In regions affected by conflict, rebuilding goes beyond bricks and mortar — it’s about restoring trust, dignity, and community. That’s the mission at the heart of Building Ukraine Together (BUR), one of the most dynamic youth-led organisations in Eastern Europe. In the Paths to Peace project, BUR plays a vital role in connecting peacebuilding to lived experience and community resilience.
🌐 Website: www.bur.org.ua/en
Who They Are
BUR is a grassroots youth organisation that emerged in response to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. Since its founding, BUR has mobilised thousands of young volunteers to rebuild homes, public spaces, and communities across the country. But BUR is more than a construction crew — it’s a platform for youth civic engagement, intercultural dialogue, and social cohesion.
Their projects combine hands-on volunteerism with educational programmes, cultural exchange, and leadership development, giving young people the tools and support to be changemakers in their own communities.
What They’re Doing in Paths to Peace
BUR brings essential first-hand insight to Paths to Peace, helping ground the project’s approach in real challenges and opportunities faced by young people in conflict-affected areas. Their main contributions include:
- Co-leading WP3, which delivers a hands-on training series and mentorship programme for 60+ youth Peace Building Advocates.
- Organising a hybrid workshop in Ukraine on community engagement and cultural preservation — focusing on how tourism can strengthen local identity, rebuild social trust, and promote reconciliation.
- Supporting WP2 with the collection of youth-led case studies and interviews, especially from post-conflict and transitional communities.
- Providing mentors and helping guide youth advocates in designing realistic, locally relevant tourism-based peacebuilding proposals.
- Offering outreach and recruitment support for young participants from conflict-affected or socially divided regions.
Meet the BUR Team
At the heart of BUR’s contribution to Paths to Peace is a passionate and experienced team, combining strong project management skills with deep roots in non-formal education, civic engagement, and youth-led initiatives. These three key team members bring a wealth of knowledge in tourism, communication, and partnership development, helping to ensure the project stays relevant, inclusive, and impactful.
Anastasiia Drachuk
Head of Programmes | Project Manager
Anastasiia leads the BUR team on the Paths to Peace project. With a Master’s degree in Tourism Studies from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, she combines academic expertise with over six years of practical experience in managing youth and community-focused projects. Having worked in both municipal government and NGOs, Anastasiia now drives the design of BUR’s educational programmes, championing youth leadership, peacebuilding, and hands-on learning.
Oleksii Lavrynenko
Educational Programme Lead
Oleksii manages the educational and training components of BUR’s work on Paths to Peace. A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, he has been part of BUR since 2018. Oleksii is an experienced facilitator and non-formal education expert, known for developing meaningful, learner-centred methodologies. He currently leads the integration of BUR’s theory of change into volunteer programming and community engagement work.
Nataliia Kidyba
Grants and Partnerships Lead | Project Manager
Nataliia oversees BUR’s partnerships and international outreach, ensuring strong collaborations within and beyond the Paths to Peace project. With a background in Cultural Studies from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, she previously worked in cultural policy at the Lviv City Council. Since joining BUR, Nataliia has focused on strengthening cross-border cooperation, grant coordination, and the visibility of youth-led peacebuilding efforts.
This dedicated team ensures that BUR’s involvement in Paths to Peace reflects the organisation’s core values: empowering youth, rebuilding communities, and promoting peace through participation and education.