This year the World Bank estimated that Ukraine will need approximately $486 billion to rebuild as a result of russian aggression. These costs will only grow, but the heaviest losses Ukraine is constantly suffering are its people. Human losses cannot be restored. Against this backdrop, questions arise: how to maintain resilience during war? How do we reconcile the need to carry out point reconstruction now with preparation of resources, plans and tools for the larger recovery to come?
We spoke to Inna Pidluska, Deputy Executive Director of the International Renaissance Foundation, about the Foundation’s vision of recovery and why its planning should not be put off until after the war.
Why is it important?
The words ‘recovery’ and ‘reconstruction’ are often used interchangeably. For the International Renaissance Foundation, however, these terms have different meanings and colours. They are separate but related processes.
“We can say that reconstruction is more about infrastructure, about walls, rooms, everything that is physical, while recovery is a broader concept.” – says Inna Pidluska.
Recovery is not just about infrastructure, but about whole systems of institutions, processes, services and the linkages between them. Recovery has interrelated and complex dimensions – infrastructural, economic, social and environmental recovery. The International Renaissance Foundation, as part of civil society, focuses primarily on those parts of reconstruction where civil society can play an important and sometimes leading role.
“Recovery is one of our strategic priorities. And it will definitely remain one for years to come. ” says Inna. “The International Renaissance Foundation aims to make the recovery human-centred. This means creating an environment that maximizes the growth, development and realization of the potential of Ukrainian citizens. It also means improving the quality of and access to education, creating opportunities for professional development, and ensuring freedom of ideas and entrepreneurship. All of this will contribute to a more open Ukrainian society.”
“People are the main driving force behind the recovery and its purpose. After all, we are rebuilding the country for people,” says Inna Pidluska. According to her, a human-centred reconstruction will help to strengthen society and involve as many citizens as possible in the process. Creating an enabling environment for all citizens also means creating an inclusive society that takes into account the needs and abilities of different groups.
To ensure that this approach becomes the norm, the Foundation works actively both at the level of government policy and at the level of communities.
On the eve of the Berlin Conference on Recovery, the International Renaissance Foundation, together with civil society experts, developed a Civil Society Vision for Recovery, which promotes a human-centred approach to planning future recovery and the reforms necessary for Ukraine’s further European integration.
In this document, based on expert discussions, the Foundation emphasises the importance of security, inclusion, social cohesion and economic well-being as key elements of the country’s resilience and development. Particular attention is paid to supporting people from war-affected communities and veterans, and to preparing Ukraine for accession to the European Union.
At the community level, the International Renaissance Foundation supports reconstruction projects, ensuring a people-centred approach through the involvement of local practitioners, experts and academics. Through a pilot project launched in collaboration with the Alliance of Ukrainian Universities, the Foundation is promoting the unification of efforts between universities and local communities for effective recovery in Ukraine. This initiative enables communities to undertake a comprehensive assessment of their needs and, together with academics, to develop pilot development projects that build the capacity of local professionals and ensure sustainable and inclusive recovery.
Recovery and protection of environment
Human-centeredness implies respect for nature, creation of a safe environment and conditions for sustainable development and growth. After all, creating comfortable living conditions for Ukrainians is one of the components of the human-centered approach.
Inns Pidluska said that understanding the value of a safe was one of the positive “trends” that had caught the attention of Ukrainians since the start of the full-scale war. Now we all see the effects of climate change and realize that people are part of the ecosystem and that the environment is important for their health and well-being. So changes are taking place in society. We are consciously changing our habits, such as sorting waste, and choosing environmentally friendly products and services. There is a demand from civil society for green recovery because it is necessary for both people and the environment.
The International Renaissance Foundation is actively working in this area, supporting special studies on the state of the environment in Ukraine during the war, the implementation of environmental policies at the community level, etc. For example, the NGO “Save Dnipro” conducted a study that revealed the significant impact of a full-scale war on air quality in Ukraine.
This project, supported by the International Renaissance Foundation, showed that due to military operations, including attacks on industrial facilities, the air is saturated with dangerous substances such as nitric oxide, benzopyrene and formaldehyde, which causes serious illnesses. The authors promote the need to modernize industrial facilities in accordance with European environmental standards for the country’s future recovery.
The Foundation is actively raising the issue of green reconstruction on international platforms. For example, at the Foundation-supported side event of the International Conference on Ukraine’s Recovery in Berlin, participants discussed the urgency of ensuring environmentally sound approaches to recovery planning and implementation, and the need to rapidly attract investment to rebuild Ukraine, particularly in the energy sector. They emphasized the importance of support from international partners and the rapid implementation of projects and technologies that will contribute to the country’s sustainability and further economic growth.
One of the International Renaissance Foundation’s recent contests was dedicated to introducing a “green” component into the reconstruction of territorial communities, focusing on environmental needs, environmental safety, sustainable development and taking into account the interests of residents. Priorities included integrating environmental principles into recovery strategies, analyzing legislation, developing environmental projects and informing the public about the results.
Recovery and resilience
Speaking about recovery, Inna mentions resilience time and time again. According to her, in order to recover and move to a new level of development, communities and organizations involved in recovery have to become resilient and capable.
