Coopera e.V.

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Coopera e.V.

Fostering trans-local cooperation, interdisciplinary knowledge exchange, and empowerment for vibrant civil societies. Coopera e.V.

fosters horizontal civil society cooperation, interdisciplinary and trans-local knowledge exchange, and empowerment in the times of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We work in the areas of decolonial solidarity, (queer)feminism and anti-racism, arts and urbanism, sustainability, media (in exile), and political education.

06/07/2026

// Get your printed copy //

The publication presents nonformal educational and artistic-activist activities of young people from Moldova and Germany engaging in local communities around environmental issues.

Our common starting point was the Moldovan village of Hîrtop in Cimișlia District, where the program was co-shaped with environmental initiatives, activists, and artists. In the former Soviet culture house Casa de Cultura, the two weeks became a hands-on space of exploring creative methods and activist practices, while learning about environmental crises and discussing their sociopolitical dimensions—the program was designed to be engaging and to stay engaged. A community gathering and an exhibition took place at the cultural center Casa Zemstvei, Chișinău. We hope this publication inspires others—activists, community builders, young people, and trainers—to empower young initiatives to become advocates of sustainable change.

Curators: Luiza Sim and Maksim Polyakov / 3rd Space Studio 3rd_space_press
Design: Munia Grasen Munia
Project team: Rusanda Alexandru Curcă & Olga Curcă / ArtaAzi Arta Azi CpC
Anna Petukhova & Nadja Sieffert / Coopera

72 pages, 210 x 297, risograph print, printed in Chișinău.

// Get your printed copy //
You can receive the publication for a donation to PayPal. We kindly ask you to at least donate 8€ (for sending inside the EU) or 5€ for pick-up in Berlin. Please send your address to [email protected].

coopera.io/youth-action-lab/publication
Images © Coopera e.V.

26/06/2026

Read our latest news and take part in our support survey!

We are looking to understand the real challenges of initiatives, movements, and collectives that are currently endangered, have migrated, or work transnationally. If this sounds like your group, please support us by completing our short survey by 28.06. Your feedback will directly help us adapt and improve our administrative and financial support systems.

Alongside the survey, our newsletter features insights into a recent collaboration with Decolonizing Cultures of Remembrance in Moldova, an opportunity to get physical copies of our Youth Action Lab publication, and an offer for shared desk spaces in our Prenzlauer Berg office until the end of the year.

🔗 Head over to our website to read the text and take the survey!
https://mailchi.mp/280db16c7417/june-newsletter

24/02/2026

24.02.2026

The full-scale Russian invasion is entering its fifth year. For months, Russia has been deliberately attacking Ukraine’s infrastructure, leaving apartments in the dark, cold, and without water. Amid experiencing the coldest January in over a decade, Russia launched attacks of 4,442 drones and 135 missiles within a month. Almost 60 per cent of Kyiv's households were temporarily left without electricity, forcing 600,000 people to flee the city. While this has become a daily struggle for people in Ukraine, romanticising people’s resilience is not the answer!

2025 has been the deadliest year for Ukrainian civilians since 2022. Currently, more than 19 percent of Ukrainian territory is occupied. Images of fibre-optic drone wires resembling shiny nets spanning frontline areas reveal another environmental catastrophe unfolding. We continue to call for European societies to show solidarity and provide Ukraine with weapons! This is not about glorifying armies or weapons; it is a bitter, life-saving necessity for a country that has been attacked by an imperial, authoritarian state committing war crimes – Russia has committed unlawful killings and mass detentions in occupied territories, tortured prisoners and systematically deported and russified Ukrainian children from occupied regions.

To say it in the words of Ukrainian human rights defender and former POW, Maksym Butkevych — “I was called a pacifist quite often. It is all a matter of definition. If it’s about someone who protests war, who despises violence, and tries to prevent it, then I am. But as it happens more often, it is used for the position that force cannot be used under any circumstances. And if this is the definition, then I’m not and I have never been. For one simple reason. I truly believe – a belief which goes down to my fundamentals – that if someone witnesses or is present at a crime committed, like a huge crime, which is only preventable by force, and doesn’t do anything, that this person becomes an accomplice to this crime. If I can try to stop a genocidal war together with dozens and hundreds of thousands of others and I don’t do that, then I am complicit in the genocidal war.“

Fundraiser
To support people in Ukraine today, we encourage you to donate to , a group of Berlin-based volunteers who travel to Ukraine every two months to deliver humanitarian aid to friends and partners, knowing exactly what is needed. Please visit their page to discover more about their work. The details for the bank transfer are given below.

https://ukrainesolidaritybus.org/helfen/

You can donate via bank transfer:
IBAN: DE70 8306 5408 0004 0255 47
BIC: GENODEF1SLR
Payment reference: Ukrainebus

22/01/2026

Entering 2026 with Gratitude, Solidarity, and Commitment

As we step into the new year, we at Coopera e.V. would like to express our sincere gratitude to our partners, supporters, and friends for your trust and collaboration throughout 2025, a year marked by challenges, courageous resistance, and collective action.
The past year has reminded us of the fragility of democratic spaces. From shrinking civic freedoms and repression to conflicts, forced migration, and climate crises, civil society continues to operate under pressure. In this context, solidarity across borders is not an abstraction; it is a daily practice.
We stand with civil society actors, youth, artists, and activists in Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, and beyond. Despite immense pressure and repression, they courageously and determinedly continue their work, inspiring all of us to do the same.

