Iryna Fedoriv

Biography

Since 2023, she has been a co-founder and leader of the civic initiative “Holka” (“The Needle”).

Accomplishments and results achieved throughout the period:

• Launched ahead of the sixth anniversary of the Verkhovna Rada, the tool “REchargeUA is in your power”, designed to become a single digital window for civil society advocacy. It allows users to preserve political memory by tracking, by name, each MP’s votes on key harmful and beneficial laws. The project was launched using donations received by Holka. From day one, the tool brought together a range of civil society organizations and media outlets.

• Established a network of partners in the think tank sector and conducted a series of in-depth research projects. This included uncovering a Kremlin-linked network of Telegram channels that sought to discredit judicial reform. The findings were presented at the Global Media Forum 2024 in Bonn. Additionally, led a unique research initiative that exposed a network of Telegram channels and media outlets shaping the information landscape in favor of unscrupulous developers to lobby for Bill 12089, a legislation with high corruption risks. On the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion, developed a dashboard showcasing community-level support for Ukraine’s frontline.

• Spearheaded a large-scale advocacy campaign that gathered over 25,000 signatures in just 10 days for a petition urging the President of Ukraine to veto the controversial Bill 12089, which aimed to nullify legal claims against land and coastal area grabbers.
  The campaign successfully engaged prominent figures, including Ada Rogovtseva, Valeriy Pekar, Ihor Kondratiuk, Taras Topolia, and Oleksandra Matviychuk, as well as other influential and values-driven public figures. Dozens of Ukrainian civil society organizations joined the statement initiated by “Holka” addressed to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

• Authored an analytical report for the European Democracy Hub, examining the key challenges to Ukraine’s democratic development and European integration that emerged during wartime.

From 2015 to 2023, she was a member of the “CHESNO Movement” and the chief editor of the organization’s website.

Accomplishments and results achieved throughout the period:

• Established partnerships with leading media outlets in the country (“Ukrainska Pravda,” “Dzerkalo Tyzhnia,” “Glavkom,” “Livyi Bereh,” Radio NV, Espresso, etc.) and launched joint special projects with media, particularly focusing on historical agenda.
• Conducted nationwide advocacy campaigns on blocking urban planning “reforms“, banning the moscow patriarchate, pro-russian parties, the development of lustration policies, the adoption of the electoral code, overcoming button-pushing in parliament, launching and restoring asset declaration, etc.
• Introduced new formats, such as monitoring absenteeism in local councils, reviewing candidates in party lists and individual constituencies, online marathons like “Election Day,” “100 Days of Mayor’s Work,” etc.
• Created the largest online Museum of Agitation and Political Trash in Ukraine, including 10 thematic exhibitions and one street exhibition “Inforesistance” in partnership with the Museum of the Revolution of Dignity.
• Established the volunteer project “Neskoreni” (“Unbroken”) about Ukrainian dissidents in collaboration with lawyers fighting against pro-russian representatives in the Bar Association.
• To take part in the development and filming of a course of video lectures on the Prometeus platform, “How to Vote So You Won’t Regret It” and “Journalistic Investigations. How to Counter Corruption in the Field of Ecology.”

Since 2020, she has been a lecturer at the International Republican Institute (IRI) and since 2020 – Lecturer at the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR).

Accomplishments and results achieved throughout the period:

• Developed 10 original courses for activists and political figures, covering topics like conducting quality advocacy campaigns, forming advocacy coalitions, developing organizational media strategy, building organizational and personal branding, managing election campaigns and citizen engagement, leadership, and team formation.
• Conducted nearly 55 events for political parties and various civic organizations, involving more than 1800 politically active citizens.
• Written over 100 book reviews covering leadership, management, communications, brand strategies, and more, and prepared a recommended reading list based on this work.
• Вecame a co-author of a handbook for political activists.

Since 2019, she has been an expert and facilitator during strategic sessions.

Accomplishments and results achieved throughout the period:

• Facilitated the development of the strategy for the unified network of civil society organizations “U-Act” (Pact, USAID). The event involved more than 20 organizations.

From 2005 to 2015, she was the head of the information-analytical department of the “Vikna-Novyny” program on the “STB” channel.

Accomplishments and results achieved throughout the period:

• Established one of the strongest production departments among news services on national television.
• Ensured operational cooperation with the Verkhovna Rada, the government, law enforcement agencies, and experts.
• Co-Produced the documentary film “Putin’s System” for the French film company Le Grain De Sable in Ukraine, which gained appraisal at the Amsterdam Documentary Film Festival and received awards. Also, co-produced the documentary film “Hunger in Lies” with the STB channel’s production, exposing deception.

From 2011 to 2013, she taught political science and an original course on conducting election campaigns and interacting with the media at the Department of Political Science at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

Since 2010, she has been a blogger for “Ukrainska Pravda.”

Accomplishments and results achieved throughout the period:

• In 2022, entered the top 3 investigative journalists of “Ukrainska Pravda” who systematically covered anti-corruption topics for 12 years.
• Won the FLEG competition, funded by the EU and implemented by the World Bank, with a series of blogs defending the Bilychansk Forest.

In 2010, she was elected as a deputy to the Kotsiubynske Village Council (self-nomination).

Accomplishments and results achieved throughout the period:

• Conducted an advocacy campaign to preserve the Bilychansk Forest, resulting in it receiving the highest nature conservation status as a national park.
• Launched the volunteer project of civic journalism “Hromada Pryipinnya,” a website where residents of the region can contribute information about socially significant political events, considered as one of the successful examples of civic journalism in the regions at Lviv Media Forum in 2017.
• Mobilized the community for participation in local elections, where the community candidate won the mayoral position in 2015. In 2016, obtained 10 out of 26 seats in the council, protecting the Bilychanskyi Forest and returning the boiler house to the community.