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List of Ukraine-Related Events

The Kenan Institute for Ethics is proud to host the three-day event “Ukraine at War: Life in a Time of Fear and Hope” on March 27–29, 2024. There has been a great deal of interest from the Duke and local communities in hosting speakers from these events, for which we are grateful.

Several other organizations are presenting related events during this time. We have compiled these events along with our “Ukraine at War” events in chronological order below.

March 27, 2024

12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. | Weighing Risk and Responsibility with Viktoriia Grivina and Hanna Dosenko

Weighing Risk and Responsibility: A Conversation about Research, Institutions, and the Spaces In-Between

108A West Duke Building
Duke University

The university, departments, IRB, and funders all measure risk in research. How does this compare to researchers’ personal experiences — social, physical, medical, or political? Moreover, how do we carry this responsibility in our work?

This event is hosted by the Department of Cultural Anthropology.

This event is associated with the three-day event “Ukraine at War: Life in a Time of Fear and Hope” on March 27–29,  hosted by the Kenan Institute for Ethics. Viktoriia Grivina and Hanna Dosenko will be speaking on a roundtable on March 29 as part of this event.

Viktoriia Grivina is a PhD student at St. Andrews, a writer and cultural anthropologist from Kharkiv, Ukraine. She works on city aesthetics and communities, conflict, decoloniality and urban ecologies. Vika is passionate about mobile creative methodology, eco-criticism, and decolonial analysis of urban-scapes. As a Ukrainian during reserach in her home cities, she understands decolonization to be a deeply personal, intimate process. Her work utilizes stop motion animation, art, and prose to explore her person experience and how city scapes shift within her communities during war.
Hanna Dosenko is a PhD student in Anthropology, photographer and theatre-maker. Her work explores how we visualize death and what it leaves behind. As an anthropologist, Hanna is following the path of “Missing in Action” Ukrainian soldiers across eastern Ukraine. Through fieldwork that moves between family homes, morgues, and transportation vans, Hanna traces how soldier’s circulate post death. She picks up from the moment a soldier is killed, following his/her body as it is transported from the battlefield to the morgue, and finally returning with the soldier as they go back home, to where he/she was born. By accompanying dead bodies this way, Hanna explores how people “demobilize” soldiers after their service has ended.

 

Ukrainian Pro Climber Jenya Kazbekova

Yonderlust
109 N. Gregson St.
Durham, N.C.

Ukrainian pro climber Jenya Kazbekova will give an interview, and then show a sneak preview of the pre-release REELROCK 18 film on climbing in Ukraine called “Climbing Never Die.”

This event is hosted by Yonderlust, a family-owned outdoor retail store and café near downtown Durham. Register here.

This event is associated with the three-day event “Ukraine at War: Life in a Time of Fear and Hope” on March 27–29,  hosted by the Kenan Institute for Ethics. Jenya Kazbekova will be speaking on a roundtable on March 29 as part of this event.

Jenya Kazbekova is an internationally-ranked professional Ukrainian climber who has won medals in sport climbing and bouldering. As a refugee following the 2022 full-scale invasion, Jenya has continued her training in various parts of the world over the past two years. She is a vocal advocate for Ukrainian sovereignty, understanding sports as political, and standing against Russian aggression.

Spotlight on Ukraine: Covering the War in Ukraine as a Black Correspondent

1005 Global Education Center
301 Pittsboro St.
Chapel Hill, N.C.

Terrell Starr, a prominent independent American journalist hailing from Detroit, brings a unique perspective to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. He is the founder and host of Black Diplomats, a weekly podcast reporting on foreign affairs and East European politics. and a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center.

The conversation will be moderated by Daniel Johnson, Ph.D. student in the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media and a former U.S. Army reporter.

This event is hosted by the Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and Eastern European Studies at the UNC Chapel Hill. Register here.

