The involvement of civil society in Suceava county in order to accommodate and integrate ukrainian refugees

 [Implicarea societății civile din județul Suceava în vederea găzduirii și integrării refugiaților ucraineni]

Mirela-Emilia MIRONIUC

Abstract: This research study aims to analyze the involvement of civil society at the    local   level with the aim of accommodation and integration of Ukrainian refugees, between February 2021 and December 2022. The identified research problem resides in the fact that there is not a large and active civil society at the county level, and most of the charitable acts from that period were undertaken by interest groups, legal entities or individuals. Under these conditions, the research lens is placed on the analysis of the way in which the refugee crisis had an impact on the organization, the motivations that were the basis of the involvement and support offered to Ukrainian citizens and the current resilience process. The research objectives follow aspects such as: the way in which the refugee crisis has affected the NGOs, especially if there have been changes at the level of the organization chart and what those changes would be. The research will be carried out through the semi-structured interview method, carried out with five NGOs from Suceava county. It will be based on four components, namely: institutional, financial, functional and communication. Finally, the importance of civil society in the management of the refugee crisis will be reiterated and the fact that each component analyzed in the research study has undergone changes and metamorphoses.

Keywords: Civil society, NGO, refugees, humanitarian crisis

            Introduction

The launch of the armed invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24, 2022, through the „Russian military operation” which had built a propaganda framework by protecting civilians in eastern Ukraine against whom it claims genocide was committed, led to finally, to ruined lives and insecurities in all areas. In the context of war, millions of Ukrainian citizens chose to leave their country and start a new life in another state¹. The European Union has hosted more than 4.2 million Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine until November 2023². Some of them chose to go to Romania, being a country in close proximity, choosing to be a place to live or transit. Currently, there are 144,295 regiates in Romania³. According to the data centralized by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNCHR), at the level of Suceava County, at the end of 2023, a number of 9,500 Ukrainian refugees were registered⁴.

According to this political and social context, the research approaches an innovative element, through which it analyzes how they managed this situation at the level of the city of Suceava mobilizing civil society and local authorities. The involvement of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the local level for the accommodation and integration of Ukrainian refugees is extremely important to provide support and resources in the face of the humanitarian crisis. They have the ability to provide support at the community level, facilitating the processes of accommodation and integration into the community. This research will be carried out through the semi-structured interview method, carried out with five NGOs from Suceava county. It will be based on four components, namely: institutional, financial, functional and communication. The research objectives are both general and specific, and follow aspects such as: the way in which the refugee crisis has affected NGOs, if there have been changes at the organizational chart, institutional structure, human resources. At the same time, what resources were used to manage the refugee situation, what services were offered and the communication strategy with Ukrainian citizens and the rest of the community members.

Looking at any type of work as an ensemble is beneficial and necessary at the same time, so structuring it into well-defined sections is a strong point. In the first part, the first chapter of the work entitled ” Review of the specialized literature” is found, in which we observe what has been written in the literature about the involvement of NGOs in humanitarian crises. The second chapter is the ” Analysis Model” which includes four sub-chapters, the Institutional Component, the Financial Component, the Functional Component and the Communication Component which we analyzed according to the literature, at a theoretical level, so that each one can then be applied to the study by case. The third chapter represents „Methodology”, in which we find the selection of cases, the method of collection and the method of data analysis. Chapter four deals with the analysis that includes the „Case study regarding the documentation of the situation in the city of Suceava”, while the fifth chapter refers to „Civil society in Suceava – case studies”, where we will analyze the four components mentioned above. Chapter Six captures the emerging conclusions, followed by two sub-sections that highlight ‘Research Limitations’ and ‘Future Research Directions’. The last sections are represented by the three appendices that include the „Interview Guide”, „Interview Grid” and „Coding System”, and at the end of the paper you will find the „Bibliography”.

