NOVACT and the Barcelona City Council promote a training in Kyiv to strengthen democratic governance in times of war
A Barcelona delegation travels to Ukraine to share citizen participation tools and reinforce institutional cooperation
NOVACT, within the framework of the project funded by the Barcelona City Council “Local democratic governance initiative for a social, resilient and non-violent recovery in Kyiv,” travelled to Ukraine accompanied by a municipal delegation with the main objective of strengthening institutional and technical alliances between both city councils, as well as between NOVACT and its local and international partners. The mission also served to carry out a training activity and assess the implementation of the project.
The visit took place in early October 2025 and included five days of training under the title “Improving democratic governance in times of war: citizen participation and social recovery”.
Training and exchange in a context of war
The training, co-organised with the Kyiv City Administration, brought together local authorities, civil society organisations and academics from Ukraine and Catalonia. Throughout the sessions, participants shared insights, tools and experiences on how local governance can contribute to community resilience in contexts of extreme pressure and instability.
Dialogue with Ukrainian civil society
The delegation also held meetings with key Ukrainian civil society organisations. Discussions highlighted the essential role these organisations play in supporting veterans, documenting war crimes and promoting local democratic reconstruction. Despite adverse conditions, Kyiv’s civil society maintains a strong capacity for analysis and proposal, with women and young people increasingly emerging as key actors of social transformation.
A key point was the need to strengthen mutual trust between institutions and citizens, and to improve mechanisms of two-way communication and institutional feedback.
Institutional challenges and citizen participation
One of the most significant working spaces was a panel involving representatives from the Kyiv City Administration, civil society organisations, journalists and academics from the Centre for United Actions and the Kyiv School of Economics, as well as representatives from UAMES and Factor Bureau, active partners in the project. The session made it possible to analyse the effects of decentralisation reform, current challenges in local governance and community demands in the midst of war.
The debate confirmed the strong interest of Ukrainian institutions and actors in learning from Barcelona’s experience in citizen participation, social inclusion and the management of local public services.
This training activity forms part of a broader cooperation project led by NOVACT to strengthen civil resistance by empowering community leaders to face crises and emerging challenges through local governance and conflict transformation.
