CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM “OUTLINES OF THE FUTURE: VICTORY, RESTORATION AND MODERNIZATION OF UKRAINE”

On May 30, 2023, the Civil Society Forum “Outlines of the Future: Victory, Restoration and Modernization” organized by the Initiative Center for Promotion of Activity and Development of Public Initiatives (ICAP) “Unification” took place in Kyiv.

The Forum’s theme included the following contents: approaching victory – advocacy of support for Ukraine, countering hybrid aggression, fair punishment for war crimes; early restoration of those areas that need quick support, how to show yourself as a citizen in action; modernization – we want changes, reforms and modernization.

The convenient format of the event: 8-hour offline and online, various program locations, the opportunity to choose the format and topics that are most interesting for you, brought together proactive citizens for an interdisciplinary dialogue.

The broadcast of the panel discussions was carried out on the page of ISAR Unity and on the website of the Forum. Thanks to this opportunity, the head of the department of law enforcement and general legal disciplines, certified teacher of civic education Olena Kozynets joined the event, taking part in the panel discussions “The role of civil society in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine”, “The price of justice: who will pay for it, how and how much” , “Compliance with EU accession criteria: Ukraine’s progress and the role of civil society”, “How do war and recovery change the social contract in Ukraine?”.

Alla Nitchenko, associate professor of the department of law enforcement and general legal disciplines, certified teacher of civic education, participated live in the event, who participated in the following sectional discussions: “Tools for involving vulnerable and underrepresented groups in reconstruction”; “Tools of CSOs for the promotion of gender-sensitive governance at the local level”, as well as, to the panel discussion: “In defense of democracy: constitutional and anti-corruption control” and informal communication in the location “Tsukernya” with Alisa Shushkovska, head of the department for political and legal issues, by senior adviser of IFES Ukraine and Serhiy Saveliy, senior specialist in legal issues, IFES Ukraine on the topic: “How to win peace for Ukraine after the war: challenges and peculiarities of holding the first post-military elections”.

The participants discussed the significant role of civil society since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the national consciousness of Ukrainians, the historical roots of civil society, and the need to educate active citizens who will not only defend their country, but also after victory will build a state for a person where active communities will play a role; about transitional justice and its main element “the right to the truth”; about the future accession of Ukraine to the EU and what needs to be done for that, whether the status of a candidate for automatic accession to the EU gives the right or not, about changes in Ukrainian society during the war and about changes in the interaction between civil society and authorities; about tools for involving the two most vulnerable groups – IDPs and war veterans – in the decision-making process, activities that will help integrate IDPs into community life, behavioral nuances and recommendations for effective interaction and communication with this group; the basics of gender-oriented governance and the role of CSOs in its promotion, tools for the participation of CSOs in decision-making and local policy formation, the main challenges associated with the first post-military elections and the role of civil society organizations in this process.