Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine caused a splash of interest to Ukraine from countries around the world and from the Ukrainian state as well as the non-governmental sector to various regions outside of the EU and North America. It was manifested in the statement of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy proclaiming the work with the countries of Global South as one of the priorities for Ukrainian diplomacy, such as visits by Ukrainian state representatives to African and South East Asian countries, recent high-level meetings in Copenhagen and Jeddah dedicated to the Peace Formula suggested by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy as first stages of the preparations to the Peace Formula Summit, as well as multiple advocacy trips by representatives of Ukrainian civil society to Africa, South and Central America, South East and East Asia. Ukrainian MFA appointed a Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa. Some of the countries have joined the Crimea Platform recently (for instance, Guatemala, Bahrein, and the United Arab Emirates). For the countries of the indicated regions Ukraine appeared to be important in the context of food and energy security, lots of the countries, especially from the African continent, but also the Middle East and South East Asia experienced significant grain and/or energy resource shortages caused by Russia’s large-scale war against Ukraine.
At the semantic level for many countries, the current war with all its brutality is an eye-opener in terms of acknowledgement of the Russian imperial and colonial practices, which many did not find obvious before that. However, the new exploration of Ukraine has been disturbed by the intensification of Russian propaganda aimed at promoting manipulative narratives. Consequently, there is little to no acknowledgement of the imperial nature of the Russian Federation and the colonial/postcolonial nature of relations between Russia and Ukraine. However, it can become more obvious via personal experience. Providing the opportunity to get this personal experience is one of the key goals of the conference.
The topic of Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula that has been under Russian occupation since 2014, might be a perfect entry point for this conversation because of several reasons.
- The Russian aggression against Ukraine started in Crimea with the occupation of the peninsula in 2014, which is recognized by the absolute majority of the UN countries,
- Crimea itself can be considered a part of the Global South due to the geographical and historical circumstances,
- Crimea has indigenous peoples living in the peninsula, and it is home to the biggest Muslim community in Ukraine, Crimean Tatars, which is the group most oppressed by the Russian occupation of Crimea,
- It has become one of the cornerstones of the Russian fascist ideology, it has high political value for Vladimir Putin and for the ideology of “Russkiy mir”, currently Crimea survives its third colonization by Russia.
Therefore, the Crimean issue can just act as an entry point for a broader conversation about the greater Russian aggression, about Russian false narratives and colonial policies, as well as about the prospects of justice.
The conference will gather the experts from around the globe to establish a personal connection between them and Ukrainian CSOs as well as the Ukrainian government and Parliament. They will have a chance to explore Ukraine, gain a better understanding of the Crimean Peninsula and the Ukrainian resistance to the Russian aggression, and to come up with potential joint projects and initiatives.
Key organizers:
International Center for Ukrainian Victory
Media Initiative for Human Rights
Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union
International Partnership for Human Rights
ZMINA Human Rights Center
Ukraine 5 AM Coalition
With the support of:
Office of the Crimea Platform
AGENDA
October 14 (Day 1)
8.00 Welcome coffee
9.00 – Opening ceremony
Introduction of the Panel 1
11.00 – 12.30 – Panel 1
A peace plan for Ukraine. The global context of the full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine.
The peaceful resolution of the international armed conflict and Russia’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine should take place within a framework of a comprehensive set of measures, aimed at sustainable and irreversible peace. For Ukraine, this war is the result of a long-term confrontation of values with Russia and the struggle for survival of its people, society and the state. For centuries, Russia has been trying to destroy the Ukrainian identity, language, and culture, rewrite Ukraine’s history, and eradicate the intellectual elites. Ukrainians long for peace like no one else. However, such peace must be long-lasting, because the feeling of constant danger, a new attack of even greater aggressiveness on Ukraine’s territory, multiplication of the thousands of war crimes, will not give ground to restore the country and rebuild the global security architecture. Time has come to discuss both security guarantees and guarantees of sustainable peace, in which the world is interested, frankly and openly with all partners. The session will also focus on how global experiences can contribute to security guarantees, lessons learned and support for Ukraine.
