28 Mar Report // Second day of the 2nd Liberte, Egalite, Solidarite Ukrainian & Serbian CSO Forum in Uzhhorod
The second day of the second Liberté Egalité Solidarité CSO Forum held in the Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod (Wednesday, March 26), further confirmed the willingness of the participating organizations to crown their joint meetings and intensive exchange of opinions with concrete collaborations and projects to be realized in cooperation.
The day began with a new round of discussions between the participants, after which Andriy Lyubka, a renowned Ukrainian writer and translator, as well as a representative of the Ukrainian Institute for Central European Strategy, the implementation partner of the KROKODIL Association, gave a lecture titled “Art as Armor: The Role of Ukrainian Culture in National Defense.” In an exciting ninety-minute conversation, Lyubka convincingly demonstrated to the event participants from both countries that contemporary Ukrainian culture became an essential component of the country’s defensive strategy right at the start of the full-scale invasion, using concrete examples of Ukrainian poets, writers, painters, theater and film directors, and actors, as well as others who actively engaged in defending the country from the aggressor. Andriy Lyubka also highlighted several artists and cultural workers who provided financial and material support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in various ways.
After this exciting and somewhat touching lecture and a joint lunch, the group went on a tour of the city, on a beautiful and sunny day, the first true spring day. After the tour, we had the opportunity and honor to attend a performance by Serhiy Zhadan, unquestionably the greatest Ukrainian writer and poet of the present day, held in Uzhhorod’s former synagogue. The excited audience, which filled the magnificent hall of this building constructed in an ornate Moorish style, accompanied his readings and speeches with ovations and generously donated substantial amounts of resources to support the Ukrainian army, which is in fact the very essence of these exciting and incredibly well-attended performances Zhadan gives throughout the country. All this impressively confirmed the main theses of the earlier lecture about the role and importance of culture in defending the country, as well as in the further development of the unique Ukrainian self-awareness and moral strength that has kept this society alive for so long despite the brutal invasion it has been exposed to for three years now.
We ended the day at the Snack café-museum where we were served delicious local specialties such as banosh, Hutsul polenta with fresh cheese, or holubtsi, specific Ukrainian cabbage rolls made from fresh cabbage, etc.
The entire group departed on Thursday, March 27, in the morning hours with warm farewells and the promise that the cooperation established will continue through further work on joint projects.
The project “LIBERTE, EGALITE, SOLIDARITE” reflects the inherent need for cooperation between CSOs in Serbia and Ukraine, highlighted by research conducted in 2023. This emphasizes a practical bottom-up approach to strengthen civil sector capacity and share effective methodologies, raising awareness of the importance of active, timely, and coordinated action. The initiative will establish a platform for long-term cooperation, strengthening civil sectors in both nations and enhancing their collective ability to manage complex socio-political challenges while promoting shared values and mutual understanding.
Supported by the ERSTE Foundation.
