After almost three years of full-scale war and ten years of Russian invasion, Ukrainians from all walks of life have felt its impact. Millions of Ukrainians have faced occupation, displacement, fighting in the armed forces, separation from or loss of loved ones, unemployment, financial insecurity, or inaccessibility of basic services like heating and electricity. National and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), donors, and various levels of government work hard to address the wide-ranging needs.  

However, many municipalities do not have the capacity to hold public hearings or use other participatory democracy instruments. Therefore, even the limited resources for recovery might not be used in the way local citizens expect. Some struggle to access the support they need or to even make sense of the myriad actors and initiatives involved.  

Moreover, polls suggest that the available instruments for citizen’s engagement in the decision-making process are not effective enough. In particular, less than 19 percent of the population is willing to join recovery processes as volunteers.  

Inclusive recovery and reconstruction mean that citizens and communities should lead on defining recovery needs, setting priorities, and triggering action from decision-makers. Giving people more ownership has a number of advantages. It ensures that the right things are prioritised, prevents resources being wasted on things that are less important, and allows people to retain ownership over their lives and communities. Moreover, it gives them control over how their immediate needs are met and enables them to articulate and action their visions for the future of their community. As a result, it also contributes to building trust and resilience in the community. 

WFD in Ukraine partnered with Recrear International to explore the use of Participatory Action Research (PAR) to empower people and communities to take ownership of the recovery process. PAR is a way of doing research that overcomes barriers between ordinary people, experts, and decision-makers. It creates an environment where each of them can participate on an equal basis to identify problems and develop solutions. 

Five local researchers participated in a three-day training for trainers in Uzhhorod, Ukraine focused on the core principles of PAR—collaborative research, community-driven change, and the power of local knowledge. These researchers will lead PAR processes in two municipalities that have been affected by war in different ways. They will receive remote mentoring and advice from Recrear before returning for a second workshop to reflect on their experiences and evaluate the approach.  

Quime Williams, who delivered the Participatory Action Research (PAR) training on behalf of Recrear, emphasised the importance of engaging diverse groups in meaningful discussions about community-driven change. 

“I think that PAR gives us the possibility to be thinking together in a more meaningful way about how to centre people in the changes they would like to see in their communities and create avenues to support that change. By bringing together people from different sectors of society, we hope to have a more grounded conversation about what’s behind community resilience at the local level and how decision-makers can better support these communities. In the context of Ukraine, this feels important and urgent,” highlighted Williams.  

One of the participants, Anna Mygal reflected on her experience with the PAR training, expressing her excitement about the new role of a researcher. 

“I feel that I have only scratched the surface of the vast amount of work that other people are doing around the world. However, I also understand that PAR is not something you study or learn from books; it is largely about live work, collaboration with people, reflection, and co-creation of meaning from what manifests in the space. This sense of involvement gives me hope that, together with the team, we will be able to place our Ukrainian experience on this map of diverse people, places, and countries,” said Mygal.