents has experienced discrimination or hostile behavior. Those affected rarely appear as active participants in public discourse and decision-making. Building on the organization’s experience, the project provides academic and language catch-up support for children, as well as Hungarian language support for adults. This forms the basis for an online campaign showcasing the personal narratives of Ukrainian participants, which aims to foster social dialogue and reduce prejudice. 

The project’s immediate target group consists of at least 100 refugees from Ukraine: 40 children and 60 adults, as well as 25 decision-makers and professionals. The project strengthens the social inclusion and active participation of those involved through direct educational and language support, as well as by making their experiences visible. The broader target group consists of the Ukrainian community and Hungarian society. Participants are involved in the advocacy process, communication, and evaluation. A key element is the participatory, representative, and decision-making theater method: participants address issues based on their own experiences and formulate proposed solutions, which they present to decision-makers in an interactive performance. As a result of the project, educational and social participation improves, self-advocacy is strengthened, and, in the long term, it contributes to the creation of a more inclusive environment.