Ukrainian youth wants to have more active influence on their country’s reconstruction – study

International organization "Plan International," which is engaged in children's and youth rights protection and education and has been working in Ukraine since August 2022, conducted a survey involving 200 young Ukrainian citizens. They also invited other active youth, government representatives, and international organizations to participate in a discussion.

Among the proposed solutions for improving youth influence are developing student self-governance and collaboration with universities and local communities and simplifying interaction with officials, Rubryka, who attended the discussion, reports.

What is the problem?

Youth affected by the war against Ukraine aspires to actively participate in rebuilding and reviving their country, bringing new ideas and innovative thinking, and taking responsibility for Ukraine's future.

This finding was revealed by the research and confirmed by participants in the event organized by the organization Plan International Ukraine.

"Youth are active agents of change, and we must help give them a voice so they can influence their lives and future," said the director of "Plan International Ukraine," Iveta Ouvry.

Representatives of the organization consulted with hundreds of young Ukrainian citizens in Ukraine and abroad.

"We receive a very clear signal from young Ukrainians that they want and expect to participate in the reconstruction of their country. One of them said, 'Despite our age, we have a lot to say.' It's essential to hear them," Iveta Ouvry emphasized.

However, youth currently do not consider themselves visible or feel motivated enough.

What is the solution?

The director of Plan International Ukraine, Iveta Ouvry, explained that the organization collaborates with Ukrainian partners to provide integrated humanitarian assistance in child protection, education, mental health, gender-based violence prevention, and sexual and reproductive health programs.

Moreover, supporting youth activity is crucial for "Plan International Ukraine," so they organized an open discussion on youth priorities for Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction.

How does it work?

"It is extremely important for all of Ukraine's youth to have formal and informal opportunities to influence their own future and participate in all initiatives related to reconstruction, recovery, and decision-making processes at the local, regional, national, and international levels," said Iveta Ouvry.

Strengthening student self-governance

Roman Hryshchuk, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, and a member of the Committee on Education, Science, and Innovation, pointed out that the current main concern is safety. He suggested that the focus should possibly shift from sheltering schools to having schools as shelters.

In this context, an activist from the youth organization "Seeing with the Heart," Lina Deshvar, who works with people with disabilities, highlighted the complete inadequacy of Ukrainian shelters for use by people with disabilities. She also stressed the need for genuine, not formal, inclusion of people with disabilities in the dialogue about reconstruction.

Regarding strengthening the voice of youth, Roman Hryshchuk said it should start with universities:

"Strong student self-governance is crucial, where you and your voice are heard where you are directly present."

He also urged young people to be active in areas where they have expertise, such as the state of Ukrainian education and the conditions of educational institutions. Ukrainian youth who have been abroad can offer their perspectives and solutions to these issues.

"It is important to ensure that young people not only influence decision-making but also become decision-makers themselves through volunteerism, which should be cultivated in them from childhood. This can only be achieved through education. We need to teach them to be proactive and active, which is our top priority when rebuilding our country," Hryshchuk added.

He has introduced a bill to the Verkhovna Rada to support the development of volunteerism and recognize the results of volunteer activities of educational process participants (Bill №10026).

Cultivating long-term resilience

Daryna Ivchenko, a project assistant at the "Girls" organization and a National University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy graduate," emphasized the need to cultivate long-term resilience among Ukrainians and youth in particular. To achieve this, citizens need comprehensive psychoemotional and psychosocial support. While steps are being taken in this direction, they must be strengthened.

"As a person who works a lot with the community, I see how the war has affected young people at all levels, especially those living in rural areas, who do not always have the opportunity to come together and discuss how they can all contribute to the recovery and reconstruction of the country. I would call on everyone making decisions to run informational campaigns specifically in rural areas," said Daryna Ivchenko.

The importance of widely informing youth about available opportunities, movements, volunteer initiatives, and youth organizations was also highlighted by Anastasiia Bereznets, a student at Taras Shevchenko National University.

Bridging the gap between officials and youth

Lesia Karnaukh, Deputy Head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, highlighted that officials should make all governance as straightforward as possible to shorten the path from idea to result. Solid bridges need to be established between officials and young people.

"Excessive bureaucratization often forces young people to give up when they want to be involved in certain processes, often preventing the government from hearing the voices of youth," Karnaukh said.

She also stressed the importance of the educational component. "Everyone should love the education system," the official noted.

Lilia Shkyra, Head of the Department of Regional Youth Policy and Support for Youth Initiatives at the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, spoke about the National Program for Youth Involvement in Ukraine's Recovery, "VidNOVA: UA."

Notably, none of the young people at the event had heard of this program. It involves youth exchanges with participation in the reconstruction in various regions.

Sven Coppens, Director of Plan International Ukraine Crisis Response, emphasized:

"The government needs to implement regular and localized participation processes available to different youth groups, including young people with disabilities, and remain open to both internally displaced and non-displaced young people. Equally important is for international organizations and donors to actively support these efforts."

As of September 1, 2023, according to the Kyiv School of Economics, the total amount of infrastructure damage caused to Ukraine by the Russian invasion is $151.2 billion. Also, over 670,000 tons of debris from destruction have been generated since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.