            Literature review

Inspired in particular by the new social movements and the movement for democracy in Eastern Europe (Misztal 2001), in social theory the „renaissance” of civil society developed especially in the 1990s, with the search for a space that was autonomous both from the state and the market⁵. civil society organizations tend to work within a third sector, neither state nor market, mostly in the form of well-structured NGOs and instrumental coalitions and sometimes with a single subject. The concept of civil society has been used as a synonym for associative life⁶.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), in particular, are increasingly able to play an active role in global security issues7. First, the power of NGOs is non-economic, non- military and non-violent Last, the power of NGOs is primarily cultural (the ability to to involve public opinion), political (autonomy in program management; contacts with national and international power centers), moral (adherence to values and principles of international law) and ideational (transmission of original and captivating projects⁸. Civil society actors play a important role in responding to humanitarian crises, working closely with governments, international organizations and affected communities to provide aid and services, advocate for more effective policies and promote social cohesion and integration. due to the resources they are able to mobilize, NGOs are perceived as a threat to the state⁹ , they play significant roles that are not fulfilled by the state and international actors .

Providing humanitarian aid and services to affected populations is a critical role for civil society in responding to humanitarian crises¹⁰. Civil society actors also play an important role in advocating for more effective and compassionate humanitarian policies. Lobbying governments and international organizations to provide more resources for humanitarian response, as well as advocating for greater protection of the rights of affected populations are examples of such activities¹¹. In addition to providing aid and advocating for policy change, civil society organizations work to promote social cohesion and integration between affected populations and host communities.

NGOs face challenges in emergency response to refugee crises. One of the most difficult challenges is the lack of resources. Donations from individuals or other organizations are frequently used to fund NGOs, which can be unpredictable and limited in scope. This can make it difficult for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to provide the long-term aid that may be needed in refugee crises that last months or years¹². The strengths of NGOs in advocacy and policy formulation for refugee crises are many. First , non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have a deep understanding of the problems facing refugees, having worked closely with affected communities for long periods of time. This puts them in a unique position to advocate for policies that respond to community needs¹³. NGOs can also work closely with affected communities to build trust and relationships that enable them to effectively represent their interests. NGOs can understand the needs and priorities of refugees by working with them and bringing these issues to the attention of decision makers¹⁴.

Moreover, NGOs provide medical assistance, mental health support and other health services to refugees, who often face significant health challenges due to the difficult conditions they face¹⁵. Healthcare NGOs help refugees address health problems caused by the trauma of displacement, prevent disease outbreaks and promote general well-being. The strengths of NGOs in refugee healthcare are many. For starters, non-governmental organizations can provide healthcare services that are tailored to the specific needs of refugees. Another way NGOs get involved in refugee crises is by providing education and vocational training to refugees. NGOs provide education and vocational training to help refugees develop new skills and rebuild their lives¹⁶. Non-governmental organizations play an important role in providing education and vocational training to refugees, who often do not have access to these resources. NGOs help refugees rebuild their lives, acquire skills and become more self-sufficient by providing education and vocational training¹⁷.

NGOs play an important role in providing livelihood support to affected populations during humanitarian crises. Providing resources, skills and opportunities that enable individuals and communities to maintain their livelihoods and recover from the effects of crisis is called livelihood support¹⁸. One of the key strengths of NGOs in providing livelihood support to affected populations is their ability to provide targeted, context-specific assistance that addresses the unique needs and challenges of different populations. This could include providing training in specific skills or trades relevant to the local context, as well as providing microfinance or other financial services¹⁹. In these circumstances, we have identified that the answer to the following research question is not known from the literature review” „In what way is the functioning of a non-governmental organization that is involved in the management of the refugee crisis in Ukraine affected?”.

