How to bring people back to Ukraine: International discussion Forum held in Kyiv

The Forum “The Future in Ukraine: Recovery and Development of Human Capital” was organized as part of the third training module of the Community Recovery Academy, a global educational program aimed at training municipal managers for the post-war recovery of Ukraine.

The event, which brought together representatives of the Ukrainian government, local self-government, international organizations and leading Ukrainian educational institutions, became an important platform for discussing key challenges and opportunities. For today, our common goal is to create conditions for the return of people, recovery of human capital and building strong and resilient Ukraine.

The Forum was attended by more than 250 representatives of Ukrainian communities who joined online and offline to share their experiences and develop joint solutions to overcome the challenges of wartime.

The official launch of the Forum and opening of the discussions were announced by Oleksandr Slobozhan, Executive Director of the Association of Ukrainian Cities, Shane McLaughlin, Chairman of the Integrated Security Foundation (ISF), and Vadym Boichenko, Head of the Section of the Association of Ukrainian Cities for the Development of De-occupied and Temporarily Occupied Communities, Mayor of Mariupol.

In their welcoming remarks, the speakers emphasized importance of restoring human capital for Ukraine's sustainable development and stressed the need for international support in this process:

Oleksandr Slobozhan, Executive Director of the Association of Ukrainian Cities:

“Thanks to these measures, a legislative framework is being formed that defines the functioning of local governments. In Ukraine, in particular, the Association of Ukrainian Cities pays special attention to the development of the de-occupied communities, support for the temporarily occupied territories and the effective functioning of the relevant management structures. In addition to the legislative support, of great importance today is the opportunity to exchange best practices and experience, use international experience in the field of effective municipal governance to overcome problems and challenges.”

Shane McLaughlin, Head of the Integrated Security Fund (ISF), British Embassy in Ukraine:

“This project (the Community Recovery Academy) brings together best practices from across the region, giving more than 100 people the opportunity to share their experiences. This is a great way to develop expertise and learning. Today's event is dedicated to the development of human capital, and it is extremely important that Ukrainians can feel that they can live, love, work and laugh in their country. Projects like this, as well as the UK's broader program, which includes stabilization efforts, security sector reform, war crimes investigations, and strategic communications, contribute to this important process.”

Vadym Boichenko, Head of the Section of the Association of Ukrainian Cities for the Development of De-occupied and Temporarily Occupied Communities, Mayor of Mariupol:

“The consequences of the war are 12 million IDPs who are asking us for help today. They are begging for their voices to be heard. When we talk about the future, we must understand that it will be extremely difficult to rebuild Ukraine without taking this factor into account. It is impossible to revive cities without people, to build production without people. We must clearly understand that the main treasure of Ukraine, the most important thing we have today, is people. And we have to build our work around this, develop relevant legislative initiatives and programs. Because we cannot revive Ukraine without people. This is what we are emphasizing in the work of the Community Recovery Academy.”

The welcome address was followed by four discussion panels that addressed key issues of returning people and restoring human capital, strengthening international support for recovery of Ukrainian communities, integration and support for veterans, as well as investing in workforce development and economic reintegration.

In the first panel discussion, the participants discussed strategic directions of cooperation with international donors, the experience of post-conflict recovery in European countries, in addition they shared experiences in attracting financial resources for rebuilding infrastructure and supporting the population.

The discussion on return of people and restoration of human capital highlighted important issues regarding encouragement to return IDPs, the situation in the temporarily occupied territories, and the role of the state in creating opportunities for citizens. The findings of an all-Ukrainian sociological survey among IDPs were presented, which made it possible to assess the main problems they face.

A separate block of the event was dedicated to supporting veterans: social adaptation, rehabilitation and employment. The panel discussed comprehensive programs for reintegration, retraining and psychological support, as well as the role of public initiatives and local governments in this process. Among the invited speakers of the panel were representatives of the partner organizations of the Community Recovery Academy project:

Natalya Yemchenko, Communications Director at SCM, Member of the Supervisory Boards of the NGO “Mariupol.Reborn” and the NGO “Heart of Azovstal”

“SCM Investment Company is focused on reconfiguring our processes to work with the military. We are already working on this, both in terms of teamwork and barrier-free infrastructure, where possible. The country is currently in the process of establishing a veteran-centred policy. But implementation of all programs will take place in communities, on the streets, in the workplace. That is why it really depends on the community, its skills, availability of resources, building opportunities, what will happen to the veteran policy in general. As with all other areas of life in general. We do believe that rebuilding, both after the war and now, requires special knowledge and skills, it requires excellent trained managers, and we are already working on it.”

Vadym Pukhalskyi, Head of Development Department at Metinvest Polytechnic:

“Education plays a key role in the country's recovery process, and we at Metinvest Polytechnic understand how important it is to create access to high-quality education for veterans. Our programs not only provide technical knowledge but also develop multi-competencies, such as critical thinking, digital design, and deep understanding of production and business processes. Veterans studying at our university have the opportunity to join real industry projects, gaining the practical experience necessary to effectively participate in the processes of infrastructure reconstruction and development of the country. We strive to create conditions for them to realize their potential and become a driver of change in the post-war recovery of Ukraine.”

The Forum has become a platform for constructive dialog between all stakeholders. Participants agreed on the need to further develop state and international programs aimed at returning Ukrainians, strengthening communities and supporting human capital. Key areas for further work were identified, including expanding international partnerships to attract resources for the recovery process, creating effective mechanisms to encourage return of IDPs and migrants, developing programs for reintegration of veterans, and investing in education and retraining of the workforce. The ideas discussed will form the basis for further strategic initiatives to be implemented at the state and local levels.

The Forum “The Future in Ukraine: Recovery and Development of Human Capital” demonstrated that Ukraine has every opportunity for recovery and sustainable development due to the synergy of the government, international partners and civil society.

The Community Recovery Academy, founded by the Association of Ukrainian Cities and the NGO “Mariupol.Reborn”, aims at training municipal managers for the recovery period. The project is implemented with the support of the UK Government under the UK International Development program and the International Republican Institute (IRI Ukraine) in partnership with Metinvest and SCM. The academic partners of the project are Metinvest Polytechnic and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.