The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and techlab.ee have embarked on a project funded by the Alfred Landecker Foundation to contribute to robust digital infrastructure that supports Ukrainian citizens both abroad and on Ukrainian soil. The project, currently in its conception phase, is intended to strengthen Ukrainian civil society and democracy by creating a digital toolkit that will bring long-term benefit both to Ukrainians and the international community.
The struggle to defend Ukraine against Russia’s invasion is being fought in the digital sphere just as it is on the ground. Ukraine has an excellent digital ecosystem. The country’s Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Ukrainian IT community are the backbone of the fight against the invader. The government has continued to develop its digital tool Diia and humanitarian needs are being shared and allocated through channels such as Telegram. As threats evolve and multiply, however, it is essential to build on this foundation.
GMF has a long history of supporting democracy resilience and civil society in Ukraine and working with donors. The Alfred Landecker Foundation works to strengthen democracy, protect minorities, combat antisemitism, and protect liberal freedoms in a digital age. In the conception phase of this project, the two stakeholders will decide which challenge to address. The digital infrastructure will be designed in cooperation with representatives from Ukrainian civil society and form a part of GMF’s ongoing response to Ukraine’s need to defend against Russia’s invasion, protect its citizens from the consequences of the war, and rebuild the country on a democratic and resilient basis.