Veterans’ Political Leadership: New Educational Initiative Launched in Odesa

KAS Ukraine

Andrii Yusov, Representative of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU)

KAS Ukraine

Сonference “Veterans’ Political Leadership: Trust, Responsibility and Community Development Strategy”

KAS Ukraine

Сonference “Veterans’ Political Leadership: Trust, Responsibility and Community Development Strategy”

KAS Ukraine

Oleksandr Ostapenko, Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and former Representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in the southern regions

KAS Ukraine

Yana Titarenko, volunteer and adviser to the Commander of the Ukrainian Navy.

KAS Ukraine

Participants of the conference

KAS Ukraine

Participants of the conference

Organizers and Guest Speakers

KAS Ukraine

Maria Poloz, project manager of KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

Organizers and Participants

KAS Ukraine

Сonference “Veterans’ Political Leadership: Trust, Responsibility and Community Development Strategy”

KAS Ukraine

Participants of the conference

KAS Ukraine

Participants of the conference

KAS Ukraine

Participants of the conference

KAS Ukraine

Participants of the conference

KAS Ukraine

Participants of the conference

KAS Ukraine

Participants of the conference

KAS Ukraine

Oleksandr Kharlov, First Deputy Head of the Odesa Regional State/Military Administration

KAS Ukraine

Ihor Koval, Acting Mayor of Odesa and Secretary of the Odesa City Council.

KAS Ukraine

Kateryna Antipova, Director of the NGO “Institute of Psychology, Politics, and Society,” Denis Yakovlev, Ph.D. in Political Science, lecturer for the educational project

KAS Ukraine

Participants of the conference

KAS Ukraine

Viktor Moiseev, director of the Mykolaiv City Center for Support of War Veterans; Andriy Makovetskyi, acting deputy mayor of Odesa

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

KAS Ukraine

On 18 September 2026, the conference “Veterans’ Political Leadership: Trust, Responsibility and Community Development Strategy” took place in Odesa. The event was organized by the NGO “Institute of Psychology, Politics and Society” in partnership with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s Office in Ukraine. The conference brought together 85 participants, including representatives of public authorities, the veteran community, civil society organisations and the expert community. 

The discussion focused on the participation of veterans in public and political life, public administration and the strategic development of communities. Participants discussed how veterans’ experience, public trust and management skills can provide a foundation for responsible leadership and the development of Ukrainian communities. The need for systematic preparation of veterans for such a role was one of the key themes of the conference. 

For the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, it is important that veterans can actively participate in political and civic life and that their experience and knowledge are part of decision-making processes at the local, national and European levels. 

The importance of the topic was also emphasised in contributions by Ruslan Prykhodko, Deputy Minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine; Oleksandr Kharlov, First Deputy Head of the Odesa Regional State/Military Administration; and Ihor Koval, Acting Mayor of Odesa and Secretary of the Odesa City Council. 

During the panel discussion “From Veterans’ Experience to Political Leadership and Community Development”, Andrii Makovetskyi, Acting Deputy Mayor of Odesa; Oleksandr Ostapenko, Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and former Representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in the southern regions; Viktor Moiseiev, Head of the Mykolaiv City Centre for Support of War Veterans; and Andrii Yusov, Spokesperson for the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, shared their views and experience. The discussion was moderated by Yana Titarenko, volunteer and adviser to the Commander of the Ukrainian Navy. 

One of the central elements of the conference was the presentation of the educational project “School of Public Policy and Governance for Veterans.” The initiative aims to prepare veterans and female veterans for professional participation in public administration, local self-government and community development. The programme is designed to combine an understanding of political trust and social responsibility with practical skills in working with institutions, digital tools, strategic planning, public communication and accessibility. 

The School’s curriculum consists of eight consecutive modules, which will be delivered in a hybrid format from 3 October to 21 November 2026. Each module will last four hours, with a total of 32 hours of training. The programme combines expert sessions, practical exercises, case studies, small-group work, and individual and team assignments. 

Participants will work on the following topics: 

• Political trust and the social contract — legitimacy, responsibility and the role of veterans in strengthening communities; 

• Psychological resilience and information security — critical thinking and countering disinformation and information and psychological operations; 

• Public policy and the public administration system — how institutions function and how civic initiatives can be transformed into policy decisions; 

• Digital governance and modern technologies — open data, e-services, digital participation and transparency; 

• Strategic planning for the development of local communities in the context of EU experience and standards; 

• Strategic thinking and community recovery — systemic analysis, stakeholder engagement and recovery planning; 

• Communication ethics and public speaking — developing messages, working with the media and crisis communication; 

• Equality, dignity and accessibility — integrating accessibility principles into policies, services, public spaces and management decisions. 

The teaching team includes experts in political science, public administration, psychology, law, strategic planning and accessibility. Among them are Denys Yakovlev, Kateryna Antipova, Ella Mamontova, Oleksandr Ostapenko, Mariana Afanasieva and Volodymyr Vysotskyi. 

A key feature of the programme is its practical focus: each module will produce a concrete outcome that participants can apply in their communities. These outputs will gradually be developed into an individual project or public initiative to be presented at the final stage of the programme. 

The School will start on 3 October 2026. Veterans, female veterans and community representatives who are interested in implementing public initiatives, working on governance projects and contributing to the development of their communities are invited to join the programme. 

Registration via the link.