WHP: Can you briefly introduce the Allianz Ukrainischer Organisationen e.V (Alliance of Ukrainian Organizations)? What is its main task in Berlin?
Oleksandra Bienert: The Allianz Ukrainischer Organisationen e.V. is a nationwide association currently bringing together 23 civil society organizations in eight federal states. These organizations were founded by people with a Ukrainian migration background and work predominantly on a voluntary basis.
Our member organizations are engaged in the fields of political participation, human rights, refugee support, education, youth and cultural work, labor market integration, and anti-discrimination. In Berlin, we are represented, among others, in the State Advisory Council for Participation and in several integration advisory boards. An important area of our work is also the fight against disinformation. Especially in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, we observe targeted narratives that seek to delegitimize Ukraine or to pit migrant communities against each other. We counter this through awareness-raising, political education, and networking.
Our central task is to support equal social and political participation for people from Ukraine – and beyond that for all people with a migration background. We advocate for an open, democratic society and clearly position ourselves against racism, antisemitism, racism against Sinti and Roma, homophobia and transphobia, as well as any form of group-based hostility.
At the same time, we want to make Ukraine more visible as a free European subject – beyond imperial narratives or stereotypical attributions.
WHP: What personally motivated you to get involved here?
Oleksandra Bienert: What motivates me is a deep-rooted sense of justice. My grandfather was a trade unionist in Ukraine, and parts of my family were deported to the Gulag under the Soviet regime on fabricated accusations – others were executed. This history has shaped me: when you recognize injustice, you must not remain silent.
When I came to Germany, I also experienced how strongly the image of Ukraine was shaped by anti-Eastern European racism and a Russian imperial perspective. I want to contribute to changing this perspective – or, if you will, to decolonizing it.
For me, my engagement is an attempt to create spaces in which people are not treated as objects of integration debates, but as active subjects with their own voices.
WHP: What challenges do people with a migration background face in Berlin – and how does your organization address them?
Oleksandra Bienert: One of the central challenges is that migration is often politically reduced to an economic issue. People are primarily viewed as “labor” or “human resources” – not as bearers of rights, biographies, and dignity. Integration is often linked to economic usefulness.
At the same time, many refugees experience structural barriers: racism, difficulties in having qualifications recognized, insecurity due to temporary residence permits, bureaucratic obstacles and a lack of multilingual information, cuts to or absence of anti-discrimination counseling, including counseling in Ukrainian. Particularly affected are vulnerable groups – including people with disabilities, seniors, Roma from Ukraine, queer refugees, Black people and other people of color, people living with HIV, as well as war-injured individuals – who are often exposed to multiple forms of discrimination.
Another central challenge is access to language – and thus to participation. Our practical experiences with integration and vocational language courses clearly show that access to language courses is not a technical question, but a matter of social justice and dignity. Language competence means access to rights, healthcare, and political participation. Those who are structurally excluded from it remain dependent.
We respond on several levels: political advocacy at the state and federal level, statements and professional events, as well as support for building independent structures where public services are lacking.
Through our members such as Kwitne Queer e.V., which creates a safe space for queer refugees from Ukraine, or PlusUkrDe – Positive Ukrainians in Germany, which advocates for discrimination-free access to HIV care, we see how important it is for communities to organize themselves, create their own safe spaces, and develop strong networks in order to confidently claim their rights and dismantle structural barriers.
We understand participation as a right – not as a privilege.
WHP: Is there a project, event, or initiative coming up that you would particularly recommend to our readers?
Oleksandra Bienert: An exciting two-year community project has just begun under the title: “Writing Urban History: Ukrainian Perspectives in the Berlin Dialogue.”
The project is being implemented by our member CineMova Ukrainian Empowerment Network e.V. together with several partner organizations – including agitPolska e.V., Zwischen den Polen e.V., and the Alliance – and is funded by the Berlin Senate.
It invites people with Ukrainian or Polish roots in Berlin to explore historical traces of migration, Nazi forced labor, exile, flight, and resistance, and to make their own perspectives visible.
Planned activities include archive workshops, artistic activities, memorial site visits, biographical research, and a public exhibition. The goal is to permanently inscribe Ukrainian stories into Berlin’s culture of remembrance. Application period: March 3 – March 15, 2026. Click here for the application form.
At the same time, we are open to cooperation – particularly with migrant initiatives that work to strengthen the visibility of migrant perspectives in Berlin’s urban history, as well as with historical projects and educational actors.
WHP: How can interested people support your work or get involved themselves?
Oleksandra Bienert: Committed individuals are always welcome to join us – regardless of origin or community. At the moment, we are especially looking for volunteers, for example for language cafés for seniors, organizational support for events, or assistance with small community formats. In addition, people can support us occasionally – for example through translations, moderating workshops, providing professional input on specific topics, supporting social media work, or offering practical help during events. Sharing our information within personal networks or connecting us with schools, initiatives, or neighborhood projects is also very valuable to us. Engagement with us is flexible – from one-time contributions to longer-term involvement. Every form of participation counts.
In addition, cooperation with other communities is explicitly encouraged. We are convinced that solidarity between migrant and post-migrant initiatives is crucial for dismantling structural inequalities and strengthening sustainable participation.
Interested individuals can easily contact us by email.
Every form of support – whether occasional or long-term – contributes to working together toward a solidaristic, diverse, and human-rights-based urban society.
(Header image: © Dmitry Brushko)