Detroit native Terrell Jermaine Starr is an independent American journalist widely known for his coverage of the current Russian invasion of Ukraine. He is the founder and host of Black Diplomats, a weekly podcast reporting on foreign affairs and Eastern European politics. A former Fulbright grantee, Terrell is currently a nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. Conversant in Russian, Ukrainian, and Georgian, he is a recognized authority on Ukraine-U.S. relations, Georgian politics, Central Asia, and American democracy.

 

“20 Days in Mariupol” Screening

Griffith Film Theater
Bryan Center
Duke University

“Essential. A relentless and truly important documentary.” – The New York Times

Join us for a screening of “20 Days in Mariupol,” the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in Public Service in 2023 and the winner of Best Documentary Feature Film at the Academy Awards in 2024.

An AP team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting atrocities of the Russian invasion. As the only international reporters who remain in the city, they capture what later become defining images of the war: dying children, mass graves, the bombing of a maternity hospital, and more. “20 Days in Mariupol” offers a vivid, harrowing account of civilians caught in the siege, as well as a window into what it’s like to report from a conflict zone, and the impact of such journalism around the globe.

This event is hosted by the Kenan Institute for Ethics as part of its three-day event “Ukraine at War: Life in a Time of Fear and Hope.” It is presented in partnership with Duke University Union’s Freewater Presentations, Razom for Ukraine, Frontline, and the Associated Press. Register here.

Mila Yutskevych, a master’s student in civil engineering at NC State University who worked as a translator in Mariupol, will introduce the film.

Mila Yutskevych
Mila is a civil and environmental engineer who has previously worked as a translator and social program director in Ukraine.

March 28, 2024

Lunch & Learn
Surviving the Unthinkable: Exploring Ukrainian Resilience in the Face of War Trauma

*Updated Location*
Sanford 201
Duke University

Since February 24, 2022, Ukrainians have endured a multitude of horrors, including war crimes, violence, and mental trauma, with civilians facing constant shelling and displacement as refugees. Psychologists treating the complex post-traumatic effects face a unique challenge due to the unprecedented nature of the war trauma. However, despite the significant symptoms of acute stress, Ukrainians exhibit remarkable resilience in coping with the trauma. Dr. Prokhovnik-Raphique will explore these coping mechanisms and discuss ways in which volunteers and supporters can aid in the recovery process.

Dr. Alla Prokhovnik-Raphique is a clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of trauma and addictive disorders in her private practice, Nurturing Roots Psychology. She holds a voluntary faculty appointment at Icahn Medical School at Mount Sinai where she supervises psychology interns on their rotations at the Addiction Institute, as well as conducts forensic evaluations for individuals seeking asylum through the Mount Sinai Human Rights Clinic. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Prokhovnik-Raphique serves as the COO for Ukraine NGO Coordination Network (UNCN), a network of non-profit organizations providing all forms of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

This event is hosted by the Center for Child & Family Policy at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. Register here.

This event is associated with the three-day event “Ukraine at War: Life in a Time of Fear and Hope” on March 27–29,  hosted by the Kenan Institute for Ethics. Dr. Prokhovnik-Raphique will be speaking on a roundtable on March 29 as part of this event.

Alla Prokhovnik-Raphique
Dr. Alla Prokhovnik-Raphique is a clinical psychologist specializing in treatment of trauma and addictive disorders in her private practice, Nurturing Roots Psychology. She holds a voluntary faculty appointment at Icahn Medical School at Mount Sinai where she supervises psychology interns on their rotations at the Addiction Institute, and conducts forensic evaluations for individuals seeking asylum through the Mount Sinai Human Rights Clinic. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Prokhovnik-Raphique serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Ukraine NGO Coordination Network (UNCN), a network of non-profit organizations providing all forms of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

 

Accountability in Ukraine: Documenting War Crimes

Law School 4042
Duke University

Join a lunchtime conversation with Ewa Hofmańska, the project manager of Project Sunflower. Ewa will discuss her organization’s work as well as broader efforts in Ukraine to document war crimes and other human rights violations arising out of the Russo-Ukrainian War for use in post-conflict accountability proceedings. Lunch will be served.

