On 27 September, the “Resilience Conference” was held in Kyiv, organized by the International Renaissance Foundation. The event brought together experts, activists, donors and government representatives to discuss critical issues related to community resilience in the context of post-invasion recovery. The central theme focused on how civil society can promote development and resilience by developing strategies and joining efforts with business and government.
Participants agreed that resilience is not just about the ability to survive in difficult conditions, but also the ability to grow by adapting strategies to real challenges. According to the experts, civil society has a key role to play in creating new meanings and models of resilience. Particular attention was paid to economic resilience and social entrepreneurship, which can become driving forces in rebuilding Ukrainian communities and attracting resources for this purpose.
Can civil society organisations and communities find a balance between challenges and opportunities? This conference was an important step in finding answers to this question, and in charting a path to resilience amidst continued uncertainty.
What is Resilience?
The conference began with a speech by Oleksandr Sushko, Executive Director of the International Renaissance Foundation. He emphasized that Ukrainian society has demonstrated incredible resilience, but now faces a new challenge—to build resilience with a long-term perspective. He highlighted that the war continues, and there are no easy solutions, but the ability to act in conditions of uncertainty will be the defining factor for our resilience moving forward.
The conference opened with a speech by Oleksandr Sushko, Executive Director of the International Renaissance Foundation. He emphasised that Ukrainian society has shown incredible resilience, but now faces a new challenge – building resilience with a long-term perspective. He stressed that the war continues and there are no easy solutions, but the ability to act under conditions of uncertainty will be the defining factor of our resilience in the futurewhich can become driving forces in rebuilding Ukrainian communities and attracting resources to do so.
“We have moved from resilience as the ability to survive to a new quality – one on which we build a just world,” said Oleksandr Sushko. He added that Ukrainians have learned to turn opportunities into real achievements and have built a value-based foundation of resilience that works in the current context, but is not enough for long-term resilience. One of the most important achievements, he said, is that Ukrainians have managed to convince a significant number of people not only to stay in the country, but also to get involved in building new forms of interaction, both horizontally and vertically. “We have learned to turn opportunities into achievements and to build the value base of our resilience,” he emphasised.
But Sushko argued that the energy of self-defence alone is not enough for long-term development. It is crucial to develop institutions that can ensure the continuity and sustainability of change. He stressed that Ukrainian society had made a significant leap in “taking ownership” of the state, moving from passive users to active participants in decision-making processes. “We have realised that we are not just a population, but active participants and co-creators of the state. Although the pendulum sometimes swings the other way, this breakthrough is already tangible,” Sushko stressed.
One of the main challenges, he said, is to sustain these gains. According to Sushko, the term “resilience” has somewhat lost its original meaning and is now much broader than it was at the beginning of the full-scale war. Ukrainians must now not only keep up with trends, but actively shape them, develop skills and expand their knowledge. “We are developing strategies, although we know that we may have to change them. But this is necessary to maintain focus and stay on the right track,” Oleksandr concludes.
How Civil Society Contributes to Community Resilience and Recovery
The conference featured a discussion around the study “Ukraine’s Recovery: Priorities, Risks, Inclusivity”, presented by Nataliia Zaitseva-Chepak of Socioinform. The participants – Victoria Tymoshevska (Healthy Solutions Foundation), Oleksandr Solontay (Agency for Restoration and Development NGO) and Oleksiy Savchuk (Globa 22 NGO) shared their perspectives on the role of civil society in community recovery and resilience building. They emphasised the importance of collaboration, transparent planning, the use of community data, the involvement of business, and building trust among all stakeholders. The discussion was chaired by Inna Pidluska.
The study, carried out by the research centre Socioinform on behalf of the International Renaissance Foundation and supported by the European Union, is based on 25 expert interviews with representatives of civil society organisations and specialists from different regions of Ukraine, including de-conflicted and frontline areas. The main objective is to identify the factors that influence the success of reconstruction and the approaches that either help or hinder this process.
