A key element of Ukraine’s Euromaidan protests of 2013-2014 was “self-organization,” the idea that if someone has the ability to do something, and that thing needs to be done, the person should simply do it - a clear shift from a Soviet-era mentality of reliance on state institutions to meet people’s needs. This presentation explores the development of self-organization during Euromaidan, its role in later protest movements, and its contribution to reconceptualizing the state. Connecting self-organization to Ukraine’s response to Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022, speakers will consider how localized, volunteer-based initiatives during the war build on previous experiences of self-organization.
On the event agenda was a presentation by Emily Channell-Justice, Director of the Temerty Contemporary Ukraine Program at the Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard University. It was commented by IWM Visiting Fellow Kateryna Iakovlenko.
The discussion was moderated by IWM Permanent Fellow Katherine Younger.
