A series of seven online sessions brought together professionals who work with veterans and their families on a daily basis – representatives of the free legal aid system, legal advisers, specialist support workers for veterans, and local government officials.
The training was held from 31 March to 21 April and covered key topics relating to the support of wounded war veterans, ranging from medical evacuation and treatment to the granting of status, social guarantees and the implementation of veterans’ benefits.
During the webinars, participants discussed:
- the full support process for wounded personnel – from evacuation to reintegration into the hromada
- the role of the Medical Examination Commission and the Expert Commission on the Status of War Veterans
- the procedure for receiving benefits and pension provision
- issues relating to discharge from military service and military registration
- the granting of veteran status
- mechanisms for implementing benefits, in particular housing and land benefits.
Special attention was paid to practical case studies and queries that specialists encounter in their daily work.
In total, over 100 specialists from hromadas took part in the webinars, the majority of whom attended the sessions regularly, thereby forming a sustainable professional community.
According to Denys Chechel, a veteran and Polaris expert on integrating veterans’ perspectives into hromadas activities, demand for such training formats is only growing: “We can see just how high the demand is from hromadas for practical knowledge and clear action plans. Working with wounded veterans is a complex and sensitive process that requires not only empathy but also a professional understanding of all procedures and support options. I would like to thank all participants for their engagement and trust, and the team of the Human Rights Centre for military personnel and veterans ‘Pryncyp’ for their partnership and expertise. Thanks to such formats, together we are strengthening the capacity of hromadas to work systematically and effectively with veterans and the families of Defenders".
A series of webinars was held for the partner hromadas of the Polaris Programme in the field of ‘Integrating the veterans perspectives into hromadas activities’ (Oleksandriya, Novoukrainka, Verkhnodniprovsk, Chervone, Doroshivsk, Kalush and Yampil). Experts from the NGO “Pryncyp” took part in the lectures, including Hanna Karachevska, Olga Goliuk, Yuliia Raketa, Oksana Yavorska, Andrii Tetiurko, Ihor Kosiak, Tetiana Veselska-Hrytsiuk and Ilona Pekar.
These training initiatives organised by the Polaris Programme are part of a systematic effort to support hromadas in developing veteran services and establishing a high-quality support infrastructure for veterans returning to civilian life.