Highlights from 2025:

YouthLink: We empowered young people in Georgia and Ukraine through media education, mentoring, a study visit to Berlin, the , and the video podcast Talks on the EU.

Youth Action for Resilient Communities: They brought youth from Moldova and Germany together to explore climate resilience and community-based action.

NCNTP & CrossCulture Program: Strengthened European cooperation, knowledge exchange, and future collaborations.

Decolonizing Solidarities: Fostered translocal solidarity through artistic practices, workshops, and performances.

Looking ahead to 2026:

Completion of the Haus der Statistik/Alexanderplatz project in Berlin. Our future space will feature circular building materials, community-focused areas, and an inspiring rooftop terrace.

We are expanding partnerships and creating new opportunities for youth, cultural practitioners, and civil society actors operating under challenging conditions.

We welcome your ideas and suggestions for new collaborations and project initiatives, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can fill out this form and we will get back to you. https://lnkd.in/d-gkGAQQ

15/01/2026

Towards the end of 2025 we have sent our Winter Newsletter, sharing insights into our work, the voices and experiences of young changemakers, and the tangible impact of our initiatives.

In 2025, through initiatives like YouthLink, we empowered young changemakers from Georgia and Ukraine to engage in public debate and strengthen democratic values while exploring European integration. Our efforts included media labs, educational tools, and a study trip to Berlin, where young voices took the spotlight, sharing stories and building cross-border connections.

Coopera e.V. continued to collaborate with civil society partners and young activists across Europe, Central and Northern Asia, and the Caucasus. We promoted youth engagement and democratic participation, particularly during challenging times.

YouthLink aimed to spark interest in EU integration, enhance public debate skills, and provide a critical understanding of the European Union. Through surveys, educational content, an interactive EU-checker chatbot, and both online and offline programs, participants explored democratic challenges and media literacy. Sadly, our cooperation in Georgia had to end early due to increasing legal repression, highlighting the importance of solidarity with civil society.

A highlight was the study trip to Berlin, where youth from Georgia and Ukraine engaged in media workshops and storytelling sessions, connecting with journalists and NGOs. They visited significant democratic institutions and historical sites, gaining valuable insights and fostering lasting relationships.

We thank our partners, mentors, and the dedicated young participants who are shaping democratic futures. Looking ahead, we remain committed to supporting youth initiatives that advocate for open and democratic societies.

💬 Podcasts,
🤖 an interactive EU chatbot,
🎙️ media workshops,
🌍 and transnational dialogue—
all driven by the belief that informed, empowered youth can shape change.

🔗 Read the full newsletter https://mailchi.mp/39e05729f686/winter-newsletter

📷 Coopera e.V.

23/12/2025

~~~ Below in Georgian ~~~

Talks on the EU – საუბრები ევროკავშირზე is a video podcast that explores the European Union and Georgia’s path toward EU integration from multiple perspectives. Through one-on-one conversations with analysts, civil society representatives, and policymakers, the series breaks down complex EU mechanisms into accessible discussions, and discusses what closer integration or membership would mean for Georgia in practice.

The educational podcast (_IN_GEORGIAN_ _with_ _ENGLISH_SUBTITLES_) places a strong focus on young people, aiming to increase understanding of EU-related processes, policies, and programs that shape Georgia’s future and create opportunities for youth engagement, mobility, and development.

🔗 Link in bio
Design by

—The project “YouthLink” was implemented by DEP – დეპი in partnership with Coopera e. V. with the financial support of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany . This podcast was produced in April-May 2025—

~~~
„საუბრები ევროკავშირზე“ არის ვიდეო პოდკასტი, რომელიც იკვლევს ევროკავშირსა და საქართველოს ევროკავშირში ინტეგრაციის გზას მრავალი პერსპექტივიდან. ანალიტიკოსებთან, სამოქალაქო საზოგადოების წარმომადგენლებთან და პოლიტიკის შემქმნელებთან პირისპირ საუბრების გზით, სერია ევროკავშირის რთულ მექანიზმებს ანაწილებს ხელმისაწვდომ დისკუსიებად და განიხილავს, თუ რას ნიშნავს უფრო მჭიდრო ინტეგრაცია ან წევრობა საქართველოსთვის პრაქტიკაში.

