Memory Activism. Commemoration as a response to harm

What is memory activism in the context of transitional justice? How does it help uphold the right to truth and restore the dignity of victims?

The closing panel of the forum on memory, trauma, and transitional justice in Ukraine focuses on memory activism and acts of commemoration as forms of responding to trauma.

Speakers:

• Kyrylo Lukash, cultural manager, serviceman, and communications specialist at the Cultural Forces of Ukraine — on culture of remembrance, support, and the work of the Cultural Forces in this field.
• Veronika Skliarova, cultural manager and head of Art Therapy Force — on the Posadka project and community-based approaches to memorial initiatives.
• Sofiia Martyniuk, Head of the Memorialization Unit at the Department of Culture, Nationalities and Religions of the Irpin City Council — on her path from civic activism to institutional work and on memorial projects developed in the Irpin community.

Moderator and keynote speaker:
Inha Zaslavska, cultural scholar and project manager, alumna of the MA program Memory Studies and Public History at KSE.

The forum was implemented in partnership with King’s College London, NGO Art Dot, and the Kyiv School of Economics, with the participation of Cultural Forces of Ukraine—a platform bringing together the military, artists, and businesses to support the mental health of Ukraine’s Defense Forces, foster civil-military cooperation, and advance cultural diplomacy.