The three-day Ukrainian Youth Forum 2024 “Free to Dream”, bringing together more than three hundred youth leaders for discussions on innovations and a special Youth Day featuring the President of Ukraine, concluded yesterday.

On August 12th, the final day of the event, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, and other government representatives addressed the participants.  Young leaders had the opportunity to publicly discuss their vision for Ukraine’s future and the state policies shaping it with the President and ministers.

A key outcome of the Forum was the finalization of the State Target Program “Youth of Ukraine” for 2026-2030, with significant contributions from the event participants.

The EGAP team played a pivotal role in inspiring and motivating Ukrainian youth throughout the Forum.

For instance, Oleksandra Radchenko, coordinator of the e-democracy component, highlighted the importance of digital tools. She shared successful examples of how electronic surveys, local petitions, and participatory budgeting ensure effective interaction between authorities and the public, making decision-making processes more informed and transparent.

“Digital tools are not just technologies; they are opportunities for each of us to have a real impact on decisions in our communities and country. They give a voice to everyone who wants to make changes and contribute to building transparent and understandable relations between the government and the public. As part of the projects implemented by the EGAP Program, we are constantly assisting in the development of new e-democracy tools at both the national and local levels. Hence, be active, use local petitions, take part in e-surveys, and take action. Only by taking a proactive stance and through engagement, we can transform Ukraine for the better, step by step,” Oleksandra said in her speech.

Iryna Stasiuk, national moderator of the e-democracy platform, shared insights on implementing projects correctly, identifying risks, and effectively addressing them during planning.

“Successful project implementation depends not only on the scale of ideas, but also on the ability to anticipate risks. It is essential to plan for all possible challenges from the outset and be prepared to respond flexibly. This allows one to avoid surprises and ensure a stable path to achieving one’s goals. Yet, the key to success is still people. Especially during turbulent times, the value of the team and its ability to overcome challenges is a crucial component of the result,” she said.

Forum participants showed great interest in the results of the EGAP Program and the services potentially useful for them. They were particularly keen on opportunities to apply online for youth exchanges or propose street names in their home communities through the e-Dem platform.

The Ukrainian Youth Forum 2024 was organized by the Presidential Council on Youth Issues in close cooperation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, with support from 16 international partners, including the Swiss-Ukrainian EGAP Program implemented by East Europe Foundation.