Honors College events bring war in Ukraine to UW campus
Events on back-to-back days will explore the war’s place in history, the use of genocidal rhetoric and Ukrainian resistance. Decorated human rights lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk will attend virtually.
University of Wyoming students, staff and faculty will have ample opportunities this week to learn about the war in Ukraine directly from the experts and human rights champions who know it best.
On Wednesday, the UW Honors College will host a Zoom call with Oleksandra Matviichuk, a Ukrainian human rights lawyer whose organization, the Centre for Civil Liberties, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.
The following day, the Honors College will host a presentation by two researchers, both Ukraine experts, who will discuss genocidal rhetoric and its role in the current war.
The presentations this week are the latest in a long series of public events Ukrainian UW student Anastasiia Pereverten has helped to host or arrange in an effort to teach the community about her homeland.
“The Honors College and I have been working together for about a year now to put on programs with Ukrainian speakers and experts to discuss the historical context of the war, what’s going on, why it’s happening, and the core part of this war — that is, human rights violations and mass atrocities that we are witnessing Russia committing,” Pereverten said.
In the two years since Russia launched a full-scale invasion into Ukraine, Pereverten has done everything she can to advocate for her country’s defense. In addition to promoting educational events on campus, she has lobbied government leaders both here and in Washington, D.C. and has helped researchers document Russian war crimes.
Matviichuk is on the ground in Ukraine, so her appearance at UW will be virtual, but Pereverten said it will be an honor to connect with the first Ukrainian to ever be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.
“[Matviichuk] has been doing this amazing human rights advocacy work since 2014, since the very outbreak of the war,” Pereverten said. “Her organization has documented thousands and thousands of war crimes and testified at multiple courts throughout the world. And she’s going to be speaking to us about her work, about the principles of justice that she’s advocating for, and about the response that the global justice system has to give to Ukrainians who have suffered from the war.”
Pereverten said the event will last about an hour and a half.
“There’s going to be plenty of time to ask questions,” she said.
On Thursday, the discussion continues with a presentation by two Ukraine experts — Kristina Hook of Kennesaw University and Christopher Atwood of Columbia University — who have studied the country and its relationship to Russia, as well as genocide and human rights.
Last year, Hook was the principal author of a policy report documenting “The Russian Federation’s Escalating Commission of Genocide in Ukraine.” Both Atwood and Pereverten contributed to the report — the former as a legal advisor.
Hook and Atwood’s presentation Thursday will focus on rhetoric, Pereverten said.
“Both of them have studied Ukraine, but have also lived in Ukraine and worked in Ukraine for multiple years,” she said. “So they will be talking about the historical context of this war: Why is it happening? What’s the history of colonialism behind it? Why is this war a part of the Ukrainian anti-colonial struggle? Why is Ukrainian resistance so powerful and so long-lasting? What’s the tradition of Ukrainian resistance?”
Both events are free to attend and open to the public.
“Deep Diving Dialogues: Human Rights In Ukraine” with Oleksandra Matviichuk begins at noon on Wednesday in Guthrie House room 106. Those planning to attend are being asked to RSVP online. Members of the campus community can attend in person, or virtually. A virtual attendance link will be sent via email following registration.
“Resisting Genocide: Ukraine’s Struggle in Historical Context” with Kristina Hook and Christopher Atwood begins at 4 p.m. Thursday in Business Building room 123.