The Sixth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, initiated by the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, was held in Kyiv. This year’s theme was “World 2026: Finding Stability in Times of Uncertainty”.
The Summit brought together First Ladies and Gentlemen from 14 countries, the Presidents of Ukraine, Finland, Estonia, and Lithuania, as well as representatives from governments, expert community, and civil society. Discussions focused on how to maintain resilience amid full-scale war, prolonged stress, and uncertainty.
Valentyna Poltorak, Deputy Head of NGO DOCCU and DECIDE Project Manager, also attended the Summit.
Education was also part of the discussion on resilience. This topic is particularly important for Ukraine: despite the war, shelling, and forced displacement, learning continues. Schools work in different formats, teachers remain close to their pupils, and communities seek solutions to ensure that children have access to quality, modern education even in the most challenging conditions.
During the Summit, the “Global Vocabulary of Resilience” was also presented, which combines the experience of 38 countries and their different approaches to helping people and societies overcome crises and recover from them. The dictionary is available at this link.
The vocabulary also includes the Ukrainian concept of “sophiynist”, which was introduced by the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska. It reflects the Ukrainian experience of living under conditions of prolonged war and the ability to find solutions by drawing on accumulated experience, knowledge, and interaction. The participants were also able to explore the concept in the “Garden of sophiynist” – a special space featuring interactive installations and artistic practices.
As previously reported, the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen is an international platform launched in 2021 by the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska. It brings together the spouses of world leaders and their partners to work together on humanitarian challenges.
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