With the war in Ukraine now in its fourth year, it is vital that the social inclusion of refugees from the conflict remains a priority.
Within the framework of ECSILI – Empowering Communities, which empowers communities to address the challenges of refugee social and labour market integration, the European Social Network (ESN) participated in the Third Mutual Learning Event of projects funded under the call “Innovative Approaches to Mitigate the Societal Consequences of Russia’s War of Aggression against Ukraine within EU Countries”.
The event, which took place in Vilnius, Lithuania, on 24–25 March 2026, brought together project beneficiaries, policymakers, and experts from across Europe to exchange experiences and reflect on progress made since the start of project implementation in May 2025. Participants discussed innovative approaches to supporting affected communities and fostering resilience in the face of ongoing challenges.
Strengthening peer learning and collaboration
The Mutual Learning Event aimed to promote peer-to-peer learning and strengthen the capacity of beneficiaries to maximise the impact of their projects, for example through the exchange of practical tools and development of joint dissemination activities.
Through interactive sessions, participants shared progress updates, discussed implementation challenges, and explored opportunities for collaboration across countries and sectors.
A clear theme that emerged was the shortage of time and resources needed to build lasting social innovation. This challenge is becoming more pressing as demand for inclusion programmes for displaced Ukrainians continues to grow, reflecting the reality that their situation has shifted from an emergency response to a longer-term integration effort after four years of war.
As a result, panel discussions focused on the transition from emergency response to long-term integration strategies, highlighting the importance of sustainable solutions. Experts and policymakers reflected on legislative developments, local responses, and innovative approaches to integration and social inclusion, such as one-stop-shop support services, skills recognition initiatives, community-based integration programmes, and partnerships with local employers. The discussion put a spotlight on the need to decentralise inclusion strategies, shifting responsibility from national governments to municipalities to better adapt to local contexts.
The discussion reinforced that integration is not something to be imposed from above. Rather, it should actively involve local communities as much as newcomers. Without this collective engagement, meaningful integration is unlikely to succeed.
Project Spotlight – showcasing examples of how ECSILI works
A central feature of the event was the ‘Project Spotlight’ sessions, where beneficiaries presented their initiatives and discussed the impact of their work. Topics covered include employment and entrepreneurship, education and language learning, mental health and psychosocial support, community building, and digital tools for inclusion.
ECSILI was presented as a best practice example for the integration of a digital tool within a co-produced social innovation model. The SkillLab application, a longstanding partner of ESN, is an AI-based skills profiling and matching tool that supports individuals -particularly refugees and vulnerable jobseekers - in identifying, documenting, and translating their skills into career pathways, while also assisting case managers in guiding labour market and integration trajectories. In the words of one of the case managers testing it, "the app is useful to give us data about people who want to get a job. Additionally, it makes it easier for the people to apply for a job”.
The app focuses on recognising skills gained through life experience, not just formal qualifications, empowering refugees to think more creatively about their career paths. For example, it has helped a high school student with a passion for drawing consider pursuing graphic design, while leaving it to the case manager to help guide them toward locally available education and training opportunities.
The piloting phase is currently ongoing and will end in July 2026, with initial results expected to be consolidated and published in the Social Innovation Match (SIM) after the end of the project in November 2026. In addition, ESN and project partners will organise a series of webinars in October 2026 to present key lessons learned that can further support the labour market and societal integration of Ukrainian refugees. These activities will also explore opportunities to sustain and scale the ECSILI Project beyond its current phase, including the involvement of new partner organisations and local stakeholders, and potential replication in other local contexts.
For further information on the project’s outputs to date, please consult the current project deliverables available in the Resources section of the ECSILI webpage.