            The analysis model

            The institutional component

„The institutional perspective has been extraordinarily successful in generating intellectual enthusiasm for a macrosociological understanding of how organizations function, are structured, and relate to each other”²⁰. The relationship between leader and follower, but also between the institution they represent and society is a complex one, which, although central to social theory, has attracted relatively little attention in neo-institutional studies of organizations. „The division of labor, the establishment of work practices, the hierarchy of authority, the communication system, the training” that the institutional logic can provide key resources for the organizational strategy²¹. At the level of the leadership strategy in an organization , be it a public institution, the leadership strategy presents itself as be a leadership development strategy. The strategy par excellence represents the congruence between the means that are put into practice and the goal towards which the organization tends. It acquires a number of new objectives regarding the future state, the directions it envisages and the „implications for management and leadership processes that can be identified”²². Once implemented across the organization, the strategy will lead to a series of outcomes, which in turn will provide feedback on how well the management strategy is working.

At the same time, the institutional components of an organization have the role of creating a space in which activities and work tasks are carried out in order and coherence, as well as to set expectations for behavior within the organization. They are created to guide decision-making, set standards, interactions between individuals, and ensure that all members’ goals are the same²³. The whole set of organizational and leadership norms and strategies is, in fact, the formal systems, processes and structures that shape the way an organization works²⁴. These can include a wide range of things such as policies, procedures, rules, regulations, hierarchies and cultural norms.

In the framework of the research paper, we will focus on the previously stated pillars that build the institutional composition, carrying out an empirical study. First of all, we will analyze how the human resource was affected, the number of employees and volunteers in the organization, if it was necessary to hire or recruit other volunteers, diversify its services and create additional structures. This component mainly refers to a number of aspects regarding its structure and function.

The financial component

The most sustainable financing strategy is diversification of income sources. A sustainable approach to NGO funding is one that avoids dependence on any single source of income, external or internal. It is difficult to determine a formula for the percentages that must be derived from various sources to support a „financially sustainable NGO”²⁵. A balance between externally and internally generated resources is necessary to enable an organization to meet its operating and administrative expenses while maintaining the freedom to determine its program priorities and projects regardless of donor preferences. Financial sustainability can vary between for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, depending on the structure of revenues, the structure of the business and the established priority objectives of the organization²⁶. In this way, the NGO reserves its ability to operate indefinitely. Financial sustainability is thus a key aspect for NGO survival and effectiveness.

First of all, one of the most important elements of the financial component is the management of the organization’s budget. An organization that presents a series of objectives, values, strategies, management process, leadership style, organizational culture needs the development of a budget that is consistent with the strategic objectives of the organization and the management of resources, so that they are allocated efficiently. The financial component is responsible for monitoring actual performance against the budget, identifying any variances and taking corrective action²⁷. Second, other key points that define the financial component refer to the way of managing investments, fiscal planning and risk management, human resource management, developing the marketing process, developing budgets and future forecasts for marketing activities²⁸.

Functional component

The functional component refers to the structure of the organization, the way it is organized, the departments that build it and a possible hierarchy. The role of this component is to ensure effective management so that all specific functions are fulfilled and generate the success of the organization. For example, the financial component is responsible for managing the organization’s financial resources, including budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting²⁹. The staff of each department can be varied, there can be several levels of staff members, each with different roles and responsibilities. In addition, within the organization there is the possibility to find a number of services or external collaborators who are involved in the management process³⁰. Functional components are an integral part of organizations, being responsible for certain aspects of the organization’s operations and critical to its overall success. Understanding the roles and responsibilities of each functional component and ensuring that they work together effectively is critical to achieving the organization’s goals and objectives

The communication component

The goal of effective communication is to ensure that all employees understand their roles and responsibilities, are aware of any changes in the organization’s strategy, and are able to work collaboratively with others³¹. At the same time, the communication component aims to ensure good collaboration with customers, suppliers and other partners or collaborators of the organization. In addition to these core functions, the communications component may be responsible for other activities such as crisis management, public relations, and marketing communications. Crisis management involves developing and implementing strategies for communicating with employees and external parties during times of crisis, such as a major disruption or security breach. Public relations involves managing the organization’s reputation and ensuring that its messages are consistent across all channels³².

            Methodology

This research paper aims to analyze the impact of the Ukrainian refugee crisis on NGOs, from Suceava County, and the way in which they were accommodated and integrated into society.

