Participants of the regional meeting in Ternopil on 15 August explored how to make hromadas places of strength and support for those returning from the war, within the framework of implementing modern veteran policy, under the initiative of the Swedish-Ukrainian Polaris programme in cooperation with the Ternopil Regional State Administration (RSA).
Ternopil became a platform for open dialogue about the needs of veterans and their families, as well as for jointly identifying practical solutions that hromadas can implement today. Supporting defenders is a core value of the Polaris programme. The regional meeting in Ternopil continued the pilot cooperation with hromadas in Kirovohrad and Ternopil oblasts, which began in July with a meeting in Kropyvnytskyi.
The event aimed not only to present Polaris’s approaches to integrating veterans’ perspectives into municipal activities but also to create a space for dialogue, experience sharing, identifying challenges, and joint learning. Special attention was paid to small and medium hromadas seeking to strengthen their capacities and respond quickly to veterans’ needs.
Dialogue and Shared Responsibility
The hybrid meeting, held both offline and online, brought together over 75 participants, including representatives of the Ternopil RSA, the veteran policy sector, heads and deputies of territorial hromadas, advisers, authorized officials, veteran support specialists, and staff from Administrative Services Centres (ASC) and employment centres.
“For us, the meeting with the Polaris team, their experience, and expertise are extremely valuable because we aim to find concrete solutions and effective tools to implement veteran policy in the region. Responsibility for creating spaces for veterans primarily lies with hromadas, as they are the first to welcome defenders after their return from the front,” emphasized Pavlo Zhurba, Deputy Head of the Ternopil RSA.
International Approaches and Ukrainian Context
The event was moderated by Denys Chechel, an expert on integrating veterans’ perspectives into hromada activities for the Polaris programme. He presented the programme’s areas of work and stressed the importance of a systemic approach:
“It doesn’t matter what we decide or discuss here in offices or meeting rooms about veterans. What matters is what they say. Veteran policy cannot be just a set of services – it is about trust, joint planning, and creating spaces where veterans feel needed and heard. Hromadas must learn to work with veterans, not just for them,” highlighted Denys Chechel.
Following the presentation, the expert conducted an interactive survey that allowed participants to see a “live map” of veterans’ needs, key challenges, and gaps in regional policy.
From Dialogue to Practice
During the discussion panel, participants together with Alla Kovalchuk, expert in administrative services for the Polaris programme, discussed which tools are already working and which require improvement. The open atmosphere facilitated the exchange of experience and even personal success stories.
Tetiana Duda, Head of the Department of Veteran Policy of the Ternopil RSA, noted that the region already has eight veteran spaces serving veterans, their families, and families of fallen defenders. She shared results of the veteran policy work: “The veteran support service is what will work and serve as a resource for all services needed by veterans and their families.”
Alla Dihtyarova, veteran support specialist from Trybukhiv hromada, shared her experience managing the “Cave of Giants” space and highlighted the importance of adaptive sports projects in rural hromadas: “Such initiatives help veterans regain strength, boost morale, and feel a sense of community.”
“The Employment Service has a range of programmes that help veterans return to civilian life. Over the years of war, about 1,400 veterans approached us – they retrained, received career guidance, underwent training, and successfully found employment. Additionally, thanks to a grant programme, 89 veterans and their family members started their own businesses,” said Oleksandra Ostrovska, Deputy Director of the Ternopil Regional Employment Centre.
Practical Solutions and Learning
In the second part of the event, Illya Lanovyi, coordinator of the mobile office of the NGO Veteran Hub, presented best practices for filling veteran spaces with meaningful content.
The closing highlight was a workshop in the format of an interactive role-playing game “Veteran Policy.” Participants were divided into target groups, each representing a hypothetical hromada, using examples from Kirovohrad hromadas. The teams’ task was to develop a comprehensive programme for implementing veteran policy in their territory.
During the workshop, participants analyzed the needs of veterans and their families, discussed the capacities of the hromada, and identified priority areas of support. Special attention was given to creating and developing infrastructure capable of providing effective rehabilitation and reintegration – from veteran spaces for meetings and support to inclusive employment centres or multi-profile rehabilitation centres.
This format combined practical skills development with a creative approach: participants not only generated ideas but also considered mechanisms for implementation, explored funding options, and ways to engage the hromada. Each group presented its vision of a systemic veteran policy that could serve as a real foundation for developing services in hromadas.
Participants agreed that veteran policy should be systemic, cross-sectoral, and closely aligned with people’s real needs.
Such meetings serve not only as a platform for experience exchange but also as a source of practical tools and inspiration. They help hromadas move from discussion to action, implement the best ideas in their programmes and projects, and create new opportunities today for veterans and their families.
