The first online meeting marked the beginning of a new stage in the “Democratize the Future” program, which aims to prepare a new generation of young Ukrainian democratic leaders. More than 30 participants from 17 regions of Ukraine joined the meeting, including representatives of civil society organizations, youth centers, educational and human rights initiatives.
Emeli Akbad, co-founder of the Mad Foundation, emphasized:
“Today, in these difficult times, when power is concentrated in the hands of a few, it is important to remember that a future defined by only a handful of people will always be fragile and vulnerable. In contrast, a truly strong and prosperous tomorrow cannot be the result of individual efforts — it can only be designed and built collectively, and that is why we are here.”
Olha Ivanova, Director of Advocacy and Development Programs at the Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services”, added:
“Our team was the initiator of creating councils of internally displaced persons. This was our first advocacy campaign, which continues successfully to this day. Today, the ‘Democratize the Future’ program is an opportunity for us to share this experience with you. Yes, we have different roles — organizers, participants, facilitators — but overall we all work within the same field, simply from different aspects of the country’s development.”
During the online meeting, participants introduced themselves and their organizations, shared their expectations of the program, and outlined what they see as the main challenges facing communities today:
- the impossibility of long-term planning due to the risks of war;
- unstable funding for civic initiatives;
- youth migration abroad and to large cities;
- problems with social infrastructure for veterans and internally displaced persons.
In addition, the meeting became the first step toward building a shared knowledge base: participants worked with the interactive Miro board, where they left their initial ideas. This made it clear that despite differences in regions and areas of activity, everyone is united by a drive for change and a desire to collectively shape Ukraine’s democratic future.
The program is being implemented by the Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” in cooperation with the MAD Foundation (“Make A Difference,” Sweden) with the support of the Swedish Institute.