Selection of cases

Referring from a methodological point of view to the choice of Suceava county, it can be stated that it is a representative case, because it has a direct border with Ukraine, through the Siret border point. At the same time, it can also be included in the category of deviant cases because the civil society is not vibrant and involved in such events. How many passed through Suceava, how was the county affected.

Data collection method

The method of data collection was the semi-structured interview, carried out together with five NGOs, between January 10-22, 2024. It includes four main questions and seven follow-up questions in which the NGO answered several questions with regarding four components, namely : the institutional, financial, functional and communication component of the institution³³. For the institutional component the question asked „How has the refugee crisis affected the functioning of the organization?”, then the follow-up questions were „How has the human resource been affected, have you hired staff or recruited volunteers?” and „Was there a need to diversify services and create additional structures?”. The financial component had as its main question „What resources were accessed to help the refugees?”, and the follow-up questions were constructed as follows: „Did you benefit from international donors or partnerships with the European Union?”, „Did you benefit from the support of the authorities local?”. Regarding the functional component the main question asked was „What services have been provided to refugees?”, while „How have the services provided changed?” represented the follow-up question. The last component is the communication component „What strategies have you used to communicate with refugees?” and the follow-up questions were the following „What campaigns and strategies have you used to attract and generate citizen involvement?” and „How did you manage to overcome language barriers so that the Ukrainian refugees were engaging in activities?”³⁴ .

In the framework of the research work, first of all, we will focus on the previously stated pillars that build the institutional composition, carrying out an empirical study. We will analyze how the human resource was affected, the number of employees and volunteers in the organization, whether it needed to hire or recruit other volunteers, diversify its services and create additional structures. This component mainly refers to a number of aspects regarding its structure and function. Secondly, we will consider the financial component which aims to identify the resources that have been accessed by non-governmental organizations to help refugees. In addition, we will be interested in whether they received donations, their source, how they carried out fundraising campaigns, whether there were international donors, partnerships with the European Union, or to what extent they benefited from the support of local authorities.

Thirdly, the functional component will highlight the structure of the NGO, the way the team is coagulated, the division of departments, related services and external collaborators. The analysis will consider how these structures and sub-structures functioned in providing services and support to Ukrainian refugees , what services were provided to the refugees, whether they could provide them with food, shelter, clothing, education, employment or others like it. Last but not least, the fourth component, the communication component, will analyze what strategies the NGO used to communicate with refugees, what campaigns and strategies they used to attract and generate citizen involvement. Another set issue would be if they encountered language barriers, how did they involve refugees in activities, but also the involvement of citizens in the community.

Table 1: Interview grid

Data analysis methods

Referring to the method of data collection used in my research study, namely the semi-structured interview, I considered it necessary to use deductive thematic analysis, because the mechanism of reaching information is a much easier one. With the help of the interview, a wide framework of openness is offered to the respondent, who has the opportunity to freely express his ideas and feelings. The interview is one of the main methods of data collection used by social researchers, providing the opportunity for direct interaction between the researcher and the research participants³⁵. From this knowledge, benefiting from a wide range of perspectives and assumptions in which they explore, I will extract recurrent themes that will have a symbolic character and express the true quintessence of the research.

For the research in question, I considered it necessary to use the deductive thematic analysis, which refers, above all, to the familiarization with the selected documents and the frameworks to be analyzed. Following a chronological course of analysis, from the level of sentences that I will identify in the interviews, I will arrive at a series of codes, and finally, to those codes we will assign the related themes. After identifying the theme, the data analysis will be carried out in a manner that captures the transition from the general to the particular.

Table 2: Coding system

            Case study – documenting the situation in Suceava county

Suceava County managed the largest number of Ukrainian refugees in Romania, over 2.5 million people³⁶. In Suceava county, there was the only camp intended for Ukrainian refugees in operation at that time in Romania, the one in Rădăuți, with a capacity of 346 places³⁷. The third defining element of the response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis to be mentioned for Suceava county was that here „there was a very good collaboration between civil society/authorities/religious cults/institutions with direct attributions in the management of refugee flows”³⁸.

