Invitation to side event “Ukraine United by Values”, September 21st

Dear friends,

We kindly invite you to the side event during the human rights sessions, called “UKRAINE UNITED BY VALUES” which will be held in the UNO (Palais de Nations 18, Geneva, Gate Pregny, building E, entrance 40, room XXVII) on September 21st, 2017. We start at 4/30 pm.

Main Speakers: 

1. Bohdan Nahajlo – author, journalist, director of Radio Svoboda in Ukraine, researcher for Amnesty International, head of Democracy Reporting International in Kyiv

2. Andrej Lushnycky – President of the Ukrainian Society of Switzerland, Honorary Consul of Ukraine

3. Nataliya Popovych – communications consultant and Co-Founder and Deputy Chair of the Ukraine Crisis Media Center

4. Tetiana Bilyk– public policy expert, expert in health care, explains human rights aspect

OBJECTIVES:
o To inform representatives of the diplomatic missions, international organizations, media who are interested in events in Ukraine (both Ukraine’s advocates as well as detractors) about positive changes in Ukraine and the strong commitment of the Government of Ukraine towards the respect of human rights, democratic values and the rule of law.
o To consolidate international support for Ukraine in Geneva
o To inform on Ukrainian civil society, which continues to move on the European path, despite foreign aggression against Ukraine, and is determined to preserve the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine at the same time prioritizing the protection of human rights.
o To discuss the strategy of systematic development of a united Ukraine; including innovative approaches to unifying Ukrainians, regardless of their geography, social status, expression, conscience or religion, around a system of pro-European, progressive values, with a particular emphasis on human rights.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:
o Effective ways of combining the efforts of the international community to support Ukraine; the conception of this process by the international community, particularly in the context of the struggle against Russian aggression and rampant human rights violations in the occupied territories.
o How do international partners seek to unite Ukrainians around the system of European values; further steps to ensure respect for human rights and to combat discrimination on all grounds.
o Freedom of speech and discrimination in the face of external aggression; a vision of activities and challenges in this area for the future.
o The power of positive change and how to assert it. A roadmap to build trust in a society where trust in institutions has been, at best, eroded, or at worst, never existed at all.
o Instilling values on the future generations, future leaders. How to improve education and information about human rights in Ukraine to build a society based on an understanding of democratic values, the rule of law and to refute the cynicism imbedded in the society today.

Registration needed till September 20th to the email of the coordinator Inna Akhtyrska: i.akhtyrska@gmail.com

It’s necessary to have your ID and get the entrance pass, we kindly recommend you to use the entrance in front of Red Cross.

More information:

i.akhtyrska@gmail.com, 079 477 96 25