Catalina Gomez Angel, journalist, Columbia
Dr Omar Ashour, Professor of Security and Military Studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Qatar
Paulina Astroza, Director of the Centre for European Studies at Universidad de Concepción, Chile
Dr Dino Patti Djalal, Founder and Chairman of Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI), Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia (2014) and Ambassador of Indonesia to the US (2010-2013), Indonesia
Dr Greg Mills, Director, The Brenthurst Foundation, SAR, online
Keynote speaker: Office of President of Ukraine, TBC
Moderator: Olha Aivazovska, Head of the Board, OPORA Civil network, co-founder of the International Center for Ukrainian Victory, Ukraine
12.30 – 13.30 – Lunch
13.30 – 15.30 – Panel 2
Global Food Security: feeding the world from under the Russian missiles and amidst the ecocide.
The session will discuss how the full-scale Russian invasion affected the food supply around the world and how to overcome its consequences together.
І component (1h). Discussion with Ukrainian farmers
This component will focus on the losses to Ukrainian agriculture from the war, including loss of crop areas, changes in the crop structure, equipment and human losses, and problems with irrigation. It will also discuss possible options for the future of Ukrainian agriculture. Farmers from the de-occupied territories.
Serhii Leonov, Head of Rovi Agro,a farm in the Chernihiv region that operates under conditions of constant shelling from Russia and survived the Russian occupation
Vadym Svietlov, Head of the Farm enterprise “Svetlova”, a farm in the Sumy region that operates under conditions of constant shelling from Russia and under conditions of mined fields
ІІ component (1h) Discussion: Impact of the Russian full-scale war on food security around the world. How to overcome it? This component will focus on the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine across the globe, in particular on the price growth and consumption structure. The situation in the Black Sea and Russia’s control over the international trade routes, as well as potential forecasts and scenarios.
Yörük Işık, geopolitical analyst, founder of the Bosphorus Observer, non-resident fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C., Türkiye
Pavel Panasjuk, Ukrainian innovator/startupper in the agriculture sphere, Ukraine
Monsi Serrano, Business and Change Management Consultant, journalist, Philippines
Aribel Contreras Suarez, Department of Business Studies at the Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City, COMEXI think tank associate, global affairs analyst, Mexico
Moderator: Hanna Hopko, Co-founder, the International Center for Ukrainian Victory, Head of Foreign Affairs Committee and Member of Parliament (2014-2019), Ukraine
15.30 – Coffee break
16.00-17.15 – Panel 3
(De)colonialism: Lessons of the Past and Challenges of the Present
The panel will focus on the colonial past, decolonisation intentions and hopes through the lens of the Russian attack on Ukraine. The trauma of colonialism is crucial for understanding today’s world, and overcoming it is important for the future. The speakers will discuss why decolonisation matters and what can be done with modern colonialism in Russia. Particular attention will be paid to indigenous peoples, their opinions and aspirations.
Alim Aliev, Crimean Tatar activist, Ukrainian Institute, Deputy Head
Félix Alejandro Maradiaga Blandon, academic, former presidential candidate and president of the Fundación para la Libertad de Nicaragu, Nicaragua
Botakoz Kassymbekova, Assistant Professor of Modern History at the University of Basel, Kazakhstan/Switzerland
Mordecai Thiombiano Lompo, Chief Executive Officer at the Agape Humanitarian Outreach, convenor of a Democratic Pressure group “Arise Ghana”, lead convenor of a political activist group “Justice for Ghana”, Ghana
Keynote speaker: Mridula Ghosh, Kyiv Mohyla Academy, Indian-Ukrainian public figure, journalist, Ukraine/India
Moderator: Martin-Oleksandr Kisly, historian of Crimea and Crimean Tatars, lecturer at the National University of “Kyiv Mohyla Academy”, Ukraine
16.00 – 17.15 – Side event “Impact of war and violence on women & society” (Maidan Hall, simultaneous interpretation into English-Spanish-Ukrainian)
The goal of the discussion is to learn about threats and challenges experienced by women in India, Mexico, Iran, and Ukraine, given their unique cultural, historical, and social contexts. Panelists will discuss and map strategies implemented in their countries to fight for the prominence of women’s rights in political and social issues and understand the impact of physical and psychological insecurity caused by repressions, gang violence or armed conflict on women and girls based on examples from Mexico, India, Iran, and Ukraine. Furthermore, panellists will brainstorm ideas for expressions of solidarity among women’s rights and human rights defenders and the reasons why they are important.