Suceava County managed the largest number of Ukrainian refugees in Romania, exceeding the figure of 2.5 million people³⁹. Thus, using the resilience process, a workshop organized by UNICEF Romania was carried out, with the important theme of planning and documenting the transition from Blue Dots to Blue Grids and strengthening the national response to the refugee crisis in Ukraine⁴⁰. The discussions revolved around the review of experiences, results and lessons learned in 2022-2023 regarding the response to the refugee crisis. At the same time, the focus was on the current situation and the forecast for 2024, the assessment of the current situation of refugees in Ukraine, including their profile, existing needs and services provided. Resources and legislative aspects discussions on the resources needed for the year 2024, be they financial, human or other, as well as legislative and institutional aspects related to the referral mechanisms and procedures at the county level⁴¹.

            Civil society from Suceava – Case studies

            The institutional component

X3 stated that there was a need for an organizational reinvention, provided by the new resolution of the problem and the context of the war, the services remaining the same, to some extent. It was necessary to recruit other volunteers, because the level of work became higher, requiring people to wait for the refugees at the border, and the rest to take care of their transport to different shelter points in the county. At the same time, new structures were created, namely the Department of Communication and Public Relations, through which they received donations, different accommodation offers from different hoels and jueț, guesthouses or even the houses of some locals. at the institutional component was whether the decision-making process within the association was changed and whether new regulations and norms were implemented against the background of the refugee crisis. At the same time, the Social Emergency Center was established.

            The financial component

X4 obtained funding for a submitted project in the amount of 90,000 RON, through the ” United Way Romania” program through the campaign to fund NGOs that support refugees from Ukraine with the help of which it offered aid to refugees, the number of meals it offered is 1,500 Donations came from the following actors: international donors, and the Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations for Social Services (FONSS). The fundraising campaigns were through social networks. Asked if they benefited from the support of local authorities, the respondent denied this, saying that all donations came from natural or legal persons, but also sponsorships from local patronages such as MAX SRL, GratiB and PFDan. Carrying out the process of coding the received information, we identify codes such as Voluntary spirit Non-involvement of local authorities, which directs to the theme ” the promotion and legitimacy of non-governmental organizations”. In addition to this, x5 states that the businessman Ștefan Mandachi contributed more than 50,000 euros to provide food for the citizens of Ukraine, he made available both hotels he owns, and when he no longer benefited from capacity, he offered money guesthouses and holiday homes in the area to host refugees.

            Functional component

According to the latest report, carried out on October 31, 2023, highlighting the significant impact of the services provided in supporting communities affected by the humanitarian crisis, more than 400 families benefited from counseling and essential material support. „Regarding diagnosis, assessment and counseling services, 1,123 sessions were provided, of which 560 were dedicated to children” ^. These services were complemented by the provision of material support by providing 1,212 allowances and 3,621 kits that include hygiene products, clothing and school items, as well as the distribution of 40 laptops⁴².

The organization highlighted its commitment to education by offering more than 7,700 services, including afterschool and kindergarten activities, Romanian and English language courses, occupational therapy⁴³. The Department of Management, the Department of Financial Management, the Department of Strategic Partnerships, the Department of Social Assistance and Vocational Counseling, the Department of Training, the Together Club, Social Services for Refugees, Collaborators have coordinated their entire activity to respond to the tasks. At the same time, through 1,537 support group sessions, the organization acted actively in the management of emergency situations, providing support to the affected communities. In the spring of 2022, X1 started an ambitious initiative to facilitate the active integration of Ukrainian refugees from Suceava County, through⁴⁴.

X2 focuses on facilitating beneficiaries’ access to medical services, education and integration into the labor market. The provision of material support included the distribution of hygiene kits, vouchers for food and clothing, as well as school kits, to ensure the basic needs of the beneficiaries were met⁴⁵. „Held from Monday to Friday, starting at 08:30, these activities managed to involve more than 120 Ukrainian children, offering them diverse opportunities such as art workshops, IT courses, football games, personal development lessons, of hygiene and English and Romanian language courses”⁴⁶.