In this context, resilience is not just the ability to withstand difficulties, but also the ability to actively recover and move forward. It is the ability to accumulate resources and use opportunities, to move from survival to growth.
As Inna notes, being resilient means understanding how to allocate available resources to meet urgent needs, how to prioritize and organize work to take into account the interests of as many people as possible.
“Resilience can be measured by the number of people who, despite the war, see their present and future in Ukraine. It also can be measured by the number of entrepreneurial initiatives that still invest in development, that maintain a certain level of production, creativity and innovation,” she notes.
At the same time, sustainability is not something static. It is determined by the needs of society, our capacity and self-reliance, and changes along with society. Therefore, resilience is something that needs constant support. Support of resilience will enable “better than before” recovery.Sustaining and building resilience is the basis of the Foundation’s Resilience Vision study, in which experts in key areas of recovery and reform have formulated proposals to ensure the resilience of Ukrainian communities, focusing on a people-centered approach. The strategic directions outlined in the document include recommendations for the government, communities and international partners to implement practices that put people, their needs, skills and potential at the center of recovery and reconstruction processes. An important component is to ensure coordination and effective communication between all stakeholders, which will contribute to the efficient use of resources and increase the long-term resilience of Ukrainian communities.
Resilience Lab
The Foundation’s new two-year initiative, the Resilience Lab, is also dedicated to developing the resilience of NGOs and local communities. The project, launched in partnership with the international Protestant development and aid agency Brot für die Welt, aims to strengthen the resilience of Ukrainian communities by supporting local civil society organizations. The initiative envisages a comprehensive approach, including financial support, experience exchange, training and mentoring. It aims to enable the Lab participants to become centers of change in their communities by developing strategic plans to strengthen resilience and provide people with the necessary resources for development and security.
This project will help civil society organizations to move from an immediate response to a more systematic way of working with the needs of their communities. At the same time, the Lab will allow each organization to find the solutions it needs. We see the Lab as a space for experimentation and exploration, where there is no single answer. We want to give every civil society organization the opportunity to work with the challenges that exist in their community and to find their own solutions.
To support organizations in this search, we will organize networking and sharing of experiences, peer-to-peer training and events where activists can find new partners and opportunities for collaboration. In this way, as part of the Resilience Lab, we will be able to explore and see which tools are more effective in building resilience at the example of individual organizations and communities, and scale up these practices to the rest of the project participants.
“We would like to see our joint effort multiplying resilience.If communities and municipalities become more resilient, it will create more opportunities for holistic and integrated recovery,” adds Inna Pidluska.
The aim of the Lab, like many of the Foundation’s projects, is to provide civil society organizations with the tools they need to bring about positive change. “The Lab is not really a dozen or so separate organizations,” says Inna. “It’s important for us to see how they interact with each other and share what they do better than other organizations in their niche”.
Over its 34 years of operation, the Foundation and its grantees have developed many effective tools to help us maintain institutional sustainability, which we will be able to share with the organizations participating in the programme. These include approaches and techniques for developing human resources, implementing good governance policies, financial stability, networking and partnerships, etc.
Our aim is to help organizations grow, become stronger and make a real difference in their communities. “Many organizations work with us for the first time when they are still initiative groups that need a push and resources. The Foundation often becomes that first resource,” explains Inna Pidluska. “After our cooperation, we often see how such an organization builds up its team and internal policies, and is then able to work with other donors on larger projects. This is a typical example for us, and there are probably hundreds of such examples.”The most ambitious examples are the Think Tank Development Initiative and the Environmental Policy and Advocacy Initiative, which we launched with support from Sweden.
These multi-year projects have helped to develop and strengthen a number of successful and capable civil society organizations that produce high quality independent analysis or promote green reforms and environmental protection. During their implementation, the participating organizations increased their expert potential, improved their management and operational processes, and intensified their interaction with other stakeholders.
What lies ahead?
Inna believes that the planning and implementation of recovery cannot be put off until after the war: “If we postpone reconstruction, we will not do it in the true sense of the word. It is not just about rebuilding infrastructure or making sure the economy works. It is about ensuring that people do not burn out to the point where they simply give up and go abroad to realize their potential.”
It is therefore important to build resilience and begin to rebuild human capital, social ties, foster social cohesion, develop spaces for interaction and opportunities for entrepreneurship, education and personal development. This is necessary for our society to develop and move forward, even during war. If we do not start a human-centred recovery now, the difficulties will only accumulate after the war and it will be much harder to start the recovery.
In addition, says Inna Pidluska, human-centered recovery is a large and complex project that requires sustainability at the level of communities, cities and the country as a whole. This requires a unified plan, a joint effort by the government, local authorities, Ukrainian communities, entrepreneurs and international partners. It is therefore necessary to create projects that will help restore and build resilience at the level of individual communities. They will become a kind of training ground, helping us to understand which solutions are most effective. Later, lessons can be learned and successful solutions scaled up at the national level.
“Recovery is the most ambitious project, worth a lot of effort and resources,” says Inna. “This is a project that will help us maximize the potential of Ukrainian society, especially because we understand that we have no alternative but to win, to recover, to move forward and to join the European Union. And working on this in a long-term, systematic and inclusive way, involving as many people as possible, is a very important task for us”.