There has taken place a joint meeting of the First Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Iryna Herashchenko, the Head of the Committee on Veterans, Combatants, Participants, ATO Participants and Disabled People O. Tretiakov with the Deputy Director for the Transatlantic Leadership Initiatives at the German Marshall Fund of the United States Filip Vojvodic-Medic (Washington, DC), the Executive Director of the Public Nonprofit Organization "NextOp" John Boerstler, the Head of the NATO Civil Life Adaptation Working Group K. Castro and the Head of the NGO "The Legal Hundred" L.Vasylenko.
The meeting has been held on the eve of the International Conference “Vets: World’s Practices of Civilian Life Reintegration” that is to take place in Ukraine on April 24-25 with the assistance of the German Marshall Fund. The event’s speakers will be the world’s leading experts in the field of reintegration of combatants into a peaceful life from the United States, Canada and other countries.
In the course of the meeting, there has been much debate about creation of a unified state body - the Ministry for Veterans Affairs which is to be responsible for all the work over the social protection of war veterans and ATO participants.
While meeting, the Presidential envoy on the peaceful settlement of the Donetsk-Luhansk clashes Iryna Herashchenko informed those present about the current situation in the Donbas, the work of the Minsk working groups, the humanitarian and security situation in the Donbas. She also observed that during their captivity, the illegally detained Ukrainians had been seriously injured, tortured and deprived of communication with their families.
At the same time, Iryna Herashchenko noticed there is a big problem about searching for missing people. According to her, there are more than four hundred people considered to be missing at the moment. Additionally, the politician notified those in attendance about the systematic violations by the SRDLO’s gunmen of the armistice established with great difficulties.
In turn, the participants of the meeting expressed their readiness to transfer the necessary experience in adaptation to a peaceful life and to provide information about their own structures engaged in delivering the services in question to veterans.
Worthy of note
About GMF
The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) strengthens transatlantic cooperation on regional, national, and global challenges and opportunities in the spirit of the Marshall Plan.
GMF contributes research and analysis and convenes leaders on transatlantic issues relevant to policymakers. GMF offers rising leaders opportunities to develop their skills and networks through transatlantic exchange, and supports civil society in the Balkans and Black Sea regions by fostering democratic initiatives, rule of law, and regional cooperation.
Founded in 1972 as a non-partisan, nonprofit organization through a gift from Germany as a permanent memorial to Marshall Plan assistance, GMF maintains a strong presence on both sides of the Atlantic. In addition to its headquarters in Washington, DC, GMF has offices in Berlin, Paris, Brussels, Belgrade, Ankara, Bucharest, and Warsaw. GMF also has smaller representations in Bratislava, Turin, and Stockholm.
About NextOp, Inc. (Nonprofit)
The NextOp’s Mission
“NextOp recruits, trains, and places high-performing middle-enlisted military leaders into Industry careers”.
NextOp provides companies with world-class, skilled candidates and coaches them on how to be effective employees. NextOp’s mentors work with each transitioning veteran to adjust to their new roles and cultivate the necessary skills to excel in field work, increasing satisfaction and reducing turnover for these positions.