The trips took place on August 25 and 31, 2022, the two groups consisting of 25 children and 15 adults – beneficiaries of the Centers in Suceava and Fălticeni, having visits to the Voroneț Monastery and the Ariniş Park, respectively the Hobbits Castle and Escalada – Park of Adventures, where, for two hours, the little ones enjoyed eight trails and a chair lift to the top of the Şoimul ski slope, as well as a hot meal at a nearby restaurant. The fun activities ended with a delicious serving of ice cream and much joy in the hearts of the children and parents who expressed their gratitude to the organizers, according to the activity organizers.

After school activities for 100 children, from spring 2022 and autumn facilitated by the two Social Emergency Centers from Suceava and Fălticeni⁴⁷. „Although the summer vacation is over, we continue to offer our support to refugee mothers from Ukraine, at the same time organizing after school activities for children, consisting of Romanian and English language courses. Adults participate in Romanian language classes and support groups in order to identify each person’s needs and the resources needed to solve those needs⁴⁸. The Suceava Social Emergencies Center was established with the aim of improving living conditions and reducing the vulnerability of refugees from Ukraine. To date, more than 450 beneficiaries have been supported, of which more than 230 are children⁴⁹.

            The communication component

The strategies they used to communicate with the refugees was the employment of a Ukrainian-speaking social worker in the „Social Service for Refugees” department, as well as the recruitment of volunteers. „One of the first announcements we made were related to the involvement of Ukrainian-speaking people in our team, and after less than 10 minutes we had a full inbox, dozens of volunteers, and one of them was later hired and became our colleague”. He took care of the translation of all the institutional announcements and not only that the refugees received, he made plates with the names of the towns and streets in Suceava county in Ukrainian and created Whatsapp groups in which more than 150 Ukrainian refugees communicated.

Being asked about the campaigns and strategies used to attract and generate the involvement of citizens, the respondent stated that the one that brought an important contribution was that the media, through the newspapers „Monitorul de Suceava” and „News Bucovina”, in particular, thus the members the community mobilized. At the same time, the Department of Communication and Public Relations made frequent posts on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok with the activities they carried out either at the border crossing point, Siret, or with the food or clothes received and even with the refugees who arrived safely in specially arranged places.

            Conclusions

If we were to summarize the research thread, one of the preliminary conclusions we reached is that civil society had a significant role in the accommodation and integration of Ukrainian refugees. At the same time, the research results emphasize the fact that each component analyzed in the research study has undergone changes and metamorphoses. In the case of the institutional component, it was noticed that human resources were affected, the number of employees increased and redundancies were made for volunteers. At the same time, the organization’s services were diversified and additional structures were created through: the Suceava Social Emergency Center and the ROUA Info Hub – House of Mothers in Ukraine and the establishment of the Department of Communication and Public Relations. Analyzing the financial component, we noticed that they obtained funding, they received donations from interest groups, natural and legal persons, but they did not benefit from the support of local authorities.

At the same time, the functional component highlighted the structure of the NGO, the way in which the team was coagulated, the division of departments, related services and external collaborators, structures and sub-structures in the provision of services and support for Ukrainian refugees and services were offered refugees. Last but not least, the fourth component, the communication component, analyzed what strategies the NGO used to communicate with refugees, what campaigns and strategies they used to attract and generate citizen involvement. Thus, regarding communication strategies, the organization used the press and social networks. All of the aforementioned represent the contributions we bring to the specialized literature through the primary data collected through the semi-structured interview and deductive thematic analysis.

Limits of research

Following the previously stated conclusions, I identify a series of limitations of the work that I noticed during the research and that refer to the elements that I was not able to analyze extensively. These happened due to the lack of an active civil society at the level of Suceava county, which made the selection process of the housing studio difficult. At the same time, the subjectivity identified in the writings of some authors, the level of knowledge I have assimilated regarding this subject, the significant volume of information, but also the dynamics of the events that happened in a short period of time. More cases, comparative studies would be needed, interview with several NGOs,

Future Research Directions

All previously identified gaps, the resumption of data collection and analysis processes, on a larger scale, on niche case studies through which the involvement of a larger number of NGOs in Suceava can be highlighted on which to carry out a research study regarding the involvement in the management of the refugee crisis and above all, the existence or lack of the resilience process in the activity carried out.

