Returning from military service is often the beginning of a new and challenging chapter for veterans and their families. Rebuilding everyday life, reconnecting with loved ones, and finding a place within the community can take time and support. The effects of war extend beyond those who served, influencing partners, children, and family relationships, making recovery a shared journey.
To support this process, Pro Peace, together with its local partner NGO STAL, is implementing the project Point of Support in Chernivtsi. The initiative combines psychosocial support, creative expression, and community dialogue to strengthen resilience, promote social reintegration, and encourage greater understanding between veterans, their families, and the wider community.
Implemented from May to July 2026, the project brings together veteran families from the Chernivtsi region while also creating opportunities for broader public engagement on the challenges and opportunities of veterans' reintegration.
Beginning with Recovery and Connection
The project began with a five-day rehabilitation retreat outside Chernivtsi, providing participating families with the opportunity to step away from everyday pressures and focus on recovery, communication, and mutual support.
Throughout the retreat, veterans, spouses, and children participated in psychosocial support sessions, facilitated discussions, art workshops, creative activities, and family exercises led by psychologists, facilitators, and art educators. Through both separate and joint sessions, participants explored their experiences, strengthened family relationships, and built trust with others facing similar challenges.
The retreat laid the foundation for the next stage of the project by creating a safe environment where families could openly share experiences, reflect on their journey, and begin expressing those experiences through art.
From Personal Recovery to Public Dialogue
As the project progresses, its focus expands from supporting participating families to engaging the wider community in conversations about veterans' reintegration and psychosocial wellbeing.
Throughout the project, veterans and their family members have been creating artworks that reflect their experiences, resilience, and hopes for the future. These works will be presented during a public exhibition in Chernivtsi, inviting visitors to better understand the personal realities of military service, recovery, and family life after war.
The exhibition serves not only as a space for artistic expression but also as a starting point for community dialogue.
Creating Space for Community Conversations
Alongside the exhibition, the project will organise a series of three public panel discussions bringing together veterans, family members, psychologists, healthcare professionals, representatives of local authorities, civil society organisations, and community members.
The discussions will address some of the most important aspects of veterans' reintegration into civilian life. Topics include the transition from military service to everyday life, the role of families in the recovery process, mental health and trauma, reducing stigma surrounding psychological support, and strengthening cooperation between public institutions, healthcare providers, civil society, and local communities.
Rather than focusing solely on expert perspectives, the discussions will also create space for veterans and their family members to share their own experiences, encouraging open dialogue between those directly affected by war and the broader community.
By bringing together different perspectives, the project seeks to strengthen mutual understanding, promote more inclusive public discussions, and encourage practical cooperation in developing sustainable support systems for veterans and their families.
Building More Resilient Communities
The long-term consequences of war cannot be addressed by veterans and their families alone. Reintegration is a shared responsibility that requires supportive families, responsive institutions, and communities willing to engage with difficult experiences through dialogue, empathy, and mutual understanding.
Through Point of Support, Pro Peace and NGO STAL demonstrate how psychosocial support, creative expression, and community engagement can strengthen both individual recovery and social cohesion. By creating spaces where people can listen, reflect, and connect, the project helps transform personal experiences into opportunities for greater understanding and cooperation.
For Pro Peace, supporting veterans and their families is part of a broader commitment to strengthening communities affected by conflict. We believe that resilient societies are built when people have the opportunity to participate, engage in meaningful dialogue, and work together across different experiences and perspectives. By fostering empathy, trust, and community ownership, Point of Support contributes to creating the foundations for a more inclusive, resilient, and peaceful Ukraine.