This event takes place at the Duke Law School and is cosponsored by the Center for International and Comparative Law. Please contact Tatiana Varanko (tmv14@duke.edu) with any questions.

This event is associated with the three-day event “Ukraine at War: Life in a Time of Fear and Hope” on March 27–29,  hosted by the Kenan Institute for Ethics. Ewa Hofmańska will be speaking on a roundtable on March 29 as part of this event.

Ewa Hofmańska
Ewa Hofmańska is a lawyer with almost two decades of experience working on labor issues as well as justice and reparation for victims of armed conflict. She has spent time with the International Criminal Court and held positions in various international universities. Currently, she is program manager for Project Sunflower, an organization working to assemeble and vet documentation of war crimes in Ukraine.

Seeds and Soil: Ecologies of War and Ecosystem Resilience

Grainger Hall Mezzanine & Rooftop Terrace
Nicholas School of the Environment
Duke University

“When I die,
let me rest,
let me lie,
amidst Ukraine’s broad steppes,
Let me see,
the endless fields and steep slopes,
I hold so dear.”

– Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainian poet 

This Lunch and Learn will explore how war time stressors have impacted ecological systems while identifying the resilient pathways that emerge. It will focus on both the human and non-human, tying together the ways that destruction, steadfastness, and resistance manifest in our shared systems.

Join us for a discussion with ecologist Dr. Nina Fontana and anthropologist Vika Grivina as they explore the ecological impacts of war on diversity, ecosystem resilience, and future restoration efforts.

This event is hosted by the Duke Conservation Society and Net Impact Club UNC. Register here.

This event is associated with the three-day event “Ukraine at War: Life in a Time of Fear and Hope” on March 27–29,  hosted by the Kenan Institute for Ethics. Nina Fontana and Viktoriia Grivina will be speaking on a roundtable on March 29 as part of this event.

Nina Fontana, Ph.D., is an ecologist and postdoctoral researcher at University of California, Davis in collaboration with USGS Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center. Nina’s Ph.D. research centered on traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in forest-dependent communities in the Carpathian Mountains of Ukraine, specifically how TEK nurtures cultural ties to landscape, maintains health of communities, and informs adaptive capacity in supporting regional food sovereignty. Her broader research interests include socio-ecological resilience, translational ecology, Indigenous analysis of climate change, and environmental justice. Nina received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Ecology from UC Davis.
Viktoriia Grivina is a PhD student at St. Andrews, a writer and cultural anthropologist from Kharkiv, Ukraine. She works on city aesthetics and communities, conflict, decoloniality and urban ecologies. Vika is passionate about mobile creative methodology, eco-criticism, and decolonial analysis of urban-scapes. As a Ukrainian during reserach in her home cities, she understands decolonization to be a deeply personal, intimate process. Her work utilizes stop motion animation, art, and prose to explore her person experience and how city scapes shift within her communities during war.

Pysanka

Duke Arts Annex
404 Gattis St, Durham, NC 27701

Join Duke Arts Create for a journey into the vibrant world of pysanka, the traditional Ukrainian art of decorating Easter eggs. Pysanky, today’s cherished Ukrainian Easter eggs, have roots that trace back many thousands of years. The word “pysanka” (plural: pysanky) originates from the Ukrainian verb “pysaty,” meaning “to write.” Each pysanka is a symbolic gift of life, with designs and colors imbued with deep meaning.

Led by Nina Fontana, this workshop offers participants the opportunity to delve into centuries-old techniques and symbolism while creating their own stunning pysanky. Discover the process of wax-resist dyeing as Nina shares her expertise and passion for this cherished cultural tradition.

From learning about the history and symbolism of pysanky to mastering the delicate art of applying beeswax designs, participants will gain hands-on experience in crafting their own beautiful eggs.

No prior artistic experience is necessary — all skill levels are welcome! Come immerse yourself in the timeless art of pysanka and leave with a handcrafted treasure to cherish for years to come.

This is a community workshop open to all. This event is hosted by Duke Arts Create in partnership with the Kenan Institute for Ethics and Say the Thing. Registration opens March 22.

This event is associated with the three-day event “Ukraine at War: Life in a Time of Fear and Hope” on March 27–29,  hosted by the Kenan Institute for Ethics. Nina Fontana will be speaking on a roundtable on March 29 as part of this event.

Nina Fontana spends her majority of her time as an ecologist. However, when spring arrives each year, she eagerly embraces another passion: creating pysanky. This tradition was passed down to her by her mom, who, as a war refugee from Ukraine, shared language, song, food, dance, culture, and traditions. Nina, along with her siblings, learned the art from her mom, and now she is excited to share its rich history and traditions with others. Join Nina in discovering the beauty and significance of pysanky during her workshop. In addition to her Ph.D. in ecology, Nina also holds a B.A. in studio art.

Katz Women, Ethics, and Leadership Event

Ruby Lounge
Rubenstein Arts Center
Duke University

Join the Kenan Institute for Ethics for a Katz Women, Ethics, and Leadership event focused on the experiences of Ukrainian women during the country’s ongoing war with Russia. Featuring prominent artists, activists, and combatants, this event explores Ukrainian culture as both a light in dark times and as a means of resistance.

An opening performance of traditional folk songs by the Ukrainians in the Carolinas Spivochi Ensemble will be followed by two keynote presentations.

Award-winning poet and combat medic Yaryna Chornohuz will speak about her experiences fighting on the war’s frontlines; advocating for Ukrainian culture, sovereignty, and women’s rights; and writing poetry that reckons with loss, love of land, and the horrors of war.

Acclaimed singer and ethnomusicologist Nadia Tarnawsky and vocalist Vira Hanchar will perform “Postcards from Another World.” A new multimedia presentation blending images, personal stories, and traditional folk songs from Ukraine, “Postcards” offers glimpses of a faraway place — and reflects how these missives change when they’re coming from a war zone.

This event is hosted by the Kenan Institute for Ethics as part of its three-day event “Ukraine at War: Life in a Time of Fear and Hope.” It is presented in partnership with Dignitas. Register here.

Yaryna Chornohuz
Yaryna Chornohuz has been active in the movement to decolonize Ukraine since 2014, when she was an active participant of the student Euromaidan and the Revolution of Dignity. She has helped coordinated projects to popularize a national transition into Ukrainian language, is an awarded poet, and has aided in translating English poetry into Ukrainian.
Currently, she is serving in the 140th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion of the Marine Corps as a platoon combat medic and scout. The 140th ORBM has been on the front line in Luhansk and Donetsk regions continuously since August 2021.
Nadia Tarnawsky has been studying Eastern European singing techniques for nearly three decades with leading voices. Nadia has taught in Ukraine and the US, including the Harvard Summer Course and the Center for Traditional Music and Dance. Nadia Tarnawsky spent much of 2017 and 2018 doing research and teaching in Ukraine as a recipient of a Fulbright Award. During her time in Ukraine, she created a theatrical self portrait in song entitled Rozbyta which was performed in Lviv, Kyiv and Kriachkivka, Ukraine. Nadia approaches song as a full body experience invoking community. In times of war, the song and their gatherings produce “a kind of cultural defensive line.”
Vira Hanchar
Vira Hanchar is an actress, singer and translator currently living in Lviv, Ukraine.

March 29, 2024

Sites of Violence, Sites of Resistance: Bodies, Ecologies, Communities & Music

Ahmadieh Family Conference Room
West Duke Building 101
Duke University

This discussion will focus on the different places where both violence and resistance manifest during times of war, sometimes in complex and multifaceted ways. Psychologist Alla Prokhovnik-Raphique will speak about community resilience in ongoing trauma situations; anthropologist Vika Grivina on the intertwining of environmental devastation and community building; ecologist Nina Fontana on ecocide and agricultural symbols of resistance; ethnomusicologist Nadia Tarnawsky on the role of music and art in cultural resilience; and professional athlete Jenya Kazbekova on the political resonances of international athletic competitions.

