Constructing resilient society: self-organising from relief to recovery

This study examines how the narratives of a resilient society are constructed in the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on its way to recovery. The study adopts a constructivist-ontological take on resilience, which extends the view of resilience beyond that in crisis management as a post-disaster strategy and focuses on resilience at-war, as the conflict is ongoing. By analyzing the notes of
participant observation and interview data with various actors (Finnish and Ukrainian civil society organisations, municipalities, individuals, and media) the study will explore how narratives of resilience in Ukrainian society on the way to recovery, take shape in the discussions around self-organizing of directly affected people, and citizens willing to help, who are active in groups that build
collective structures of support, empowerment, and visible politics. The study aims to make several contributions: firstly, to the humanitarian logistics and supply chain management literature by clarifying insights on the recovery phase in an extended conflict context; secondly, to resilience literature by opening up how the narratives of resilient society take shape in the context of an extended crisis, when the disruption to normality is ongoing and recovery is perceived differently by various actors.