Resilience through innovation and integration: outcomes of Impact Force Forum 2024

On May 21, the Impact Force Forum 2024 was held in Kyiv, where Ukrainian and international experts discussed practical ways to solve the urgent problems that Ukraine faced due to the war and the creation and use of opportunities to ensure long-term stability, further recovery, and sustainable development.

Rubryka became the event's information partner.

Impact Force Forum 2024 was organized in response to Ukraine's complex challenges due to the ongoing conflict. The forum organizer, NGO Impact Force, created a platform for an integrated approach to the country's recovery and development, recognizing the need to bring together experts from different fields to develop sustainable solutions.

The forum focused heavily on innovation that helps ensure long-term sustainability, highlighting the importance of the latest technologies and practices across sectors. In addition, the critical importance of collaboration between government, the private sector, international partners, and civil society was discussed. This interaction is key to developing effective strategies that promote resilience and recovery.

Special attention was paid at the forum to international support and cooperation, thanks to which knowledge and resources from other countries can enrich local initiatives and contribute to more effective problem-solving.

The speeches during the forum emphasized the importance of maintaining strength and endurance at all levels—from individuals to communities and the state as a whole—as a key to victory and a key element in Ukraine's future recovery.

In five panel discussions with more than 30 leading experts, participants discussed strategies to increase resilience in various sectors, including the economy, energy, food security, mental health, and cyber security.

"One is not possible without the other, so these issues must be approached comprehensively, paying attention and creating effective ecosystems for each aspect of resilience. For example, in the economy, we need to stimulate innovation and support social entrepreneurship, develop and implement strategies for the reintegration of people affected by war, to provide them with skills and resources that will allow them to feel confident in the labor market," said Nina Levchuk, Impact Force co-founder.

The organizers of the forum also did not ignore the issue of mental health during the war, emphasizing the need to create comprehensive, systematic, and accessible support for people and communities.

A holistic approach and creating resilient communities that can withstand and recover from various global threats such as conflict and climate change are essential to ensure resilience, including economic, environmental, and social components. For this, it is necessary to use innovative methods and practices that have proven their effectiveness in successful projects such as the online academy for women "Dream and Achieve," the program of psychological rehabilitation and career development for defenders of ReStart consciousness and the acceleration program for future social entrepreneurs Impact Business. Such projects are an excellent example of a localized and inclusive approach and demonstrate the importance of context-oriented solutions.

"The main leitmotif of the forum was the word 'Together.' It sounded literally in every speech. Together, we repel the enemy. Together, we overcome challenges. Together, we bring peace and victory closer. And together, we will rebuild Ukraine. Therefore, achieving stability is a joint responsibility of the government, the private sector, international partners, and civil society. Only through close cooperation will we be able to ensure a stable future and positive changes," said Impact Force co-founder Olha Dyakova.

As part of the Impact Force forum, the Institute of Economics and Peace signed a Memorandum of Cooperation and joint efforts aimed at strengthening Ukraine's stability and promoting peace initiatives, paving the way for sustainable development and the expansion of social rights and opportunities.

In addition, within the forum, the results of the program "Innovators of Energy Efficiency of Ukraine" were summarized, and 15 finalists presented their projects and developments that will stimulate the systematic introduction of the latest technologies during the country's recovery and can help in the fight against difficult challenges that Ukraine is experiencing in the field of energy now.

Impact Force Forum 2024 has become a powerful catalyst of ideas and cooperation and demonstrated that ensuring Ukraine's long-term stability is a key task. The success of this task will depend on implementing innovations and projects with a significant social impact, for which it is necessary to combine the efforts of the state, business, public sector, and international partners.

Despite all the difficulties associated with the war, Ukraine is already showing the world how

Despite all the difficulties associated with the war, Ukraine is already demonstrating to the world how social entrepreneurship can be used to implement impact projects. Forum participants from other European countries noted Ukraine's experience as a valuable precedent and expressed interest in cooperating with Ukrainian partners, emphasizing the need to strengthen this activity area.

Reference

Impact Force is a Ukrainian non-governmental organization founded and led by women in 2021 that focuses on shaping changes in social behavior and creating lasting social impact, economic opportunities, and initiatives to ensure Ukraine's inclusive and sustainable reconstruction. It sees Ukraine as a successful country-leader in the modern world, strengthened by the strength of Ukrainians and committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Their goal is to create economic opportunities and transformative changes in social behavior for the sake of a sustainable and fair recovery of Ukraine.