In the Lysetska community in Ivano-Frankivsk region, an informational and educational event took place within the project “Veteran Reintegration: From Effective Solutions for Communities to an Effective National Policy,” implemented by the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities in partnership with NGO “Space of Opportunities” and with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation.
Over 40 community leaders from western regions, as well as local self-government specialists (village heads, administrative service center employees, and other local self-government workers responsible for working with veterans), learned about tools for supporting veterans, veteran women, and their families, approaches to implementing local veterans’ policies, and developed local strategies and programs considering the veteran component.
Together with representatives of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and public experts, participants also discussed specific measures for the successful integration of veterans into civilian life, exchanged experiences in working with veterans, and shared successful cases.
Among the most pressing issues were housing provision for veterans, employment, psychological support, and medical services.
Within the project, there will be five face-to-face informational and educational events in various communities across Ukraine. Approximately 200 community leaders and 100 local self-government specialists will be involved in them.
“Veteran reintegration is one of the most crucial issues for communities. It’s understandable that each community follows its own path, but it’s important for us to exchange experiences, best practices, and develop effective strategies for supporting veterans locally. We have 10 pilot communities where strategic sessions have been held, and after that, programs for working with veterans will be developed. They will serve as a guide for the entire Ukraine: how to work with veterans in various aspects,” said Ivan Slobodyanik, Executive Director of the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities.
According to him, the project’s philosophy lies in the idea that working with a veteran should begin while they are still in the military.
“A veteran is a challenge for the community and a potential for development. Only with this approach will there be results at the local level,” he is convinced.
From the perspective of Irina Polozheshna, the head specialist of the Department of Educational Programs and Professional Adaptation of the Department of Ensuring the Transition from Military Service to Civilian Life at the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, the process of reintegrating war veterans and their family members practically takes place within the community itself—since they reside there, receive services, work, study, relax, and restore their physical health and psychological well-being.
According to the Ministry of Veterans Affairs Order No. 111 dated April 9, 2024, the professional standard “Specialist in Supporting War Veterans and Demobilized Individuals” was approved and entered into the National Qualifications Register of the National Qualifications Agency on April 12, 2024.
The purpose of implementing the profession of Specialist in Supporting War Veterans and their family members is to provide services related to opportunities, rights, guarantees, benefits, obtaining public (electronic public), social, educational, rehabilitation, psychological, and other services, including document processing for accessing such services, determining priority needs of these categories of individuals, and assisting in finding the most optimal and effective tools for their implementation.
Therefore, it is necessary for the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, together with executive authorities and local self-government bodies, to ensure the successful adaptation of veterans, taking into account their group and individual needs, to ensure an appropriate level of well-being in civilian life by promoting the creation of organizational, cultural, and socio-economic conditions within the territorial community.
Oksana Kolyada, the head of projects at the NGO “Space of Opportunities” and former Minister for Veterans Affairs in 2019-2020, shared insights into new opportunities for the reintegration and rehabilitation of veterans.
“She stressed that no veterans’ policy can be formulated and implemented without local involvement. Therefore, it is crucial for us to have contact with local self-government bodies, not only with the heads but also with specific individuals who will work with veterans. Much depends on how you perceive your veteran. Do you see them as an increase in social welfare expenses, or do you see the potential for your advantage, modernization, development, and the opportunity to strengthen the human capital of the community?”
Summarizing the event, Igor Abram’yuk, the director of development at the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities and the project coordinator, emphasized the importance of collaborating with the ministry and experts to develop effective veterans’ policies at the local level.
“Family and local self-government bodies are the closest to the veteran returning to the community. Therefore, veterans’ policies should take into account the opinions of local self-government bodies, considering the sensitivity of this issue, as it concerns the hopes and aspirations of every family,” he said.
Anatoliy Lushchak, the head of the Lysetska community and the chairman of the Ivano-Frankivsk regional branch of the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities, highlighted the readiness for cooperation and the importance of effective reintegration. He reiterated the necessity of developing clear strategies for communities to address the reintegration issues of defenders.