On May 29th, the State Builder in Action Forum launched this year's program of personal and professional development of youth State Builder.

150 young people from all over Ukraine gathered in Kyiv to become participants in discussions and working sessions devoted to leadership in three areas, namely public administration, corporate and public sectors.

During the opening of the Forum the welcoming statements were aired by Hart Willis, member of the Democratic Governance Office of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), international expert of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine for Youth Development Herve Morin and head of the Ukrainian Leadership Academy Roman Tychkivsky.

The speakers shared the ways they had paved in the public sector and personal development.

Hart Willis drew attention to the importance of combating corruption and stressed, "All of you believe in Ukraine, in its better future."

Herve Morin highlighted the general challenges for both the participants in the State Builder program and the entire generation of young people on the planet in the future. Among the major ones is the employment problem. He also emphasized the importance of lifelong learning and active involvement in public life.

Roman Tychkovsky noted that the program of last year already yielded concrete results, adding young people have the desire to take responsibility for what is happening here and now.

During the Forum the following issues will be considered: the shaping of a policy of change, promotion of public state-building movement, construction of a system of mutual responsibility between authorities and citizens.

There will also be held working sessions "Participation of future leaders in the fight against corruption", "Parliament as a place of serving to the state and people", "Business that creates itself, creates its city and the state", etc.

It is worth saying that the program the State Builder was initiated by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Leadership Academy and is being implemented with the support of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the USAID Project The Support to Anti-Corruption Champion Institutions (SACCI) Program (SACCI), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine. It aims personal and professional development of the youth in Ukraine, the formation of responsible leadership and raising the level of civic activity of young people.

The national stage of this year's program will take place from May 29 to June 7. It will consist of three main components: educational, informative and practical, during which study visits to state authorities, international organizations, mass media, private companies and public associations will take place.