The Labour Party and the Foundation Max van der Stoel were pleased to return to Kiev in August 2018 for the ninth annual Summer Academy for young activists in Eastern Europe and the Southern Caucasus.  The programme ran in conjunction with organisers from the Social Democratic Platform of Ukraine.

Over three days, participants were able to discuss social democratic issues, improve their knowledge of political campaigning and build on their existing communication skills.  The workshops were lively and engaging, and participants were able to record their own interviews and sit on a panel in a topical debate.

The programme also included a train-the-trainers element that passed on the skills and knowledge the participants would need to deliver their own training programmes when they returned home.

It was great to see all participants enthusiastically taking part in the workshops and sharing their ideas about the future of social democracy in their own countries. The networks they establish through events such as this help strengthen social democracy throughout the region.