On April 29th, 2025, a significant international dialogue took place during the webinar/workshop “Connecting and Healing: Veterans, Family and Community Integration in Ukraine.” The online event drew close to 200 participants from around the world, uniting experts and concerned individuals to explore and share crucial insights into the psychosocial well-being of Ukrainian veterans, their families, and the communities that support them. This collaborative effort marked an important initial step towards developing effective and sustainable support systems for those affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Ways for support
The core focus of the webinar was to explore practical ways for support, addressing importan areas such as funding opportunities, and stronger community connections. Panellist and participants engaged in thoughtful dialogue aimed at developing effective solutions that will genuinely reach those in need across Ukraine. Key reflections shared during the event emphasised the importance of proactive support for veterans and their families during this critical time. Furthermore, the vital role of well-being and mental health support in facilitating reintegration and shaping a positive future for Ukrainians was highlighted.
This session aimed to provide a platform for learning and networking among professionals working with psychosocial support for veterans, active military personnel, prisoners of war, fallen soldiers, and their families and communities. The presentations showcased a range of existing initiatives and highlighted the importance of continued collaboration.
A key complementary initiative is the Delphi study, designed to identify both known and unknown gaps in psychosocial support. All relevant professionals are invited to participate via the link provided on the University of Oslo event page.
Based on today’s insights and the Delphi findings, the organising team plans to host follow-up webinars focused on skill-building, research, mutual learning, and planning collaborative projects. Topics introduced today, such as community engagement, will also be further explored. This work represents an ongoing and shared European effort.
With continued collaboration and dedication, there is a strong hope for a brighter and more peaceful future for Ukraine.
You can find the entire webinar on video here.
Sincere gratitude is extended to all the dedicated individuals and organisations whose collective effort and invaluable contributions were truly essential in making this significant and successful initiative possible. These include:
• Nora Sveaass, Mental Health and Human Rights Info Oslo
• Beate Seibt, University of Oslo and Solidarity Hub
• Les Simm, IFOUND, International Forum for Understanding Cambridge
• Yuriy Usovich and Wika Solonicyna, AHALAR Centre
• Iryna Hubeladze and Anna Gromova, Institute for Social and Political Psychology ISPP
• Olga Horbanyova, Coordination Center for Mental Health of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
• Natalia Umerenkova, NGO “Women’s Power of Ukraine”, ISPP
• Olha Kukharuk, Aspichi, ISPP
• Lieutenant Colonel Arnstein Hestnes, Norwegian Armed Forces Veterans Centre
• Viktoria Gorbunova, University of Luxembourg
• Lesía Bondarenko, Experience Center for Mental Health and Rehabilitation of Veterans ‘Lisova Polyana’ of the Ministry of Health
• Oleksandr Tkachenko, TSNUK Veteran Development Center
• Anastasiia Yermolenko, European Anti-Corruption Initiative in Ukraine EUACI
• Serhiy Burov, Educational Human Rights House Chernihiv EHRH-Chernihiv
• Michael Baskin, The Resilience Group
A heartfelt thank you to the working group who made this initiative possible.
We are deeply grateful for all the collaborating partners and for their valuable contributions, commitment, and spirit of cooperation:
• Yuriy Usovich, Yuriy Trofimenko, and Wika Solonicyna and AHALAR Chernihiv
• Les Simm and the International Forum for Understanding (IFOUND), Cambridge
• Beate Seibt and Helen Suizu Norheim from the Solidarity Hub, University of Oslo
• Iryna Hubeladze and Anna Gromova from the Institute for Social and Political Psychology (ISPP), National Academy of Educational Sciences, Ukraine
• Elisabeth Langdal and Nora Sveaass from Mental Health and Human Rights Info (MHHRI), Oslo
This working group has truly exemplified what international collaboration can look like in practice, bringing together experience, perspectives, and a shared commitment to human rights and psychosocial support in times of crisis. We look forward to continued cooperation and the positive impact it will bring.