Alongside the continued Russian military aggression toward Ukraine, which has resulted in an unprecedented and largest post-WWII migration and refugee exodus in Europe, has arose an immediate urge for humanitarian and relief aid. Since the beginning of the military conflict, it is estimated that more than four millions refugees have left Ukraine and settled by vast majority in Central European countries. Apart from this refugee wave well covered by western media, the situation on the ground inside Ukraine grows more catastrophic by the day to millions of Ukrainians stranded in uninhabitable conditions and misplaced from their homes.
The urgency for humanitarian relief aid and its various forms as well as the latest development in Ukraine will be discussed by internationally recognized experts and field practitioners from Ukraine, Czech Republic, Poland and United Kingdom.
- SPEAKERS:
Šimon Pánek, Director and Founder, People in Need Foundation
Maria Montague, Deputy Director, Ukrainian Institute
Radka Rubilina, Director, Czech Centre Kyiv
Barbara Drozdowicz, CEO, East European Resource Centre
- CHAIRED BY:
Klára Skřivánková, Trust for London
The entry to this event is free, but please consider a donation to one of the charities listed on the Ukrainian Institute London’s website or donate at www.justgiving.com/peopleinneed-uk
REGISTRATION NEEDED: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/humanitarian-and-relief-aid-for-ukraine-tickets-308537673487
SPEAKERS’ BIOs:
Šimon Pánek, Director and Founder, People in Need
Šimon Pánek began his social activism as a student during the Velvet Revolution in 1989 and today he is the executive director of the humanitarian organization People in Need (Člověk v tísni), which he co-founded in 1992. He was a foreign policy specialist covering the Balkans and international human rights issues for the Office of the President of the Czech Republic, during Václav Havel’s presidency He is currently Chair of the Board of the Prague Civil Society Centre and a lecturer at the European Leadership & Academic Institute. In 2003 he received the European of the Year Award.
Radka Rubilina, Director, Czech Centre Kyiv
Radka Rubilina is a researcher, human rights expert and poet. She holds a PhD from the University of Konstanz, and in her research she has always combined cultural and political phenomena. She is an expert on the genre of memoires, especially those of political prisoners in soviet working camps (GULAG). She used to work as the Head of Democratization department in the biggest Czech NGO “People in Need” where she supported civil society development in Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia. She spent four years as a Human Rights Officer in Armenia, working for the OSCE and two years as a Human Rights Adviser for the EUMM in Georgia. She regularly contributes to a number of Czech media outlets such as Hospodářské noviny, Respekt, Souvislosti and Aktualne.cz. Her book of poetry “Cheap Romance” was published in 2017 when she also became a member of the Association of Czech Writers. She has served as the director of Czech Centre Kyiv since 2020.
Barbara Drozdowicz, CEO, East European Resource Center
Barbara Drozdowicz is the CEO of the East European Resource Centre. In London since 2008, she joined the EERC in 2012, having previously been involved in a charity support sector as a governance and funding adviser. In Poland, Barbara worked in a number of European social inclusion projects targeting homelessness and other persistently socially excluded groups. In 2019 Barbara received her MBA from the Open University and has since been interested in application of management sciences in the non-profit sector.
Maria Montague, Deputy Director, Ukrainian Institute
Maria Montague is the Deputy Director of the Ukrainian Institute London. She is leading the Institute’s work in supporting Ukrainian refugees and UK hosts, working closely with other Ukrainian community organisations in the UK. She has previously worked as a producer on various cultural projects related to Ukraine, and in 2019 she co-produced an international theatre festival in Kharkiv. She has also worked as a researcher with the Arena programme, with a particular focus on countering Russian propaganda.
Chaired by Klára Skřivánková, Trust for London
Klára brings to the debate over 18 years of experience in policy, research and strategy development. She is an internationally recognised expert on migration, modern slavery, decent work and responsible business and currently serves as the Programmme Director at the Trust for London. Prior to joining the Trust , she worked at the human rights charity Anti-Slavery International and as an expert advisor for the Ethical Trading Initiative and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. She has also served on boards of two United Nations Trust Funds and advised international bodies, including the Council of Europe.
