Advocacy has become a crucial factor in transforming international support for Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. “It has become a tradition to criticize our international partners. At the same time, we must acknowledge their transformation since the onset of the full-scale invasion – many have changed their rhetoric, actions, and convictions. Civil society leaders have played a significant role in this,” noted Lesia Ogryzko, Director of the Sahaidachnyi Security Center, while moderating the showcase arena “International Advocacy of CSOs: Successful Security and Euro-Integration Campaigns” at the IV Forum on Legal Reforms for Civil Society: United2Win.
Panel participants discussed how civil society organizations (CSOs) can influence the international arena through advocacy campaigns. The speakers were:
- Hanna Hopko, Chair of the Board of the National Interests Protection Network, Member of the Ukrainian Parliament of the VIII convocation, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Affairs;
- Lyuba Shipovich, Founder and Director of the Dignitas Charitable Foundation;
- Leo Litra, Senior Analyst at the New Europe Center, invited analyst at ECFR.
“Why didn’t Western partners help Ukraine avoid this war over all these years?” – this question posed by Hanna Hopko’s daughter at the onset of the full-scale invasion became deeply painful yet pivotal in Hanna’s subsequent fight both as a volunteer and as a politician. “Never retreat from the values you believe in – this is the key advice and secret to success for the Chair of the National Interests Protection Network. Victory is created by our hands. We have no other path but to fight, endure, and win!”
Liubov Shipovych emphasized the power of collective efforts: “By uniting our efforts and working systematically, we can change decisions on a global scale. We have influenced the U.S. Congress.” She added, “It’s important to remember that Trudeau, Merkel, Blinken – they are first and foremost people, and we need to speak with them as such.”
“The story of Ukraine’s advocacy for EU membership began long before the military events. Few believed in it at the time. Yet on June 23, 2022, the European Council granted Ukraine candidate status for EU membership. Our team sought arguments and conducted negotiations then and now. It works because if you believe in something, you are very persuasive. If you believe, others will believe too,” emphasized Leo Litra, highlighting that “advocacy is a more effective tool than lobbying because for lobbyists, it’s just a job, while we believe in what we advocate for, and this commitment continues even after the workday ends.”
However, international advocacy by civil society often lacks synergy with the Government. Therefore, it is particularly important now to work on uniting efforts and coordinating actions to present a united front on the international stage, advocating for the interests of the state and all Ukrainian people.
The forum gathered 200 participants offline and more than 2,000 online. The recording of the forum is available on the CEDEM Facebook page and on the CEDEM YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3MOwtr4.