Samirà Ardalani, human rights activist, Iran/Italy
Kavita Krishnan, prominent women’s rights activist, leader, and author, India
Hannia Novell, renowned journalist, scholar, and author, women’s rights advocate, Mexico
Moderator: Tetiana Pechonchyk, head of the Human Rights Center ZMINA (Ukraine)
October 15 (Day 2)
10.00-11.30 – Panel 4
A New International Legal Order: How to find tools for protecting peace and security in the future
The discussion will focus on the response of international institutions to internal, international, and hybrid armed conflicts and on mechanisms for prosecuting the most serious international crimes, including the crime of aggression. What should international organizations and international justice look like to cope with this task. Speakers will discuss the expectations of the International Criminal Court and its ability to meet the expectations of victims of armed conflicts. What should be the balance between international and national judicial systems, and what is the optimal model for investigating crimes committed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A separate topic is overcoming the consequences of wars, searching for missing persons, and releasing hostages and prisoners of war.
Félix Alejandro Maradiaga Blandon, academic, former presidential candidate and president of the Fundación para la Libertad de Nicaragu, Nicaragua
Richard Goldstone, Retired Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa, former Chief Prosecutor of the United Nations International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the Republic of South Africa, online
Yasmin Baindu Sandoh Jusu-Sheriff, a lawyer and women’s rights advocate, Sierra Leone/UK, online
Anton Korynevych, Ambassador-at-Large of the Minstry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, a Ukrainian lawyer specializing in public international law, international humanitarian and international criminal law, Ukraine
Leopoldo Eduardo López Mendoza, Venezuelan political leader, pro-democracy activist and Sakharov prize laureate, Venezuela/Spain
Mossaad Mohamed Ali Mossaad, Executive Director of African Center for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS), Sudan
Arayik Ghazaryan, Human rights lawyer, Armenia
Moderator: Oksana Kovalenko, Special correspondent on international law issues of the Babel media outlet
11.30 – Coffee break
12.00 – 13.30 – Panel 5
Energy Security: how the full-scale Russian invasion affected the energy security around the world and how to overcome its consequences together
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine back in February 2022, Russia conducted more than 870 missile attacks on Ukraine. It has been violating the basic principles of nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, focusing its main military strategy on Ukrainian civil nuclear facilities and energy infrastructure providing integrity and safety of their operations. On March 4, 2022, Russia conducted an unprecedented act of nuclear terrorism – the seizure of the largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine and Europe – Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russia’s disregard for Europe’s and global nuclear safety and security, acting as an irresponsible supplier of nuclear power and civil nuclear technologies, and conducting an unprecedented act of nuclear terrorism at ZNPP calls for a common response on an international scale, which the session will aim to address. It will also discuss the future of peaceful nuclear energy, based on mistakes and lessons learnt from Russia’s war in Ukraine
Olga Babiy, National Commission for State Regulation in Energy and Utilities, Ukraine
Dr. Can Kasapoglu, Senior Fellow at Hudson Institute, Director of Defense Research, EDAM, Türkiye
Ruhee Neog, Director of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), India
Oksana Ishchuk, Executive Director, Centre for Global Studies Strategy XXI, Ukraine
Oliver Della Costa Stuenkel, Professor at the School of International Relations at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) in São Paulo, Brazil,online
Moderator: Victoria Voytsitska, International Center for Ukrainian Victory, Secretary of the Committee on Fuel Energy, Nuclear Policies and Security and Member of Parliament (2014-2019), Ukraine
13.30 – 14.30 – Lunch
14.30 – 16.00 – Panel 6
Redefining the International Security and Development Orders: Ukraine’s resistance and reconstruction, and South-South cooperation
Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine has rendered painfully evident the failures of collective security. At the same time, Russia’s war has brought into the open the failures of global development, as many countries of the ’Global South’ find themselves vulnerable to fluctuations in international food markets caused by Russia’s aggression. What can South-South cooperation do to redefine the international security and development orders, and what role can the re-energised relations with Ukraine contribute to this redefinition?
Armi Channa, Founder and President of the Indo-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IUCCI),India
Brenda Estefan, international relations analyst, professor at IPADE Business School, Mexico
Mario Pereira Garmendia, Associate Professor at the University of Navarra School of Law, Uruguay
Roselyne Ndisi Obala, Political Editor at Nation Media Group, Kenya
Amb Lila Roldán Vázquez, General Secretary of the Argentinian Council of Foreign Relations (CARI), Argentina
Moderator and keynote speaker: Ivan Klyszcz, Research Fellow at ICDS in Tallinn, Estonia
14.30 – 16.00 – Side event (Maidan Hall)
Is There a Realistic Prospect of Justice in the Case of Ukraine? What international experience says about that
Questions for discussion: Reaction to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and any shifts in the public perception since. Thoughts and opinions on reasons for the attention mostly from the “global north” to the role of justice in the case of Ukraine. Considering the length and intensity of the armed conflicts, what was justice like for the victims? What should and can be improved? Ukraine: are there any parallels that can already be identified, common denominators? Brainstorming session: how can Ukraine capitalise on the attention it currently receives in the field of international justice to help other conflict situations?
Farzaneh Hosseini, human rights lawyer and advocate, Iran/UK
Mossaad Mohamed Ali Mossaad, Executive Director of African Center for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS), Sudan
Ehsan Qaane, Nation Coordinator, International Center for Transitional Justice, Afghanistan, online
Priya Pillai, Head of Asia Justice Coalition, Philippines, online
Ihor Ponochovnyi, Head of Prosecutor’s Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine
Juergen Schurr, Head of Law at Lawyers for Justice, Libya, online
Moderator: Nadiya Volkova, director of the Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group
October 16 (Day 3)
9.30-11.00 – Panel 7
Wagner Group as a Human Rights Challenge Worldwide: searching for a solution to accountability
During the panel discussion, the Media Initiative for Human Rights will present a study of the Wagner Group’s activities in Ukraine. At the same time, the actions of this and other private military companies go far beyond the Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict. The use of the Wagner Group in Africa, Asia, and Latin America has become an instrument of not only military but also political influence. This allows representatives of this paramilitary organization to commit crimes against civilians with impunity, hold prisoners, and keep entire cities in fear. What is the status of the Wagner group and other PMCs under international humanitarian law? Who will be held accountable for the crimes of the Wagner group? And more broadly, how should the international community respond to hybrid forms of participation in armed conflicts through PMCs?
