Accidentally Decentralised Reconstruction in Ukraine: The Benefits and Perils of the Grassroots Approach

• In Event: Infrastructures of Liberation I: Resistance, Reconstruction, and De-Occupation in the Ukrainian Commons

Abstract

As russia’s war on Ukraine continues, the focus of the Ukrainian state remains on the military. Reconstruction efforts have therefore been unofficially decentralised, relying on small, generally grassroots, volunteer groups. This decentralisation comes with benefits, including speed, flexibility, and a localised approach free from profit motive, and challenges, particularly a lack of quality control and safety regulations. Having spent two years running one such volunteer group whilst collaborating with others, in this paper I will examine how these organisations have formed and operate, and the impacts of this decentralised approach on the reconstruction process and the communities receiving aid.

Author

• Ada Wordsworth, UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (UK)