The All-Ukrainian Association of Communities (VAC) participated in the third event of the All-Ukrainian Dialogue “Communities for Veterans” held in Vinnytsia. This event brought together government officials, business leaders, the veteran community, experts, representatives of international organizations, and specialists from various regions of Ukraine who are implementing veteran policies. The Dialogue was organized by the NGO “Space of Opportunities,” a key partner of VAC in the development of the association’s veteran activities.
Representing the central government at the Dialogue were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Social Protection of Veterans’ Rights Anatoliy Ostapenko, Acting Minister for Veterans Affairs Oleksandr Porkhun, and Deputy Minister of Social Policy Ulyana Tokarieva.
The event aimed to promote dialogue between veterans and communities, as well as the practical implementation of veteran policies at the community level.
During the dialogue, participants discussed the veteran’s journey from mobilization to returning to the community, involving government bodies, the public sector, and businesses. Detailed discussions covered community development considering the needs of veterans and their families, the introduction of a specialist position for veteran support in communities, and the existing practical tools of local veteran policies.
The All-Ukrainian Association of Communities has been an organizational partner of the Dialogue for the second consecutive year, ensuring the participation of local government representatives. This year, more than 30 members of the VAC Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, as well as heads, deputy heads, and specialists from over 100 communities from almost all regions of Ukraine, took part.
“Since the early days of the war, the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities has been working on how to assist veterans and their families. Last December, we launched a project to reintegrate veterans into communities. We created a Committee to study community problems and help opportunities. Veteran reintegration affects every community. Veterans should not return to communities with their hands outstretched. They deserve much more, the highest quality of services. VAC will accompany veterans every step of the way to help this category of people,” emphasized VAC Chairman Volodymyr Kuchma during his speech.
Oksana Kolyada, Head of the Board of the NGO “Space of Opportunities,” noted that the system of support for military personnel is currently transforming, with the essence of case management tools developing at all stages, the search for optimal solutions expanding, and the preparation of social sector specialists, specialized career advisors, family doctors, and case managers becoming increasingly relevant.
“Today we set ourselves the task of leaving this hall with an understanding of what we rely on when developing local veteran policy strategies. The demand is enormous. Thousands of communities want to have veteran spaces. Today they will get answers to many questions, including the introduction of a specialist for the support of veterans and demobilized persons,” she said.
Olga Halchenko, Program Director of the International Renaissance Foundation, is convinced that the country’s recovery cannot be discussed without the recovery of veterans.
“Communities will see the first successes and the first problems in veteran recovery. We currently have some time to prepare for people returning from the front. It is crucial that the chain: family – community – state – international institution is built harmoniously,” she said.
This year’s Dialogue was supported by the European Union and the International Renaissance Foundation as part of the joint initiative “European Renaissance of Ukraine” and the Veteran Reintegration Program implemented by IREX with the support of the U.S. Department of State. It was also supported by the Mayor of Vinnytsia.
We recommend watching the Dialogue recording here.