The government and society are creating mechanisms to integrate veterans. Here are the details.

According to preliminary estimates, after the war in Ukraine concludes, there will be around 5-6 million veterans. Their integration into society, rehabilitation, and employment will shape the primary directions of the state’s social policy.

This is reported by RBK-Ukraine citing the press service of "Mariupol Reborn".

The government and social activists have already begun developing mechanisms to ensure a smooth integration process for veterans into civilian life. This is a vast issue that encompasses medical assistance, rehabilitation, psychological support, working with veterans' families, and more. In other words, the work is being conducted comprehensively and will occur at all levels: state, private, meaning businesses, and especially municipal.

"The implementation of all programs will take place in communities, on the streets, and at workplaces. Therefore, the success of veteran policy significantly depends on the community's capabilities, resource availability, and opportunity building," noted Natalia Yemchenko, communications director at SCM, and member of the supervisory boards of NGO "Mariupol. Reborn" and NGO "Heart of Azovstal".

According to her, the investment company SCM is focusing on readjusting our processes related to working with military personnel.

"We are already working on this, both in terms of the team and regarding the barrier-free infrastructure where possible. Currently, there is an ongoing process in the country to establish veteran-centric policies," she added.

The preparation of municipal teams, including those working with veterans, is currently being handled by the Community Recovery School. This is a joint project of the Association of Ukrainian Cities and "Mariupol Reborn", supported by "Metinvest" and SCM of Rinat Akhmetov. The project trains managers for the recovery period, addressing a broader range of issues, including recovery programs and the preservation and return of human capital.

"The Association of Ukrainian Cities, through the Analytical Center, the Section for the Development of De-occupied and Temporarily Occupied Communities, the Municipal Recovery Center, and the Community Recovery School, is developing solutions for the restoration of territorial communities and the preservation of people at multiple levels. This includes legislative support for community activities, assistance for internally displaced persons (IDPs), and training municipal employees both individually and in teams. We place great importance on the exchange of best practices and experiences between communities and the development of partnerships both domestically and internationally. This allows communities to learn from and apply the best practices from around the world," explains Alexander Slobozhan, Executive Director of the AUC.

The return of people and the restoration of human capital raises important questions regarding incentives for internally displaced persons (IDPs), the situation in temporarily occupied territories, and the role of the state in creating opportunities for these categories of the population. After all, we are talking about 12 million people.

"Without considering this factor, rebuilding Ukraine will be extremely challenging. Reviving cities without people and establishing production without people is impossible. We must clearly understand that the main treasure of Ukraine, the most important asset we have today, is its people. Our work, legislative initiatives, and programs should revolve around this principle. This is the emphasis we are placing within the framework of the Community Revival School," highlighted Vadim Boychenko, Chairman of the Section of the Association of Ukrainian Cities for the Development of De-occupied and Temporarily Occupied Communities, and Mayor of Mariupol.

It is worth noting that the Community Recovery School, founded by the Association of Ukrainian Cities and NGO "Mariupol. Reborn", aims to prepare municipal managers for the recovery period. The project is implemented with the support of the UK Government under the UK International Development program and the International Republican Institute (IRI Ukraine) in partnership with "Metinvest" and SCM. Educational partners of the project include "Metinvest Polytechnic" and the National University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy".