We continue our series of webinars as part of the “Youth for the Future of Ukraine” project. This time, we will talk about something that, at first glance, seems very simple: the human being.

We talk a great deal about rebuilding Ukraine – about cities, the economy, reforms, institutions, and security. But ultimately, all of this makes sense only if it answers a simple question: who are we building all of this for?

What does it mean to place the human being at the center – not as an appealing principle, but as a genuine foundation for public policy, the media, and our everyday relationships? How can we learn to see in another person not an “outsider,” not a representative of a particular group, not a statistical unit, but first and foremost a human being?

Our guest is Maksym Butkevych, a Ukrainian human rights defender, journalist, civic activist, co-founder of Hromadske Radio and the ZMINA Human Rights Center, as well as co-coordinator of the “Principle of Hope” Charitable Foundation. For many years, he has worked on issues related to human rights, refugees, internally displaced persons, and combating discrimination.

Following the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Maksym joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 2022, he was taken prisoner by Russia and returned to Ukraine in October 2024. In 2025, he became a laureate of the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize – the first Ukrainian citizen in history to receive this distinction.

💬 What will we talk about?

– Why is a human-centered approach not an abstract humanistic idea, but a necessary condition for Ukraine’s future?

– How does war change our attitude toward the “other” – and whom are we prepared to consider one of us today?

– How can security, justice, and human dignity be reconciled?

– What should responsible journalism look like when there is a real person behind every story?

– And what can each of us change in our own community to make society more humane?

This will be a conversation about dignity, freedom, responsibility, difference, and the ability to remain human even under extraordinarily difficult circumstances.

📅 August 14

🕕 6:00 p.m.

🎙 Guest: Maksym Butkevych

📌 Topic: “The Other as a Point of Reference: The Complexity and Critical Importance of a Human-Centered Approach for Ukraine’s Future: Public Policy, Media, and Everyday Relationships”

🔗 Zoom link: https://us05web.zoom.us/j/84718946217?pwd=8sSNatXmjw8pdd4QFQjzRp1lkz6EPk.1&utm_source=chatgpt.com