As a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian population suf-fers unbearable losses, and the country as a whole faces significant direct and indirect economic damages.
The Ukrainian diaspora plays a crucial role in the reconstruction process. Its involvement extends not only to supporting internal efforts for re-building in Ukraine but also to strengthening international relations both in communication with policymakers in the host countries and within society. Representatives of the Ukrainian civil society network worldwide, create new organizations, and professionalize their work. We actively support this development through networking events, including pro-posals for professionalization.
Objectives:
- Cross-border networking of diaspora organizations involved in Ukraine's reconstruction.
- Mapping of diaspora organizations involved in Ukraine's recon-struction.
- Joint development of actions to enhance the diaspora's role in Ukraine's reconstruction.
- Facilitation of the exchange of best practices and experiences among participants to identify and implement effective and sus-tainable reconstruction measures.
- Support for international relations, also focusing on Ukraine's reconstruction (city and regional partnerships, economic coop-eration, NGO cooperation).
- Development of recommendations on how to realize the diaspo-ra's potential for Ukraine's reconstruction.
Target Group:
- Representatives of Ukrainian diaspora organizations in the EU and the UK, involved in or interested in implementing projects for Ukraine's reconstruction and development.
- Representatives of Ukrainian non-governmental organizations dealing with reconstruction and development issues and seeking to establish links with the diaspora.
- Representatives of civil society in Germany involved in recon-struction and seeking to establish links with the other two target groups. (Participation of this group is planned only on the first day)
Format: Two-day conference, 50-70 guests.
Preliminary Program
April 19
3:00 PM Registration
3:30-4:00 PM Introduction and program presentation
4:00-5:00 PM Interactive networking, organization mapping
5:00-5:30 PM Break
5:30-7:00 PM Fish-bowl: "Reconstruction of Ukraine: best practices and the role of the diaspora"
7:00-10:00 PM Networking and cooperation building
April 20
9:00 AM Introduction and program presentation for the day
9:30 AM-12:30 PM Group work and presentation of results:
"What is the potential of the Ukrainian diaspora for Ukraine's reconstruc-tion and how can it be realized?"
"How can the potential be used to ensure sustainable diaspora support for Ukraine's reconstruction?"
12:30-2:00 PM Lunch and networking
2:00-3:30 PM Parallel sessions
1) Cooperation tools at the municipal level and the role of the diaspora
2) Economic connections and the role of the diaspora in attracting in-vestments
3) NGO cooperation and the role of civil society in reconstruction
3:30-4:00 PM Break
4:00-4:30 PM GIZ Program Diaspora und Rückkehr (tbc)
4:30-5:00 PM Program conclusion
Expected Conference Results:
- Analytical sheet: Recommendations on how to realize the dias-pora's potential for Ukraine's reconstruction.
- Organization mapping and overlay on an electronic map with open-source access.
- Network of organizations, expansion of the "Reconstruction and Rebuilding of Ukraine" working group.
Collaboration:
Embassy of Ukraine in Germany (tbc), Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development / Society for International Cooperation, Ber-telsmann Stiftung, German Marshall Fund, University of Warwick, Plat-form Reconstruction Ukraine, SKEW (tbc).
