Important international conference on building peace and democracy in Ukraine
How can a democratic and sustainable society be built in a country marked by war? This urgent question was discussed last week by researchers and practitioners at a conference held at Linnaeus University in Kalmar and at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
The aim of the international conference Building Peace and Democracy in Ukraine was to bring together researchers and other societal actors to explore how peace and democracy can be built in Ukraine during and after the war.
“Ukraine’s long-term peace and democratic stability are not only about military resilience, but also about strengthening institutions, engaging civil society, and building a fair and inclusive economy”, says Charlotte Silander, associate professor of political science at Linnaeus University and one of the organizers of the conference.
Keynotes of great importance
The conference opened with a panel discussion, Ukraine, Democracy, and the Changing Geopolitical Order, which placed Ukraine in the context of a shifting geopolitical landscape and addressed democratic institutions, the role of civil society, academic freedom, and long-term stability. The panel included researchers from, among others, Nantes Université in France, Malmö University, and Dalarna University.
A central element of the conference was the keynote lectures. Svitlana Zalishchuk, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Sweden, spoke about Ukraine’s role in defending democratic values and shaping Europe’s future security order.
“The ambassador provided an extremely important and compelling account of what the war is doing to Ukrainian citizens and the suffering that people endure in their daily lives. The speech truly captured the importance of our conference and highlighted what it means for Europe and for freedom that Ukraine wins the war”, says Daniel Silander, associate professor of political science and one of the participants at the conference.
The importance of education and universities
Anton Korynevych, Head of the Department of International Law and International Legal Counteraction to Aggression of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, spoke about international law, accountability, and legal pathways to peace in Ukraine.
Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Mykola Trofymenko, gave an engaging talk on the importance of education and universities for reconstruction, social resilience, and sustainable peace.
“In response to a direct question about Russian universities as potential drivers of Russian democracy and cooperation with the West, he painted a bleak picture of Russian universities, which he said no longer meet European standards but have become extensions of the regime”, says Daniel Silander.
Cooperation within the European University for Well-Being
Building Peace and Democracy in Ukraine was a collaboration between Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Linnaeus University, and the European University for Well-Being (EUniWell), of which both universities are members along with ten other European universities.
The conference gathered more than 100 participants, mainly from Ukraine and Sweden. It was organized as a hub conference, with participants at Linnaeus University in Kalmar and at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in Ukraine taking part via a live video link.
The situation in Ukraine was illustrated by the fact that participants in Kyiv were, on two occasions during the conference, instructed to seek shelter, and that the city was subjected to massive attacks during the night following the conference.
A too important conference
As a follow-up to the conference, an anthology will be produced based on a selection of the scientific papers presented, explains Charlotte Silander, who hopes for a continuation.
“I truly hope the conference will become an annual event. It was far too important to be held only once!”
More information
- The program for the conference Building Peace and Democracy in Ukraine
- The European University for Well-Being, EUniWell
- Education for Democratic Citizenship, a feature story on a two-year project carried out by Linnaeus University in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Research in Kyiv
