Leonid Polishchuk, a member of the NGO Ecomerezha Ukraine, took part in the workshop “Youth for Democracy: Civic Engagement in Times of War.”
In August 2025, a three-day workshop “Youth for Democracy: Civic Engagement in Times of War” was held in Ivano-Frankivsk, bringing together active young people from different regions of Ukraine. The event was organized by the All-Ukrainian Youth NGO European Youth of Ukraine in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Ukraine.
Over the course of three days, participants engaged in a rich program that included three training modules dedicated to different instruments of democracy. Young people discussed the role of civic engagement under martial law, explored how democratic processes function in times of crisis, and worked on practical ideas and solutions to strengthen democracy. Special attention was given to elections, digital tools, peaceful assemblies, and security issues.
Leonid Polishchuk, a member of the NGO Ecological Network Ukraine, took part in the event and shared his impressions:
*“For me, this workshop was a very valuable experience. I gained a lot of useful information about peaceful assemblies, in particular about Equality Marches (KyivPride) and other actions, which are important tools for defending human rights even during wartime. This will help me in my future activities in projects and in protecting the rights of the LGBTIQ+ community.
It is also important that a significant focus of the training was on journalism. After all, quality journalism is another way to influence society, safeguard democratic freedoms, and spread truthful information. All of this inspires me to continue working to make Ukraine more democratic, open, and European.”*
Why This Is Relevant
In times of war, democratic institutions face numerous challenges, and civil society must adapt to new realities. This makes the engagement of young people in discussing and implementing democratic tools especially important. The workshop provided a platform for exchanging experiences, developing new ideas, and fostering an active community of young leaders ready to defend freedom and human rights in Ukraine.