Zaitseva-Chepak emphasised that despite the decline in public activity, civil society plays a crucial role in reconstruction. “Local NGOs are the driving force behind the process, but their activities depend on government support and effective interaction with other stakeholders,” she noted. The success of projects depends largely on the synergy between different parties, including local government, donors and the communities themselves. In this context, the ability of local authorities to act transparently and honestly is essential to foster trust between the community and civil society organisations.
One of the key points highlighted by the research is the importance of participation and communication. Projects are successful where the community is actively involved in planning the regeneration, taking into account the real needs of the area. Zaitseva-Chepak emphasised: “Recovery is most effective when there is feedback and monitoring of needs. It’s important not just to launch projects, but to adapt them to the specific needs of each community.
Another challenge is funding. “We need to think about where to get resources,” she said. In this context, the state needs to ensure a clear and consistent reconstruction policy, while donors should show greater flexibility in their approaches.
Zaitseva-Chepak also focused on critical infrastructure. The most successful projects are those that not only address urgent problems, but also contribute to a new level of development. Conversely, initiatives that lack tangible results or address secondary issues without addressing the primary ones are considered unsuccessful.
During the discussion, Victoria Tymoshevska emphasised the importance of using data and prioritising projects. She stressed the need to involve all parties – communities, local government and civil society organisations – in the analysis of needs. “We need to unite our efforts to avoid a proliferation of isolated, uncoordinated projects,” she said, underlining the importance of a comprehensive approach to reconstruction.
Oleksiy Savchuk highlighted the issue of trust between communities and civil society organisations. “It is important to learn to listen to others, even if their views differ from ours. Cooperation is the key to successful recovery,” Savchuk stressed. He also mentioned the importance of cooperation between different civil society organisations, as not all of them have the expertise to implement large-scale reconstruction projects.
For his part, Oleksandr Solontay believes that resources for reconstruction will continue to grow and that civil society must be ready to mobilise both external and internal resources. “Many businesses have already adapted and are starting to grow, so it is important to motivate them to invest in recovery,” he noted. In his view, civil society organisations can play a key role in engaging businesses in joint projects and creating sustainable development models. Solontai also stressed the importance of ensuring that civil society organisations do not “hook” people on humanitarian aid, but rather lead them towards development. It is essential to give civil society the tools to implement reconstruction.
Tymoshevska added that even occupied communities continue to resist, demonstrating the success of decentralisation and the availability of resources at the local level. She also emphasised that civil society organisations have become an important sector of the economy and their role is growing: “Large international organisations are beginning to recognise the competence of Ukrainian specialists and are changing their policies on cooperation with local partners.”
The panellists also addressed the issue of cooperation between veterans, internally displaced persons and other groups affected by the war. All agreed that synergy and cooperation are key to resilience.
Resources for Community Resilience
During the panel discussion “Resources for Community Resilience”, participants addressed the issues of economic recovery and community development through civil society engagement, government policies and business initiatives. The discussion was moderated by Oleksandra Betliy and featured speakers Tetiana Berezhna from the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, Sofia Burtak from the “Business Network of Rural Women”, Tymofiy Bryk from the Kyiv School of Economics, Viktor Maziarchuk from the “Center for Fiscal Policy Research” and Artem Kornietsky from the “School of Me”.
Tymofiy Bryk emphasised that the basis of successful municipal development lies in social capital – the culture and connections between people that are difficult to measure. According to him, following decentralisation, civil society is increasingly realised at the local level and people feel a sense of belonging to their communities. “Civil society in Ukraine works through communities,” Brik stressed. He believes that in order to ensure the capacity and resourcefulness of these communities, it is important to study the labour market and provide retraining for individuals in order to involve them in the reconstruction process.
Tetiana Berezhna noted that civil society organisations are already recognised in government strategies as important actors in the recovery process. She explained that in order to overcome structural unemployment, it is essential to implement state retraining programmes more actively. “We are developing the processing industry, science-intensive specialities and localising production in Ukraine,” she said, highlighting the role of civil society in supporting this process. At the same time, she underlined the problems of coordination between state structures and the lack of transparency in spending on reconstruction.
