On March 27, 2024 was held the scientific and practical discussion panel “Modern challenges for volunteering (legal, organizational, social)” which were provided online broadcasting using the ZOOM platform.
The event was organized by the Nazovni Tech with the support of the Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (Informational and Resources Centre).
Opening remarks were made by: State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleksandr BANKOV, Director of the Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Hennadii NADOLENKO and Head of the Supervisory Board of the Nazovni Tech, Doctor of Law, Professor Olena BELIANEVYCH. The organizers of the event emphasized the importance of civil society cooperation with state institutions, the relevance of the topic, and expressed their belief in the effectiveness of private-public partnerships, particularly in the field of volunteering.
The discussion has covered questions about:
– New challenges for volunteer and charitable activities research;
– The interaction between public authorities and private participants in the implementation of volunteer activities;
– The practice of volunteer activity: from idea to realization.
During the first panel scientific reports were presented online by Eric MARTIN (Professor of Management & Organizations, Bucknell University, USA) and Emma MATEO (Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Ukrainian Studies & Adjunct Lecturer in Sociology, Harriman Institute, Columbia University in the City of New York, USA). Professor Martin E. has been engaged in civil society research in Ukraine for a long time. He addressed the issues of sociological research during the war, the formalization and informality of social movements, and spoke about the relevance of “umbrella” organizations. Dr. Mateo E. emphasized the modern challenges faced by scientists, in particular regarding the urgent coverage of problems in Ukraine, the objectivity of data and ensuring security in wartime conditions.
The second and third panels discussed the practical aspects of volunteering. Thus, Kyiv City Council deputy Yevgenia KULEBA shared examples of successful projects of public interaction and local self-government bodies. Yelizaveta SMITH (NGO Volunteer Movement “Spilna Meta” [Common Goal]) highlighted the peculiarities of the reconstruction of houses and infrastructure facilities, legal and practical problems of interaction between homeowners, state bodies and local self-government. The panel members answered the questions of those present and have expressed hope for positive results of volunteer initiatives.
Oleksandr YAKOVENKO (CF “Wave 91”) and Tim MARSDEN (Huddersfield to Ukraine Humanitarian Aid, UK) joined the discussion online. The Ukrainian volunteer emphasized the opportunities of business to provide charitable assistance, the problems of taxation and state supervision in this area. He assured that Ukrainian entrepreneurs are ready to finance volunteer initiatives, but expressed concern about the proper legal regulation of these relations and the unpredictability of legislative changes. Mr. Marsden T. has been helping Ukraine with humanitarian aid for a long time, sending cargo to Kharkiv, Dnipro, Kropyvnytskyi and other cities where internally displaced persons, children and the wounded need help. Unfortunately, part of the British volunteers have refused to help Ukraine, due to the bureaucratic procedures at the border and the ambiguity of administrative practice. Those present assured that the joint activity of Ukrainian and foreign partners within the civil sector would help to solve these urgent problems.
The event was moderated by Volodymyr KOCHYN, Head of the Private-Public Partnership Department of the Nazovni Tech.
Based on the results of the work, it is planned to prepare analytical materials and a collection of materials.
