European Forum of the Ukrainian Diaspora "Augsburg 2026"
Without a free Ukraine, there is no free Europe. Based on this principle, the umbrella organization of Ukrainian organizations in Germany (DUOD/ОУОН) is jointly organizing the European Forum of the Ukrainian Diaspora "Augsburg 2026" with the European Congress of Ukrainians (EKU) on October 30 and 31, 2026 – as the national umbrella organization for Germany within the European EKU structure. The forum brings together representatives of Ukrainian communities from Europe.
The location is deliberately chosen: Augsburg was one of the largest centers of Ukrainian life in the American occupation zone after 1945 – in the camps for Displaced Persons (stateless foreigners), primarily in the Somme barracks, up to 6,000 Ukrainians lived there at times. Ukrainian schools, church communities, a press of their own, and self-administration structures were established. The forum consciously connects to this history – and to the still active Ukrainian community of the city.
Important change to the programme:
On Sunday, 1 November 2026, we are planning to visit the burial sites of prominent Ukrainians in Munich.
If you are planning to join, please book your return ticket from Munich back home.
The provisional program (times in CET)
Friday, October 30, 2026
from 09:00 – Registration of participants
11:15–11:30 – Brief opening greeting of the guests
11:30–13:00 – Panel: "Ukraine in Europe. The contribution of Ukrainian civil society and diaspora to European security and cooperation"
13:00–14:00 – Lunch break
14:00–15:30 – Panel: “Ukrainian Women Without Borders: Voice, Influence, Action”
15:30–16:00 – Coffee break
16:00–17:00 – Official opening of the EFUD
17:00–17:40 – Presentation of ECU and AUOG
17:45–18:00 – Presentation of the Ukrainian Free University (UFU)
18:15 - Group Photo
19:00 - Evening program
Saturday, October 31, 2026
09:00–11:00 – Annual meeting of ECU (for ECU members)
10:00–11:00 – Registration of forum participants
11:00–12:00 – Expert session: "Ukraine on the front line: Challenges for security and resilience"
12:05-12:25 -Presentation of the GIZ Ukraine Project “YOUA”
12:30–14:00 – Thematic panel 1: “Preserving Ukrainian identity and values is key to the future – both for Ukraine and for the Ukrainian community abroad.”
14:00-15:00 – Lunch break
15:00–16:30 – Topic Panel 2: "Historical Diaspora, New Communities, and the Change of Organized Ukrainian Life in Europe"
16:35–17:35 – Topic Panel 3: "Strengthening the Voice of Ukrainian Communities in Europe – Through Coordination, Advocacy, and Representation"
17:35–18:00 – Coffee Break
18:00–19:00 – Topic Panel 4: "The Digital Generation, Continuity, and the Future of Ukrainian Organizations in Europe"
19:00–19:15 – Summary and Conclusion
from 19:15 Evening program
Sunday, 1 November 2026
9:00-Departure for Munich. Visit to the Gravesites of Prominent Ukrainians in Munic (If you are planning to go to the cemetery, please book a return ticket from Munich back home)
If these issues matter to you, if you share the conviction that Ukraine’s future is inseparably linked to the future of Europe, and that the Ukrainian diaspora deserves to be properly represented and heard, we warmly invite you to join us in Augsburg.
Register here
For security reasons, the location of the forum will be communicated to all registered participants at a later date.