Sofia Burtak emphasised the role of rural communities in economic recovery. “We should not continue to export raw materials – it has a negative impact on the economy,” she noted, stressing the importance of developing the capacity of rural areas and the need to improve the skills of rural entrepreneurs. She also highlighted the effectiveness of cooperatives in developing local businesses and the need for marketing training. In her opinion, rural enterprises lack training programmes and support, although international partners are already working in this direction.
Софія Буртак акцентувала увагу на ролі сільських громад у відновленні економіки. “Ми не повинні продовжувати експортувати сировину — це негативно впливає на економікунегативно впливає на економіку”, — зазначила вона, підкреслюючи важливість розвитку спроможності села та працівників підвищення кваліфікації працівників сільських підприємств. Вона також звернула увагу на ефективність кооперативів у розвитку місцевого бізнесу та необхідність навчання маркетингу. На її думку, свльським бізнесам сільським бізнесамбракує освітніх програм і підтримки, незважаючи на те, що міжнародні партнери вже працюють з цим напрчмком.
Tetiana Berezhna and Sofia Burtak also raised the issue of support for veterans returning from the front. According to Berezhna, the state has already created programmes for the employment of veterans, including grants for business start-ups and retraining projects. Burtak added that such initiatives can provide additional resilience.
At the end of the discussion, participants concluded that strengthening social ties, developing inclusive workplaces, and conducting facilitated dialogues at the local level are essential for the successful recovery of communities.
Experiences of Resilience
During the ‘Experiences of Resilience’ presentation, various organisations shared their experiences of working during wartime and overcoming the challenges of recovery. Bohdan Tartynskiy from the NGO “Martin Club” spoke about how the organisation can support the community by providing social services to the state and working with youth for community development. He emphasised the importance of supporting young people by involving them actively in reconstruction efforts. Yevheniya Molchanova from the NGO “Green Grove Rehabilitation Center” presented new rehabilitation methods, including equine and canine therapy, to help restore the mental health of vulnerable populations, including veterans. She noted that these methods have shown positive results in working with people who have experienced traumatic events.
Maria Dovzhyk from the “Veterans’ Space” in Vinnytsia shared her experience in creating the first space for the reintegration of veterans. She emphasised the importance of reaching out to communities and providing services directly to veterans in local areas to ensure their integration into society. Nataliya Shushlyannikova from the Support Centre discussed methods of providing basic medical services to frontline communities. She emphasised the need for rapid and effective medical assistance in these regions. Tetiana Zhavzharova from the NGO “Ecosense” emphasised the importance of integrating environmental and economic resilience. All speakers stressed the importance of cooperation between different organisations, communities and the state to achieve resilience and effective recovery in the face of continued uncertainty.
Based on the results of the conference, participants drew several key conclusions regarding the role of civil society in strengthening community resilience. One of the main points emphasised was that resilience is a multifaceted concept that encompasses the ability to unite, the entrepreneurial spirit, and the capacity to learn and adapt under uncertain conditions. Civil society plays a central role in creating new meanings and ideas for resilience, while businesses develop models that help put these ideas into practice.
Decentralisation and local initiatives were recognised as important factors in resilience, empowering communities to identify their needs and find solutions themselves. At the same time, economic resilience is a critical area where businesses can drive recovery by demonstrating tools and mechanisms for development.
Resilience is not only the ability to withstand crises, but also the ability to design and implement long-term strategies through collaboration between civil society, business and government. There are many challenges ahead, but Ukraine has already demonstrated its ability to overcome uncertainty and move forward, strengthening its communities in the process.
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The conference took place as part of the “Resilience Lab” project, implemented by the International Renaissance Foundation with the support of the international Protestant development and aid agency in Germany, “Bread for the World” (Brot für die Welt). The conference was organized with the support of the European Union.
