Lessons in Resilience from Ukraine

26/ 06/ 2026

Listen to online Stop   Photos: EBRD, Finanšu ministrija President of East Europe Foundation Victor Liakh participated in the panel “From volatility to resilience: civil society as a catalyst for impact” during the Annual Meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), held in Riga. The event brought together more than two thousand participants from 60 countries, including representatives of the public sector, business, and civil society. The discussion focused on the role civil society plays in times of crisis and instability, as well as on the broader systemic lessons for the region and the world that can be drawn from Ukraine’s experience. Innovation as a Response to Challenges Viktor Liakh placed particular emphasis on the topic of innovation. He noted that the current war is the most innovative war in history. In response, Ukraine is also generating innovations — on the battlefield, in public administration, in digital services, and in humanitarian response.  Civil society is one of the key drivers of this capacity.In particular, in 2024 Ukraine ranked first in the world for e-participation and fifth for online services in the UN E-Government Development Index. This is a telling result: even amid shelling, blackouts, and constant pressure, the country continues to create world-class solutions. Photos: EBRD, Finanšu ministrija During the panel, Viktor shared several examples of digital solutions addressing people’s practical needs in times of crisis. One of them was Diia.Education, a learning and reskilling platform that combines tests, AI tools, online courses, and opportunities to explore new professional pathways — especially relevant at a time when millions of people have been displaced and are trying to rebuild their lives in new circumstances. In Times of Crisis, It Is Important to Rely on Your Strengths Another key point of the speech was that during major crises, organizations should focus on what they do best. For East Europe Foundation, this meant continuing to design and launch digital solutions, working through partnerships, building networks, and implementing projects of varying complexity in areas where the Foundation’s expertise could be most useful.This approach — relying on one’s strengths and scaling the ability to be useful — has been characteristic of many Ukrainian organizations and initiatives since February 24, 2022. From Watchdog to a Full-Fledged State Partner A separate part of the speech addressed the changing role of civil society in Ukraine. Previously, the civic sector was often perceived either as a watchdog — criticizing and monitoring the authorities, demanding accountability — or as a sector addressing specific problems where the state was unable to respond quickly or effectively enough. Today, however, this role is much broader. Viktor Liakh stressed that the Ukrainian civic sector is increasingly becoming a full-fledged partner of the state and, in many cases, a professional driving force behind systemic reforms. At the same time, the function of oversight, transparency, and demanding accountability has not disappeared — on the contrary, it remains critically important to ensure that changes are not only fast, but also high-quality and sustainable. The Strength of Local Organizations and Partnership Networks Another important conclusion concerns the localization of aid and the role of networks. Local organizations understand the context better than anyone else, recognize people’s needs, and can respond much more quickly. This is why the development of partnerships, support for local initiatives, networking, and access to resources at the local level are among the key factors of resilience. Viktor also emphasized that, going forward, it will be especially important to strengthen opportunities for learning, institutional development, and experience-sharing not only at the national level, but also at the local, regional, and international levels. Ukraine’s Experience Must Be Heard at the Strategic Level Importantly, Ukraine’s experience is now being heard at the strategic level. East Europe Foundation’s participation in the EBRD Civil Society Steering Committee provides an opportunity to speak not only about individual projects, but also about the rules of the game: policies, consultations, transparency standards, and mechanisms for ensuring civil society participation. It is essential that the experience of a country that is simultaneously fighting a war, rebuilding, and continuing reforms is heard precisely in these spaces. Panel Recording You can watch the recording of the panel “From Turbulence to Resilience: Civil Society as a Driver of Change” via the link.

Photos: EBRD, Finanšu ministrija

President of East Europe Foundation Victor Liakh participated in the panel “From volatility to resilience: civil society as a catalyst for impact” during the Annual Meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), held in Riga. The event brought together more than two thousand participants from 60 countries, including representatives of the public sector, business, and civil society.

The discussion focused on the role civil society plays in times of crisis and instability, as well as on the broader systemic lessons for the region and the world that can be drawn from Ukraine’s experience.

Innovation as a Response to Challenges

Viktor Liakh placed particular emphasis on the topic of innovation. He noted that the current war is the most innovative war in history. In response, Ukraine is also generating innovations — on the battlefield, in public administration, in digital services, and in humanitarian response. 

Civil society is one of the key drivers of this capacity.In particular, in 2024 Ukraine ranked first in the world for e-participation and fifth for online services in the UN E-Government Development Index. This is a telling result: even amid shelling, blackouts, and constant pressure, the country continues to create world-class solutions.

Photos: EBRD, Finanšu ministrija

During the panel, Viktor shared several examples of digital solutions addressing people’s practical needs in times of crisis. One of them was Diia.Education, a learning and reskilling platform that combines tests, AI tools, online courses, and opportunities to explore new professional pathways — especially relevant at a time when millions of people have been displaced and are trying to rebuild their lives in new circumstances.

In Times of Crisis, It Is Important to Rely on Your Strengths

Another key point of the speech was that during major crises, organizations should focus on what they do best. For East Europe Foundation, this meant continuing to design and launch digital solutions, working through partnerships, building networks, and implementing projects of varying complexity in areas where the Foundation’s expertise could be most useful.This approach — relying on one’s strengths and scaling the ability to be useful — has been characteristic of many Ukrainian organizations and initiatives since February 24, 2022.

From Watchdog to a Full-Fledged State Partner

A separate part of the speech addressed the changing role of civil society in Ukraine. Previously, the civic sector was often perceived either as a watchdog — criticizing and monitoring the authorities, demanding accountability — or as a sector addressing specific problems where the state was unable to respond quickly or effectively enough. Today, however, this role is much broader.

Viktor Liakh stressed that the Ukrainian civic sector is increasingly becoming a full-fledged partner of the state and, in many cases, a professional driving force behind systemic reforms. At the same time, the function of oversight, transparency, and demanding accountability has not disappeared — on the contrary, it remains critically important to ensure that changes are not only fast, but also high-quality and sustainable.

The Strength of Local Organizations and Partnership Networks

Another important conclusion concerns the localization of aid and the role of networks. Local organizations understand the context better than anyone else, recognize people’s needs, and can respond much more quickly. This is why the development of partnerships, support for local initiatives, networking, and access to resources at the local level are among the key factors of resilience. Viktor also emphasized that, going forward, it will be especially important to strengthen opportunities for learning, institutional development, and experience-sharing not only at the national level, but also at the local, regional, and international levels.

Ukraine’s Experience Must Be Heard at the Strategic Level

Importantly, Ukraine’s experience is now being heard at the strategic level. East Europe Foundation’s participation in the EBRD Civil Society Steering Committee provides an opportunity to speak not only about individual projects, but also about the rules of the game: policies, consultations, transparency standards, and mechanisms for ensuring civil society participation. It is essential that the experience of a country that is simultaneously fighting a war, rebuilding, and continuing reforms is heard precisely in these spaces.

Panel Recording

You can watch the recording of the panel “From Turbulence to Resilience: Civil Society as a Driver of Change” via the link.