Notes

^[1] Consilium Europa, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/ro/infographics/ukraine-refugees-eu/ , [accessed 1 February 2024].

² Visit Ukraine Today, https://visitukraine.today/blog/3231/yaki-kraini-gotovi-priinyati-bizenciv-u-2024-roci-ta-yakoi-dopomogi-tam-ocikuvati , [accessed 1 February 2024].

³ Consilium Europa, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/ro/infographics/ukraine-refugees-eu/ , [accessed 1 February 2024].

⁴ United Nations Refugee Agency (UNCHR), https://www.romaniacurata.ro/cati-refugiati-ucraineni-se-aflau-in-romania-la-final-de-2023-cati-sunt-inscrisi-la-scoala -and-work-here/ , [accessed 1 February 2024].

⁵ Donatella Della Porta „Building Bridges: Social Movements and Civil Society in Times of Crisis | VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations”, p. 938, 11 March 2020.

⁶ Ibidem, p. 940.

⁷ Daniela Irrera, ‘Civil Society and Humanitarian Action: NGOs’ Roles in Peace Support Operations’, Perspectives: Review of International Affairs , 1, 2011, 85–106.

⁸  Irrera.

⁹  Irrera, Op.cit, pp. 40-41.

¹⁰ Katharina Crepaz, „Overcoming Borders: The Europeanization of Civil Society Activism in the „Refugee Crisis”, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies , vol. 48, no. 6, 2022, pp. 1–2..

¹¹ Gorm Rye Olsen, Nils Carstensen, and Kristian Høyen, „Humanitarian Crises: What Determines the Level of Emergency Assistance? Media Coverage, Donor Interests and the Aid Business”, Disasters , vol. 27, no. 2, 2003, pp. 124–25..

¹²  Peggy Antrobus, „Funding for NGOs: Issues and Options”, World Development , vol. 15, 1987, pp. 95–96.

¹³  Shamima Ahmed and David M. Potter, ” NGOs in International Politics” , Kumarian Press Bloomfield, CT, 2006, xlviii , p. 101.

¹⁴  Liesbet Heyse, ” Choosing the Lesser Evil: Understanding Decision Making in Humanitarian Aid NGOs„, London: Routledge, 2016, pp. 13–14.

¹⁵   Anne Gulland, „The Refugee Crisis: What Care Is Needed and How Can Doctors Help?”, BMJ: British Medical Journal (Online) , vol. 351, 2015, pp. 2–3.

¹⁶   Francine Menashy and Zeena Zakharia, „Investing in the Crisis: Private Participation in the Education of Syrian Refugees”, Education International , 2017, pp. 4–6.

¹⁷   Menashy and Zakharia, Op. cit., pp. 4–6.

¹⁸   Bart De Bruijn, „The living conditions and well-being of refugees”, 2009, p. 41.

¹⁹   De Bruijn, Op.cit., pp. 41–42.

²⁰  Thomas Lawrence, Roy Suddaby, Bernard ” Institutional Work: Refocusing Institutional Studies of Organization, Leca, 2011′ <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1056492610387222> , [accessed 1 February 2024].

²¹ Rodolphe Durand and others, „Institutional Logics as Strategic Resources”, in Institutional Logics in Action, Part A , ed. by Michael Lounsbury and Eva Boxenbaum, Research in the Sociology of Organizations, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 39 Part A , 2013, 165–170.

²²   Ibidem, pp. 200-202.

²³   Patricia H. Thornton, William Ocasio, and Michael Lounsbury, „Introduction to the Institutional Logics Perspective”, in The Institutional Logics Perspective: A New Approach to Culture, Structure and Process , ed. by Patricia H. Thornton, William Ocasio, and Michael Lounsbury, Oxford University Press, 2012, p. 3.

