On 22 February 2026, we hosted our 4th Vidnova Forum — an intimate gathering as a prelude to Cafe Kyiv, under the topic United for Solutions — how does Ukraine inspire engagement today?
It gathered around 70 civil society actors and allies committed to working with and supporting Ukraine and democracy in Europe. Our managing director, Annegret Wulff, delivered an inspiring opening speech highlighting the important lessons we are still learning from Ukraine, marking the fourth anniversary of the war. Read the full speech below.
This event was organized by Commit gGmbH in cooperation with Open Platformand the Alliance of Ukrainian Organizations, funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the European Union within the project Resilient Democracies.
About Cafe Kyiv:
It started in 2023 as a one-day event dedicated to amplify Ukrainian voices, perspectives, and culture, initiated by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and carried out with partner organizations, combining political panels, science, cultural mini events, and networking in an all-day festival format.
“We are gathering at a moment in time, where words like resilience, solidarity, and cooperation are used frequently.
Sometimes almost too easily.
And yet, when we look at Ukraine, these words regain weight.
They become real. Concrete. Lived.
I would like to ask one central question:
What do we learn from Ukraine — especially as civil society?
Not in a romanticized way. Not through hero narratives.
But through a honest reflection on what societies are capable of whennthey decide not to give up.
One of the most powerful lessons from Ukraine is this:
When a country and its institutions are brutally attacked and under pressure, when security is fragile, and when uncertainty becomes daily reality — it is often civil society that holds the fabric together.
Local initiatives organize support.
Journalists defend truth.
Cultural actors preserve identity.
Volunteers coordinate logistics at a speed that would challenge many state systems.
Communities care for one another — practically, not rhetorically.
This is not heroism. It is responsibility taken seriously.
Ukraine reminds us that democracy is not something that exists because it is written in a constitution. It exists because people act on its name.
And that is an important reminder for all of us in Europe.
Democracy is not self-sustaining.
Solidarity is not automatic.
Freedom is not guaranteed.
They are upheld — bottom up.
What is the power of bottom-up structures?
There is a tendency in times of crisis to look only at governments, at military capacities, at top-level negotiations.
But what Ukraine shows us is that societal strength is strategic strength.
When citizens trust one another.
When networks function.
When communities self-organize.
When people feel ownership over their country’s future.
Bottom-up structures can hold enormous pressure. They can adapt quickly. They can innovate under constraint.
And that should lead us to ask:
How resilient are our own societies?
How connected are our communities?
How prepared are we to act — not just to comment?
So — why does international cooperation matters now more than ever?
Another lesson is interdependence.
Ukraine’s struggle is not isolated.
This war is an attack on all of us.
Its future is not national alone.
It is deeply European.
And so is the responsibility.
International cooperation is not an act of charity. It is an act of shared interest and shared values.
When civil society actors collaborate across borders, three things happen:
We strengthen knowledge exchange.
We create trust beyond political cycles.
We build long-term partnerships that outlast headlines.
Cross-country cooperation allows us to avoid the illusion that we can solve complex challenges alone.
It also reminds us that solidarity is not symbolic.
It is practical.
It means showing up.
It means listening.
It means adjusting our own assumptions.
It means staying engaged even when attention shifts elsewhere.
It is about solidarity — without heroization.
When we speak about Ukraine, we must be careful.
There is a risk of turning resilience into a romantic narrative. But resilience often grows from necessity, not from choice.
Solidarity should therefore not mean admiration from a distance.
It should mean partnership at eye level.
To stand with Ukraine means:
Taking Ukrainian voices seriously.
Engaging in long-term cooperation.
Supporting civil society infrastructures.
Recognizing that reconstruction is not only physical, but societal.
And it also means reflecting on our responsibilities.
What kind of Europe do we want to build together?
What kind of democratic culture do we want to defend?
This brings me to a final reflection:
How much can society actually shape and sustain from the bottom-up?
The honest and simple answer is:
A lot — but not alone.
Civil society can mobilize.
Innovate.
Create pressure.
Connect people across divisions.
Protect democratic norms.
But it also needs space.
It needs resources.
It needs political frameworks that allow it to operate freely.
The lesson from Ukraine is not that civil society replaces the state.
The lesson is that strong societies and functioning institutions must reinforce one another.
Bottom-up energy and top-down responsibility must align.
That alignment is something we must actively work on — in Germany, in Ukraine, and across Europe.
As Commit we operate exactly in this space.
We believe in the power of civic engagement.
We believe in cross-border collaboration.
We believe that networks matter.
And we believe that European solidarity must be lived — not only declared.
The real question is not only what we learn from Ukraine. The real question is:
What do we do with that learning?
How do we strengthen our partnerships?
How do we create sustainable cooperation formats?
How do we ensure that civil society remains a stabilizing force in times of uncertainty?
Ukraine teaches us that society matters.
That civic courage matters.
That cooperation matters.
Not because it sounds inspiring, but because it proves essential.
Let us use this moment not only to express solidarity, but to deepen collaboration. To stand with Ukraine today, and to build a Europe together that is resilient, democratic, and connected from the bottom up.”
