An educational project called In Search of Identity was launched in Ukraine. The project aimed to hold multiple online events and create a discussion platform to unite the Ukrainian nation through a common understanding of the history, ideas, and values. The project's first lecture took place on February 21.
The project was implemented by the Cultural Project NGO with the support of the USAID Ukraine Confidence Building Initiative (UCBI) project.
The discussion platform In Search of Identity responds to the request of Ukrainians who want to understand the causes of current events, refresh their knowledge of Ukrainian history and culture, and find answers about the roots of their identity.
Prominent experts, academics, and members of Ukraine's intellectual elite, well-known in academic and public circles, were invited to participate in the project. Those who agreed to take part included Natalia Kryvda, Vitaliy Skalsky, Vakhtang Kebuladze, Dmytro Horbachov, Tetiana Filevska, Olena Romanenko, Josef Zissels, Diana Klochko, Dariia Hirna, Taras Lyutyi, Illia Levchenko, and Vitaliy Shchepansky.
"The realization of their own identity by Ukrainians is an important factor in the struggle for independence. Thanks to the preservation and development of our culture, and understanding our difference from the people of the aggressor state, Ukrainians have become a nation and were able to declare independence and the creation of a state twice in the last century," commented Tatiana Dubich, Executive Director of the Cultural Project NGO. "We aimed to respond to the immense demand of the Ukrainian audience, which emerged at the end of the second year of full-scale war, to understand who Ukrainians are, what unites us, what distinguishes us, where we are going, and what our future should and can be."
The project's focus was primarily on the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine – Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions.
"The Ukrainian nation has undergone a huge destructive influence from the Russian Empire – through prolonged territorial occupation and aggressive colonial policies. This has affected the blurring of the identity of representatives of the Ukrainian nation, a lack of understanding of their own agency, and indifference to their own history and culture," said Yuliya Kravchenko, head of the In Search of Identity project. "We believe that systematic education and involvement in a dialogue about the complex topics of historical and cultural memory of Ukraine's regions, whose history and past have been distorted by Russian propaganda, can change this situation."
Events
The project included 12 online lectures and 6 panel discussions, which were open to anyone interested. The first lecture was titled "Why is it important to talk about identity in times of war? Cultural identity."
The session was delivered by Natalia Kryvda – Doctor of Philosophy, Professor at the Department of Ukrainian Philosophy and Culture at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, a contemporary Ukrainian philosopher and public intellectual.
The lecturer discussed with participants what Ukrainian identity is, how it had been shaped by various factors, and why understanding one's identity makes Ukrainians stronger. Special attention was given to the connection between national security and the level of citizens' awareness of their identity.
On February 23, Vitaliy Skalsky delivered a lecture titled "How did we get here? Highways and byways of Ukrainian history in the 20th century" and on February 27, an online discussion called "What are we fighting for? For identity, territory, history, or cultural heritage?" was held with the participation of Natalia Kryvda and Vitaliy Skalsky.
Project on Social Media:
https://www.instagram.com/identity.of.ukraine/
https://www.facebook.com/identity.of.ukraine
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UColwpT2NIz6rsMR20WUzCKQ