²⁴   Ibidem, pp. 3-4.

²⁵  Anara Alymkulova and Didara Seipulnik, „NGO STRATEGY FOR SURVIVAL IN CENTRAL ASIA: FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY” , pp. 70-72.

²⁶  Elizabeth M Makeche and Dr Taonaziso Chowa, „A Study of the Factors That Determine Local NGO Financial Sustainability” , A Case of CIDRZ, vol. 8, no. 4, 2023, pp. 34-35.

²⁷  Robert Bushman and others, „Financial Accounting Information, Organizational Complexity and Corporate Governance Systems”, Journal of Accounting and Economics , 37.2, 2004, pp. 167–168.

²⁸  Robert Carton and Charles Hofer, „Organizational Financial Performance: Identifying and Testing Multiple Dimensions”, Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal , vol. 16, no. 2, 2010, pp. 12–22.

²⁹  Christine Moorman and Roland T. Rust, „The Role of Marketing”, Journal of Marketing , vol., 63, no. 4, 1999p. 13.

³⁰   Ibidem, p. 188.

³¹   Pavel Král and Věra Králová, „Approaches to Changing Organizational Structure: The Effect of Drivers and Communication”, Journal of Business Research , vol. 69, no. 11, 2016, p. 6.

³²  Ibidem, pp. 60-67.

³³   Appendix 2.

³⁴   Annex 1, Annex 2.

³⁵  Robert Matthews and Elizabeth Ross, „Research methods: A practical guide for the social sciences”, Pearson Education Ltd, 2010. , pp. 219–200.

³⁶ „Prefect Alexandru Moldovan At the UNICEF Seminar Regarding the Management of the Refugee Crisis: Suceava County Managed the Largest Number of Ukrainian Refugees in Romania, Exceeding 2.5 Million People” <https://www.newsbucovina.ro/actuality/374416/prefectul -alexandru-moldovan-at-the-unicef-seminar-regarding-the-management-of-the-refugee-crisis-the-county-of-Suceava-has-managed-the-highest-number-of-Ukrainian-refugees-from-Romania-exceeding-25-million -in person> , [accessed 25 January 2024].

³⁷  Ibidem.

³⁸  Ibidem.

³⁹ Monitorul de Suceava (www.monitorulsv.ro), ‘Suceava County managed over 2.5 million Ukrainian refugees from Romania, the largest number in the country’, Monitorul de Suceava <https://www.monitorulsv.ro/Local/2023 -11-16/Suceava-County-managed-over-2-5-million-Ukrainian-refugees-from-Romania-the-largest-number-in-the-country> , [accessed 25 January 2024].

⁴⁰  „Prefect Alexandru Moldovan At the UNICEF Seminar Regarding the Management of the Refugee Crisis: Suceava County Managed the Largest Number of Ukrainian Refugees in Romania, Exceeding 2.5 Million People”.

⁴¹  Ibidem.

⁴²  „Prefect Alexandru Moldovan At the UNICEF Seminar Regarding the Management of the Refugee Crisis: Suceava County Managed the Largest Number of Ukrainian Refugees in Romania, Exceeding 2.5 Million People”.

⁴³   Ibidem.

⁴⁴  „Suceava county managed over 2.5 million Ukrainian refugees from Romania, the largest number in the country”, Suceava (www.monitorulsv.ro) , [accessed 25 January 2024].

⁴⁵ “Suceava for Ukrainians, useful information and contacts for refugees from Ukraine” <https://dopomoha.ro/ro/dopomoha-suceava> , [accessed 25 January 2024].

⁴⁶   Ibidem.

⁴⁷ „Suceava for Ukrainians – useful information and contacts for refugees from Ukraine” , https://dopomoha.ro/ro/dopomoha-suceava , [accessed 25 January 2024] .

⁴⁸   Ibidem.

⁴⁹   Ibidem.

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