Ukrainian society today faces major challenges in rebuilding the country after years of war and destruction. In order to achieve sustainable development and restore trust among citizens, it is important to create a transparent decision-making system that will involve both the state and civil society in the reconstruction process. Interaction and cooperation between civil society organisations and the government open up new opportunities to create a favourable investment climate and improve the welfare of our citizens.
on 23-24 October 2024, Kyiv hosted a strategic session and a founding meeting of the Network of Civil Society Organisations for Democratic Rebuilding of Ukraine, organised by the Centre for Innovations Development as part of USAID/ENGAGE. The events brought together more than 60 representatives of NGOs from all regions of Ukraine who worked on a common vision of the country’s future and agreed on areas of cooperation that will help strengthen the effectiveness of Ukraine’s democratic reconstruction.
On 23 October, a strategic session was held, which included a series of discussions to identify the main challenges and opportunities for the Network. Participants had the opportunity to present their activities, which became the basis for building trust and mutual understanding. Each representative briefly presented the activities of their organisation, emphasising its unique role in community reconstruction and development.
The strategic session was facilitated by Iryna Fedoriv, head of the NGO “Golka”, who facilitated an effective discussion of key issues and helped the participants to identify the main priorities of the Network in a structured way.
During three rounds of discussions, the participants defined the mission, values and key priorities of the network for 2024-2025. The network’s activities were based on four core values: human centredness, transparency, inclusiveness and integrity. The mission of the network is to unite civil society for the democratic reconstruction and development of Ukraine on the basis of inclusion, human centredness, integrity and trust.
Core values of the network:
- Human-centredness – focusing on people as the key value of society, supporting the potential of everyone.
- Inclusiveness – ensuring participation of all stakeholders, gender equality, inclusion of vulnerable groups.
- Involvement – transparent mechanisms for everyone to participate in decision-making and cooperate with the authorities.
Transparency and integrity – openness of actions and reporting, responsibility for decisions and their consequences.
on24 October, a constituent meeting was held, which included a presentation of the outcomes of the strategic session, including the values, principles and mission of the network. The participants approved the annual action plan, which includes specific initiatives and tools to strengthen cooperation between organisations, improve communication and engage citizens in the recovery process.
An important element of the meeting was group work, where participants developed joint action plans in thematic areas. These plans focused on the following areas:
- Civicparticipation and communications (CommUnity ) – creating communication platforms to engage citizens in the democratic reconstruction process.
- Sustainable development (SustainUA ) – development of environmentally sustainable approaches to recovery.
- Recovery and Regions (RecoveryHub ) – support for local initiatives and regional recovery.
- Advocacy and Policy (AdvocacyPro ) – advocating for policy changes and conducting advocacy campaigns.
- International Partnership (GlobalLink ) – establishing international contacts to attract resources and support.
At the end of the events, the Network members formed a list of priority tasks for joint work, including
- Creation of a stakeholder database and a contact database of network members;
- Developing a database of successful cases for the exchange of experience between organisations;
- Identification of areas and topics for training programmes for member organisations;
- Approval of the form of the memorandum of participation in the Network;
- Developing a bank of tools for engaging citizens in the recovery process;
- Involvement of network members in local government working groups and search for joint funding for network projects;
- Formation of a consortium of NGOs, local governments and businesses to strengthen the reconstruction and development of Ukraine.
These events were an important step in creating a single platform for uniting civil society for the democratic reconstruction of Ukraine. The members of the network are committed not only to facilitating the restoration of infrastructure, but also to ensuring that democratic principles are respected in this process, involving every citizen, community and organisation in decision-making.
For reference: These events were conducted by the Centre for Innovations Development as part of the USAID/ENGAGE activity, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Pact. The contents of these events are the sole responsibility of Pact and its partners and do not necessary reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.