Ukraine Community Builders Block 4: Inclusive Leadership – The Fryshuset Model in Practice
Between 12 and 16 October 2026, a group of twenty five Ukrainian youth leaders and professionals from civil society organisations and public institutions gathered in Stockholm for the final block of the Ukraine Community Builders programme: Inclusive Leadership – The Fryshuset Model in Practice.
This week brought the journey full circle. After earlier modules in Ukraine focused on democratic rebuilding, the inclusion of war-affected young people with special needs, and minority rights, the participants now spent five full days inside the daily life of Fryshuset in Hammarby Sjöstad. The programme was designed to move from theory into lived experience – to let the group feel how inclusive leadership can look in practice, rather than only hear about.
Each morning began with a short check-in and simple team-bonding activities. These quiet openings created a steady rhythm and a sense of safety. The days themselves were rich and varied: presentations and open conversations about Fryshuset’s work with young people, walks through different parts of the city, shared fikas, a boat tour along the water, a visit to the Swedish Institute, and an unexpected encounter near the Swedish Parliament with Magdalena Andersson. Every evening closed with dedicated reflection time, where participants could sit with one of the programme coaches and speak freely about what the day had stirred.
“Відчуття безпеки і відкритості присутнє всюди. Все зроблене, зроблене для молоді – це про відчуття прийняття. Радість від того, що дієво працює підхід.”
(“The feeling of safety and openness is present everywhere. Everything that is done here is done for the youth – it’s about the feeling of acceptance. Happy that the approach actually works.”)
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What stayed with the group most was the way Fryshuset meets young people. Participants noticed the quiet presence of support available inside the library; some spaces intentionally created for solitude; and “relationship hosts” – adults who build personal connection with everyone in the building to make sure the atmosphere is safe and welcoming. Again and again they returned to Fryshuset’s principle that the door to the center always stays open. That young people are given repeated chances, and that this promise is kept through everyday actions rather than through words alone.
“Хости які працюють із молоддю – це теж хороший показник того, що тут є піклування.”
(“The hosts working with the young people are another clear sign that real care is present here.”)
For many in the group, living and working under the long shadow of war, the overall picture of Fryshuset could initially feel almost too ideal – smooth, well-functioning, filled with trust and free from the visible struggles they know so well. Such an ideal image can sit uneasily with the harder, messier context of their own work. The week allowed room for that feeling. There was no pressure to adopt a new mindset overnight. Instead, through shared experiences, honest conversations and the simple act of being present together, many began to see how such an approach might still hold meaning back home – not as an ideal far removed from their context, but as something that can be adapted with care, patience and respect for what people have lived through.
The week closed with collective reflections on how these practices might take root in Ukrainian communities. Participants left with clearer ideas for their own Action Plans, which will be presented in the final online session on 2 December.
About the programme
Ukraine Community Builders empowers Ukrainian leaders to become inclusive changemakers by deepening their understanding of EU values, youth participation, minority rights, inclusion and diversity. In response to war, social fragmentation and exclusion, the programme offers a four-block journey that combines theory, reflection and practice, supporting participants to develop and refine individual Action Plans for local implementation.
Ukraine Community Builders is implemented in partnership with Ukrainian NGOs STAN and Zahyst. Funded by the Swedish Institute (SI).
Read more about the previous blocks of the project:
Block 1: Building Forward – Youth, Europe, and the Future
Block 2: Rebuilding with care – Inclusion of War-Affected Youth with Special Needs
Block 3: Standing for Rights – Ethnic, Roma, and Queer Youth