Ukrainian community resilience through volunteering movements in war time

Abstract

The full-scale war in Ukraine has caused deep social, economic and humanitarian crises, which are especially felt at the level of local communities. In the new realities of state reconstruction, the ability of communities not only to respond to challenges but also to adapt to changes, ensuring sustainable development, is critically important. One of the main factors in the formation of such an ability is social cohesion, mutual support and active involvement of citizens in the development processes. In this context, social initiatives and the volunteer movement are effective tools for mobilizing resources, strengthening horizontal ties and building trust between community members. However, despite the significant social potential of these processes, scientific understanding of the mechanisms of building community resilience in the war period remains insufficiently systematized. There is a need for a deeper analysis of volunteering practices and social activism in post-conflict recovery, as well as for identifying elements that influence the formation of social resilience at the local level.