საგანმანათლებლო პოდკასტი (ქართულ ენაზე ინგლისური სუბტიტრებით) დიდ ყურადღებას ამახვილებს ახალგაზრდებზე, რათა გაზარდოს ევროკავშირთან დაკავშირებული პროცესების, პოლიტიკისა და პროგრამების გაგება, რომლებიც ქმნიან საქართველოს მომავალს და ქმნიან შესაძლებლობებს ახალგაზრდების ჩართულობის, მობილურობისა და განვითარებისთვის.

🔗 Link in bio

—პროექტი YouthLink განხორციელდა DEP – დეპის მიერ, Coopera e. V.-თან პარტნიორობით და გერმანიის ფედერალური საგარეო საქმეთა სამინისტროს ფინანსური მხარდაჭერით. პოდკასტი მომზადდა 2025 წლის აპრილი–მაისის პერიოდში.—

29/10/2025

Our Community Gathering in Berlin this October was a very warm evening of connection, honest conversations, and shared inspiration on how to strengthen civic space across borders. We’re grateful to our guest speaker, Nataliya Novakova, from Civil Society Forum e.V. , and to all our friends and partners for their warmth and support in making it such a success!

Our new newsletter is finally out, and we are excited to share a recap of the gathering and a detailed look at our two-week Youth Action Lab in Moldova this past August. Discover how participants from Germany and Moldova blended creative tools (like zine-making, protest drumming, and collage) with hands-on sustainability efforts to address pressing environmental challenges.

Read the newsletter now! ✨
https://mailchi.mp/e0e821568e2a/autumn-newsletter

07/10/2025

Școala de vară n-a luat sfârșit. Participantele urmează să implementeze micro proiecte pe teme de mediu, iar în luna noiembrie vom elabora o publicație despre toată experiența, trăită, dar și depre necesitatea de-a aborda temele de mediu într-un mod intersecțional, pentru că acestea ne afectează în toate aspectele vieții noastre.
Lăsăm aici cîteva fotografii de la ultima săptămână de laborator, unde am fost într-o vizită de studiu la Mariana Șeremet și la Ecovillage Rîșcova, iar in zilele de vineri și sâmbătă am găzduit 2 cine comunitare la Casa Zemstvei, cu susținerea programului Zpațiu / Zpace.
Youth Action Lab este organizat de ArtaAzi & Coopera e.V.,cu suportul Federal Foreign Office of Germany .

01/10/2025

We're excited to invite all of you to the Coopera Community Gathering on Thursday, October 9!

Let’s connect, celebrate our collective work, and strengthen connections that make cross-border civic action possible.

🗓 When: Thu, Oct 9, 17:30 - 21:30
📍 Where: C-SPACE Berlin , Langhansstraße 86, 13086 Berlin

What to expect:
🤝 Speed-Dating Networking, 17:30-18:30
Your chance to meet Coopera’s team, exchange ideas, learn about ongoing initiatives, and spark new collaborations.
💡 "Civic Café", 18:30-20:00 - We will collectively explore how to sustain solidarity and maintain networks in challenging times. Your voice is essential!

Come to exchange ideas, fortify our resilience, and imagine new ways forward together.

Please fill in this form to register:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScixNFdbBheife60ZPsyje--BfWzf6eCNpCfa6izuwI1MOfOw/viewform?usp=header

18/09/2025

What does sustainability look like in real life?

At the Youth Action Lab (28 July - 10 August 2025), young people from Moldova and Germany didn’t just talk about sustainability - they learned how to put it into practice.

For ten days in Hîrtop village (Moldova), hosted by the local community, participants experienced sustainability as a way of being together.

Beyond Hîrtop, participants explored places where ecological practices meet community spirit:
Grădina Moldovei .moldovei (Cigîrleni) and EcoVillage .moldova (Rîșcova), where permaculture garden, eco-houses, and gardens showed what it means to work with nature.

Online they have been connected with Haus der Materialisierung (HdM) and Floating University in Berlin, initiatives that reimagine how cities can become climate resilient.

The Lab also created learning spaces with inspiring partners:

🟢 With Ecopresa (.md), participants mapped Moldova’s pressing environmental challenges and tested social media activism.

🟢 With EcoContact (), they discovered the power of advocacy and civic engagement for resilience.

🟢 With EcoVisio (), the Keep Cool game transformed climate negotiations into an interactive exercise in collaboration and compromise.

🔗 By linking community life, ecological knowledge, and action strategies, participants gained inspiration and practical tools to design their own initiatives for action days for environmentally-sustainable communities in Moldova and Germany.

Youth Action Lab is a project by ArtaAzi .cpc (Hîrtop) and Coopera e.V. (Berlin), funded by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany

Adresse

Prenzlauer Allee 36F
Berlin
10405

Telefon

+493028422739

Webseite

https://coopera.io/

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