On 12 November 2024, the conference "Participatory Democracy: A Key Factor in Ukraine’s Resilience" brought together representatives from partner communities, civil society organisations, and experts to discuss the results of the two-year collaboration within the Council of Europe project «Strengthening democratic resilience through civic participation during the war and in the post-war context in Ukraine» .
Since its launch on 1 January 2023, the project has supported 36 territorial communities and two regional authorities to ensure effective citizen engagement in decision-making processes and to foster constructive collaboration between volunteer initiatives and public institutions.
Oleksandr Korniyenko, First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, emphasised in his welcome remarks the importance of advancing civic participation in Ukraine: "It is symbolic that this event takes place just days after Ukraine celebrated its accession to the Council of Europe. The Verkhovna Rada actively supports civic participation, including through laws on public consultations, transparency in local governance, and direct democracy, and we will continue advancing in this direction."
The State Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, Oleksandr Yarema, highlighted: "Over the past two years, we’ve seen that, regardless of the size or location of a community, passionate people who believe in their work can achieve remarkable results. I thank the project team for gathering invaluable experiences from various Council of Europe member States and sharing them with Ukrainian communities. Today, some Ukrainian communities are ready to share their best practices in citizen engagement with others globally."
The conference highlighted a range of participatory initiatives implemented in various contexts. These included the School Participatory Budgeting in the Bsusyliv and Solone territorial communities, programs promoting voluntarism in Lviv and Nizhyn, and the adoption of territorial community statutes in Berdychiv and Poltava, which incorporate diverse instruments of civic participation. Specific examples were also presented to demonstrate citizen engagement in decision-making during wartime, such as Ukraine’s first-ever Citizens’ Assemblies in Slavutych and Zvyahel, and the participatory development of community strategies in Rivne and Lutsk.
As part of efforts to enhance community resilience, five civil society organisations presented their work and projects, implemented with the support of the Council of Europe. The Head of the Charity Foundation "Smilyvi" introduced the audience to the certificate program "Monitoring and Evaluation of Decisions and Projects for the Restoration and Development of Ukrainian Communities," which trained 20 representatives of CSOs from across Ukraine.
To celebrate the achievements and acknowledge the immense efforts and tireless commitment of stakeholders from institutions and civil society, the representatives of the 16 pilot communities received a symbolic award at the end of the conference for their active engagement of residents in decision-making processes and their successful collaboration with the project.
Participants and experts agreed that the two-year project has been a success story, not only creating a very dynamic and committed community of practitioners but also having a real impact on the lives of many citizens throughout the country. It gave them an opportunity to shape, through their participation in various processes, decisions that affect not only their present but also the future of their children. In a context where citizens have no opportunity to voice their will and preferences through regular elections, participatory processes have become their path forward to contribute to the recovery, reconstruction, and development of the country.
