This event sheds light on the role of civilians in Ukrainian defence and non-violent resistance.
The units fighting at the front in Ukraine are the ones in the direct line of fire. But war means the mobilisation of a whole country. NGOs, help initiatives and civilians are there to support the Ukrainian society to keep going in these times of crisis.
Among the many things they do, help organisations and the people themselves supply the Ukrainian front with the materials they need to fight, communicate the need for help to the outside world and generate crowdfunding, reunite children with their families and provide for some form of education for them, or even help reintegrate prisoners of war into civilian life.
Together with EU member States, we discuss what our possibilities are to help!
PROGRAMME:
13:00 - 13:15 Welcome remarks
MEP Petras Auštrevičius, Renew Europe Shadow Rapporteur on Ukraine
13:15 - 14:30 Panel I: The Civilian Shield: How NGOs and Civilians Empower Ukrainian Defense
This panel will focus on the important role NGOs and ordinary civilians play in supporting Ukrainian defenders by crowdfunding and then supplying drones, protective gear and other equipment to military units at the front. It will feature representatives of most renown Ukrainian and EU Member States NGOs and initiatives, which help Ukraine to resist Russian aggression, to protect and save lives of Ukrainian soldiers and, as a result prove, that the whole of society engagement is a way to win nowadays wars.
Pavlo Horyachev, Engineering Expert, Dignitas Fund, Ukraine
Vladyslav Urubkov, Director of the Military Department, Come Back Alive, Ukraine
Iryna Nykorak, Member of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine & Founder, Arm Women Now, Ukraine (remote connection)
MEP Reinis Pozņaks, Co-founder, Twitter Convoy, Latvia
Jonas Oehman, Co-founder and Chairman of the Board, Blue/Yellow, Lithuania
Bartas Trakymas, Co-Founder, Wings for Europe, Belgium and Luxembourg
Moderator: MEP Karin Karlsbro, European Parliament’s rapporteur/ chief negotiator for economic support to Ukraine
14:30 - 15:30 Coffee Break
15:30 - 16:45 Panel II: Healing a Nation: The Civil Power Behind Ukraine’s Recovery
This panel will address the role of civil society in providing services to Ukrainians who are most affected by the war. Representatives of NGOs and civil society will discuss their work to provide medical and social services and recovery to wounded Ukrainian defenders-heroes. They will present their enormous efforts to reunite Ukrainian children who have been kidnapped and illegally transferred to Russia with their families, help them to reintegrate, and provide them with quality education. The panel will also discuss how they are helping former female prisoners of war to reintegrate into civilian life.
Liza Bugaienko, Head of Grants, Superhumans Trauma Center, Ukraine
Alina Dmytrenko, Government Relations, Save Ukraine, Ukraine
Liuydmyla Huseinova, Head, Numo, Sisters!, Ukraine
Vitalii Horbanevych, Founder and Chairman, Bright-Ukraine, Ukraine (remote connection)
Jakub Janas, Partnerships Coordinator, Stand with Ukraine Foundation, Poland
Alberto Fernández-Díez,Member of the Cabinet of Commissioner for Enlargement responsible for Ukraine and relations with international financial institutions
Moderator: MEP Dan Barna, Vice-President of Renew Europe
16:45 - 17:15 Coffee break
17:15 - 17:55 Exchange with Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defence and Space
Faciliated by: MEP Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Chair of EP Committee on Security and Defence
17:55 - 18:00 Concluding remarks
MEP Petras Auštrevičius, Renew Europe Shadow Rapporteur on Ukraine