From Local Initiatives to Systemic Change: Municipalities of the Lviv Agglomeration Shape a Joint Veteran Policy

On July 10, the “Strilnytsia” Municipal Veteran Space hosted the first strategic session dedicated to shaping a joint veteran policy for the Lviv Agglomeration.

The event brought together representatives from all 13 municipalities of the Lviv Agglomeration, experts in rehabilitation, social reintegration, mental health, employment, and the non-profit sector, as well as veterans, their family members, and families of fallen Defenders of Ukraine.

This diverse range of participants became the primary strength of the strategic session. Alongside professional expertise, individuals with personal experience of the war were actively engaged in the discussions, combining the practical perspective of local communities with the real needs of veterans and their families. This format fostered an environment for open dialogue, mutual learning, and collaborative problem-solving.

Keynote presentations by leading experts laid a strong foundation for the discussions. Speakers addressing the participants included:

• Andriy Zholob, Deputy Mayor of Lviv;
• Oleksandr Kobzarev, Executive Director of the UNBROKEN Foundation;
• Olena-Kvitoslava Yatskiv, Head of the Social Reintegration Department at the Superhumans Center;
• Oleh Fitkalo, Psychiatrist;
• Roksolyana Shmilo, Founder of the Roxy Charity Foundation;
• Volodymyr Rudkovskyi, Mentor and UNBROKEN Ambassador;
• Andriy Chudan, Chief of Staff of the Lviv Oblast Veteran Corps;
• Yuliya Hordiychuk, Acting Director of the Lviv Center for Services to Combat Participants;
• Oleksandra Makhlin, Local Capacity Manager for the Reskilling Ukraine Program;
• Viktoriya Petrova, Head of the Psychological Support Department of the “Moye Kolo” Project.

The first segment of the strategic session focused on an open discussion regarding the current challenges municipalities face in developing veteran policies. Participants addressed service accessibility, psychological support, rehabilitation, employment, inter-institutional cooperation, and varying levels of municipal capacity.

The interactive workshop segment utilized facilitated break-out groups and the World Café methodology. Working together, participants identified core issues, explored potential solutions, and developed mechanisms for inter-municipal cooperation. The sessions resulted in actionable proposals that will serve as the foundation for creating Ukraine’s first inter-municipal model for veteran policy.

“The scale of challenges related to supporting veterans and their families requires systemic cooperation among municipalities rather than isolated local solutions. By reinforcing one another, we can transition from single initiatives to sustainable systemic change that operates independently of any individual community’s resources. During the strategic session, we openly discussed legislative, financial, and organizational barriers, while identifying significant potential for joint work. The next step will be forming an inter-municipal working group to coordinate the development of shared solutions, monitor emerging issues, and implement unified approaches to veteran policy across the entire Lviv Agglomeration,” noted Dmytro Iliin, Project Manager for Veteran Policy at the Lviv Agglomeration Association.

Developing a unified veteran policy has been designated as a priority focus area for the Lviv Agglomeration Association. Combining municipal efforts will ensure more equitable access to quality services for veterans and their families, enable more efficient resource utilization, promote the sharing of best practices, and facilitate joint efforts to attract international support.

This strategic session marks the initial step toward creating a structured model of inter-municipal cooperation in veteran policy, which can serve as a benchmark for other agglomerations and regions throughout Ukraine.

Стратегічну сесію проведено в межах проєкту «Посилення багаторівневого врядування та місцевої демократії для підтримки відновлення України», що реалізується Центром експертизи багаторівневого врядування при Конгресі місцевих та регіональних влад Ради Європи в рамках Плану дій Ради Європи для України «Стійкість, відновлення та відбудова» на 2023–2026.