Armando Daniel Gerardo Armas Cuartin, Venezuelan lawyer, activist and politician, member of the National Assembly of Venezuela, exposed the Wagner group activities in Venezuela, Venezuela/Italy
Mazen Darwish, Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression; center has brought a case against Wagner, Syria/France, online
Oumarou Paul Koalaga, Founder and Executive Director of the Institute of Strategy and International Relations (ISRI), developing and piloting innovative methods of response to terrorism, violent extremism and community violence, Burkina Faso
Dr Sorcha MacLeod, researcher in the fields of international human rights law, was involved in the drafting of the Montreux Document and the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Providers, the United Kingdom, online
Maksym Tymochko, Legal Department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Ukraine
Moderator: Olha Reshetylova, head of the Media Initiative for Human Rights, Ukraine
11.15 – 12.30 – Panel 8
How Muslims are Affected by the Russian Aggression. Potential for global solidarity
It seems like the times of colonialism and empires are gone, but the current Russian war against Ukraine proves this assumption to be wrong. The last empire makes Muslim people colonized by Moscow sacrifice themselves in the name of the empire and go to war against other Muslims, in particular. That contradicts the religious and moral dogma of Islam, but also it reminds us of WWI with all those colonial nations that were forced to participate in the war in the name and according to the interests of the metropole. How do the Crimean Tatar people as the biggest Ukrainian Muslim community see this problem, and how can we frame this problem in religious terms? How to enlist the support of the worldwide Muslim community for releasing Crimean Tatar political prisoners and find at least signs of enforced disappeared Crimean Tatars during the annexation of the Crimean peninsula? How can the current full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine that engages multiple representatives of the Muslim peoples inhabiting the Russian Federation be viewed in religious terms of Islam.
Furthermore – is there a possibility for a global solidarity with Ukrainian Muslims affected by the war in Ukraine – starting from the occupation of Crimea and up to the mosques destroyed as a result of shellings all over Ukraine.
Keynote speech: Ayder Rustemov, Mufti of the Religious Administration of Muslims of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Ukraine
Panelists:
Mohammad Fazril Bin Mohd Saleh, Secretary General of the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (ABIM), Malaysia
Diallo Issa Sadio, President of the African Council in Ukraine, Guinea/Ukraine
Mokhammad Zaidiie, Head of the Syrian diaspora in Kyiv, Director of the Ukrainian Medical and Humanitarian Foundation UOSSM, Syria/Ukraine
Moderator: Arsen Zhumadilov, Crimean Tatar public figure, Head of the Crimean Institute of Strategic Studies, Kyiv Mohyla Academy lecturer, Ukraine
12.30 – Coffee break
13.00 – Panel 9
Global Left on Global War: Ideologies, Solidarities, and Activism
The global Left movement is known for its fervent support and solidarity with those marginalized, oppressed, and colonized by imperial powers. Their militaristic anti-imperialism and anti-colonialism, as well as fight for the rights of excluded – the working class, LGBTQ+, indigenous peoples, among others – are the common principles that unite various strands of the Left. Yet, many have been suspiciously silent when the Russian armed forces together with the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad bombed civilian infrastructure in Syria. Many were silent when Russian President Vladimir Putin occupied Crimea and invaded Donbas in 2014 in violation of all international norms. Today, few leftists show sympathy when the Russian state commits crimes of genocide in Ukraine, denying Ukrainians the right to identity and statehood. Despite their anti-imperial rhetoric, many on the left remain blind to Russian imperialism and violence, tending to blame the familiar “Western foe” instead.
This panel brings together 4 leftist intellectuals from 4 countries – Syria, India, Chile, and Ukraine – to reflect and discuss: What are the sources of these blindspots? How do old rivalries and alliances shape the Left’s response to modern challenges? What does it mean to be anti-imperialist in the 21st century? How can leftists around the world mobilize against the 21st century imperialism?
Manuel Férez Gil, journalist, co-author of the “Ukraine’s Many Faces: Land, People, and Culture Revisited”, Chile, online
Olexiy Haran, Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Research Director at the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, Ukraine
Kavita Krishnan, activist and feminist, India
Leila Al-Shami, writer, activist, author of «Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War», Syria/UK, online
Keynote speaker and moderator: Maria Shynkarenko, Research Associate, Institute for Human Sciences, Ukraine/Austria
14.30 – Closing ceremony / final remarks
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