Ukraine’s youth – a hidden asset in the country’s civilisational choice for Europe?

Ukraine’s path to the European Union is often associated with high-level (geo)politics or protracted and technocratic reforms. As a result, attention tends to focus primarily on political leaders and legislators. However, European integration is more than just the extension of the EU’s territory and EU law to new Member States. It also means growing together on the basis of shared values.

Ukrainian young people are making an important, yet little-noticed, contribution to Ukraine’s European integration. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, more young people than ever before have been volunteering to support their country through a wide range of initiatives. In doing so, they are not only working towards their immediate goals, such as the reconstruction of Ukraine or social cohesion; they are also promoting European values such as human dignity and democracy. They are helping to strengthen trust among Ukrainians and between citizens and the state. In their cooperation with (local) authorities, they are calling on the administration to modernise decision-making processes whilst supporting it in implementing reforms. By building bridges across borders, they are connecting their towns and regions with European partners. Through their daily commitment, they are acquiring knowledge and experience that will make them the European-oriented future leaders of Ukraine.

With this event, we want to highlight the hidden potential of Ukrainian youth for the country’s European integration. Representatives of Ukrainian youth volunteer organisations based in Mykolaiv will speak about their work, the obstacles and challenges they face, and the support they require. The panel participants, among others Ivanka Popović, Vice-President of the European University Association, will discuss how stakeholders from both the public and private sectors can support Ukrainian young people in their endeavours and, by extension, Ukraine’s European future.