On 28 January 2016, an open lecture and discussion on the topic “Sustainable Development in Ukraine: Myth or Reality?” took place in Chernihiv National Technologic University. Co-organizers of this event were the joint UNDP/EU Project “Community based approach to local development” (CBA), the British Council in Ukraine and civic organization “Chernihiv Evropeiskyi”.

This event was organized, in the first place, for the students of the Universities evacuated from the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Among the invited experts, there were CBA project coordinators in Chernihiv region. They briefed the student audience on the areas of project implementation in their region and explained the project’s goal to create an environment for sustainable social and economic local development via promoting community mobilization, developing and implementing community initiatives throughout Ukraine.

The participants also discussed the issues of civic society development, overcoming poverty, capacity gaps, energy saving and energy efficiency. There was also a lively discussion of the important components of sustainable development, including economic, environmental and social components.

“Social component in the sustainable development is really vital. When the community organizations learn to take decisions independently and implement them together, their life changes for better. Therefore, in order to achieve sustainable development of society it is vital that every person has a chance to shape his/her life activities, has right to take decisions, implement them and monitor the progress,” summed up one of the participants.