Kyiv Hosts 6th Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen on Resilience

On Ukraine's Independence Day, Kyiv hosted the Sixth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, an event established by Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska. This year's summit focused on the theme "World-2026: Finding Stability in Times of Uncertainty," and convened representatives from various countries to exchange resilience experiences and discuss stability in uncertain times.

Zelenska recalled the initial discussions about Ukrainian resilience, noting that the concept is not about pain or fear absence, but rather the capacity to act despite them. The summit saw participation from 14 countries, with spouses of presidents from Estonia, Lithuania, Serbia, Finland, Slovenia, and Romania attending in person.

Online attendees included representatives from Germany, Belize, Israel, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Guatemala, and Georgia. The event featured four thematic blocks: "Discover," "Make Meaning," "Survive. Act," and "Stay Together," and included both international and Ukrainian segments. Notable speakers included Sebastian Junger and Ukrainian military chaplain Andriy Zelinskyy, as well as government representatives, professionals in the field of mental health and resilience, and individuals who experienced the impact of conflict firsthand.

The summit resulted in the creation of the Global Vocabulary of Resilience, an edition compiling resilience experiences from 38 countries. The event also emphasized Ukraine's "Sophiynist" philosophy, which combines a will to live, strength to fight, and wisdom to learn.