Forum partners

Through its offices in Kyiv (since 1994) and Kharkiv (since 2017), the Konrad Adenauer Foundation has been constructively supporting the political and economic transformation process in Ukraine. To this end, the Foundation implements projects aimed at supporting democratic development, building civil society, promoting a free media, and consolidating democratic institutions. The foundation supports Ukraine’s democratic political parties and their youth organizations. It also serves as a “portal” for establishing direct contacts between Ukrainian politicians and Germany and Europe. An important part of its work is supporting young politicians and talented students.

This event is supported by the “Askold and Dir” Foundation, administered by ISAR Unity as part of the project “A Strong Civil Society in Ukraine—A Driving Force for Reforms and Democracy,” funded by Norway and Sweden. The content of the event is the responsibility of the Institute for Central European Strategy (ISAR) and does not reflect the views of the governments of Norway, Sweden, or ISAR—Yednannia.

The Norwegian-Swedish “Askold and Dir” Foundation operates within the framework of the project “A Strong Civil Society in Ukraine—A Driving Force for Reforms and Democracy,” which ISAR Unity is implementing with funding from Norway and Sweden. The fund represents an investment by our Scandinavian partners in a strong civil society in Ukraine.

The foundation’s name honors the mythical Varangian princes Askold and Dir, who, according to legend, played a key role in the formation of Ukrainian statehood and brought Kyiv onto the international stage for the first time. By choosing their names, the foundation highlights the deep and long-standing historical ties between Ukraine and the Scandinavian peoples.

The mission of the Batory Foundation is to build an open, democratic society – a society of people aware of their rights and responsibilities, who are actively involved in the life of their local community, country and international society. We want to co-create a Poland that is law-abiding and just, open and tolerant, that protects the rights of all citizens, and that respects the richness of its diversity.

We financially and substantively support civic initiatives undertaken by civic organizations and informal groups. We also carry out our own activities: we conduct campaigns and social actions, monitor the functioning of public institutions, undertake advocacy activities, organize conferences and debates, workshops and meetings, issue analyses, expert studies, reports and other publications.

Varosh is an independent media outlet covering Transcarpathia that has been reporting on the region’s people, culture, history, business, and daily life since 2013. The editorial team works on an online magazine, print publications, podcasts, and special projects, and since the start of the full-scale war, it has been systematically documenting how Transcarpathian communities, cities, and the region’s social fabric are changing.

Varosh has been an information partner of Re:Open Zakarpattia since the first forum. A significant portion of the 2026 program grew out of the editorial team’s reports and interviews. Among them is the series “Stories of Resilience”—about people who are staying, working, and building Zakarpattia during the war.