From 29 May to 1 June 2026, partners and invited experts from the Baltic Sea Region and Ukraine met in Sweden for a RiA-ENGAGE study visit focused on cooperation between public authorities, civil society and volunteers in preparedness and crisis response.
The visit, hosted by the Swedish Civil Defence Association, included exchanges with Swedish voluntary defence organisations, local and regional preparedness actors, and practical exercises related to emergency water supply and forest fire response. Ukrainian participants also shared experiences of community mobilisation and volunteer engagement in wartime.
From the PA Secure perspective, the Swedish Institute-funded RiA-ENGAGE is directly connected to the wider work on citizens as active participants in preparedness and resilience. CBSS, as PA Secure co-coordinator and project lead, uses RiA-ENGAGE to strengthen the link between Baltic Sea Region cooperation and Ukraine, while also connecting the project to the PA Secure flagship CREWS project.
Together, RiA-ENGAGE and CREWS support the development of practical models for cooperation between authorities, civil society and volunteers, helping communities become better prepared for crises and disasters.