16 – Peace, justice and strong institutions
A network with a lasting impact
In mid-May, the Democratic Resilience Network gathered in Stockholm for its final meeting. The meeting marked the end of ICLD’s large partnership network connecting Swedish and Ukrainian municipalities – but hopefully not the end of the cooperation, relationships andlearning that have emerged from it. Over the years, the network has provided a space for municipalities…
A Network Approach to Democratic Resilience
How municipal partnerships collaborate across borders to strengthen democratic practices in times of war Since 2022, Ukrainian local self-government authorities (LGs) find themselves at the forefront of a war that has placed renewed emphasis on their crisis preparedness and resilience. The International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD) has within its mandate to support municipal partnerships…
ICLD Strengthens Governance and Internal Control
Internal control and governance are very important, as they help ensure transparency, accountability, and the effective use of resources. Therefore, ICLD actively works to strengthen these areas in order to support democratic local governments and promote sustainable local governance. As part of this work, at the beginning of May, ICLD, together with LGAZ, organised a…
Partnership for Sustainable Reconstruction and Democratic Urban Planning
The ICLD partnership between Jönköping and the Ukrainian city of Berdychiv addresses a complex challenge: how can sustainable, inclusive and democratic urban planning be developed in a context of ongoing war and reconstruction? The starting point for the cooperation is Berdychiv’s rapid population growth as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the…
Rebuilding Ukraine for all functional variations
As Ukrainian municipalities prepare for post-war reconstruction, accessibility and inclusion are becoming core concerns. The BUILDSUP project strengthens local capacity to plan and design cities that work for everyone, by introducing principles of universal design and sharing experiences between Sweden and Ukraine. The war in Ukraine has uncountable consequences, including the increase of people living…
Multilevel Trust in Humanitarian Organisations in Ukraine
Trust is widely recognised as a precondition for effective humanitarian action, yet little empirical work examines whom crisis-affected people in Ukraine trust, why, and with what consequences for access and programme design. This thesis maps beneficiaries’ trust across actor types and identifies the factors that strengthen or erode it, interpreting results through a multilevel lens…
From Seeds to Assemblies. Agroecology as a Tool for Political Participation
Indigenous women’s political participation remains limited due to intersecting inequalities. Nevertheless, sustainable initiatives such as agroecology have proved to empower communities and promote social engagement. This research investigates the political dimension of agroecology by examining how it can affect Indigenous women’s political participation. Social Capital Theory and Empowerment Theory are used to identify the mechanisms…
Understanding Environmental Stewardship Through Governance and Psychology
This study explores how the psychological drivers of trust, social norms and collective identitysupport governance mechanisms in the Indigenous communal system of 48 Cantones of Totonicapán, Guatemala. Drawing on three of Elinor Ostrom’s institutional design principles (monitoring, collective decision-making and enforcement), the study applies a matrix framework that links governance mechanisms to internal behavioral drivers,…
New municipal partnership: Berg, Sweden and Krolevets, Ukraine
With the aim of strengthening local democracy, increasing youth influence, and contributing to long-term democratic resilience, ICLD has approved a partnership between Berg Municipality in Sweden and the Ukrainian municipality of Krolevets. “This is a unique opportunity for Berg to build international relationships and support Ukraine at the same time. It also strengthens our own…
Bergs Kommun – Krolevets, Ukraine
Inception The partnership between Berg Municipality and Krolevets began through ICLD’s matchmaking process at the Visby event Almedalsveckan in June 2025. Since then, two bilateral meetings with senior political leaders and ICLD representatives have laid the groundwork for collaboration. The partnership is now in the process of developing their project idea in the ICLD-funded inception-phase.…
