NOVACT opens an office in Kyiv to strengthen its work with Ukrainian civil society
The new office in Kyiv strengthens NOVACT’s work with social organisations, youth initiatives and civil society actors who continue to sustain democratic life in Ukraine amid Russia’s full-scale invasion.
In early 2026, NOVACT established an office in Kyiv to consolidate and expand its work with civil society organisations, youth initiatives and actors committed to human rights, civic participation and nonviolent civil resistance.
The office has strengthened the organisation’s ability to support ongoing projects, build new partnerships and identify emerging opportunities for collaboration in a context that continues to evolve rapidly and presents significant social and democratic challenges.
The Ukraine Office is managed by Anna Bondarenko, the founder of Ukrainian Volunteer Service, one of the country’s leading volunteer networks. The organisation connects more than 100,000 volunteers across Ukraine and promotes volunteering, mutual aid and civic participation.
Reconstruction is about more than infrastructure
The war continues to shape everyday life in Ukraine. Beyond the destruction of infrastructure and the direct consequences of the conflict, it has also affected community relations, civic participation and the capacity of social organisations to sustain long-term collective processes.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, thousands of people have taken on roles in mutual aid, volunteering, community information and emergency response. These citizen-led initiatives have become one of the foundations of Ukraine’s resilience.
For this reason, many Ukrainian organisations stress that recovery cannot be reduced to rebuilding infrastructure alone. It also requires strengthening communities, civic participation, independent media and democratic spaces that enable collective life to continue under conditions of uncertainty.
Working alongside those who sustain democratic life
Over recent years, NOVACT has supported initiatives aimed at strengthening civic participation, social cohesion and youth leadership, working with organisations such as Center for Civil Liberties, AMES / Ukrainian Peacebuilding School, Centre of United Actions, Youth Up and Factor Bureau.
The organisation continues to work alongside local partners to strengthen communities’ capacity to participate in public life, defend their rights and contribute to recovery and social transformation processes.
Strengthening partnerships and identifying shared priorities
As part of this new phase of consolidation, a NOVACT delegation recently visited Ukraine to meet with institutions, civil society organisations, community initiatives and independent media outlets.
In Kharkiv, a city located 40 km from the frontline, the delegation learned about initiatives developed by local authorities to ensure access to essential services despite ongoing attacks. Among them is the city’s underground school model, developed within the metro network, which allows thousands of children to continue attending classes in safe conditions.
The team also met with representatives of Suspilne, Ukraine’s public broadcaster, as well as other actors from the local media ecosystem to learn how journalists and media organisations continue to guarantee access to reliable information in a context marked by war and disinformation.
The visit helped reinforce existing partnerships, identify new areas of collaboration and continue building a shared agenda with local actors committed to a more resilient, democratic and participatory Ukraine.
For NOVACT, understanding how Ukrainian communities organise, inform themselves and sustain collective life in the midst of war is also a way of reflecting on the democratic challenges facing Europe today.