This event is hosted by the Kenan Institute for Ethics as part of its three-day event “Ukraine at War: Life in a Time of Fear and Hope.” Register here.

Alla Prokhovnik-Raphique
Dr. Alla Prokhovnik-Raphique is a clinical psychologist specializing in treatment of trauma and addictive disorders in her private practice, Nurturing Roots Psychology. She holds a voluntary faculty appointment at Icahn Medical School at Mount Sinai where she supervises psychology interns on their rotations at the Addiction Institute, and conducts forensic evaluations for individuals seeking asylum through the Mount Sinai Human Rights Clinic. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Prokhovnik-Raphique serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Ukraine NGO Coordination Network (UNCN), a network of non-profit organizations providing all forms of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Viktoriia Grivina is a PhD student at St. Andrews, a writer and cultural anthropologist from Kharkiv, Ukraine. She works on city aesthetics and communities, conflict, decoloniality and urban ecologies. Vika is passionate about mobile creative methodology, eco-criticism, and decolonial analysis of urban-scapes. As a Ukrainian during reserach in her home cities, she understands decolonization to be a deeply personal, intimate process. Her work utilizes stop motion animation, art, and prose to explore her person experience and how city scapes shift within her communities during war.
Nina Fontana, Ph.D., is an ecologist and postdoctoral researcher at University of California, Davis in collaboration with USGS Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center. Nina’s Ph.D. research centered on traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in forest-dependent communities in the Carpathian Mountains of Ukraine, specifically how TEK nurtures cultural ties to landscape, maintains health of communities, and informs adaptive capacity in supporting regional food sovereignty. Her broader research interests include socio-ecological resilience, translational ecology, Indigenous analysis of climate change, and environmental justice. Nina received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Ecology from UC Davis.
Nadia Tarnawsky has been studying Eastern European singing techniques for nearly three decades with leading voices. Nadia has taught in Ukraine and the US, including the Harvard Summer Course and the Center for Traditional Music and Dance. Nadia Tarnawsky spent much of 2017 and 2018 doing research and teaching in Ukraine as a recipient of a Fulbright Award. During her time in Ukraine, she created a theatrical self portrait in song entitled Rozbyta which was performed in Lviv, Kyiv and Kriachkivka, Ukraine. Nadia approaches song as a full body experience invoking community. In times of war, the song and their gatherings produce “a kind of cultural defensive line.”
Jenya Kazbekova is an internationally-ranked professional Ukrainian climber who has won medals in sport climbing and bouldering. As a refugee following the 2022 full-scale invasion, Jenya has continued her training in various parts of the world over the past two years. She is a vocal advocate for Ukrainian sovereignty, understanding sports as political, and standing against Russian aggression.

Witnessing and Responsibility: Allocating Care in an Age of Global Crisis

Ahmadieh Family Conference Room
West Duke Building 101
Duke University

In a time of rapid-fire digital communication, we are confronted with horrific images of global crises on a daily basis. This can lead to overwhelming feelings of anxiety, grief, and, eventually, numbness. This panel looks at the ways we witness injustices, and the responsibility that entails. Human rights lawyer Ewa Hofmańska will explore documenting war crimes; anthropologist Hanna Dosenko will trace the homeward path of Ukrainian soldiers killed in action, journalist Terrell Starr will contribute insights from an American political perspective; and combat medic Yaryna Chornohuz will discuss the complexities of fighting on the frontlines when social media drives international investment.

This event is hosted by the Kenan Institute for Ethics as part of its three-day event “Ukraine at War: Life in a Time of Fear and Hope.” Register here.

Ewa Hofmańska
Ewa Hofmańska is a lawyer with almost two decades of experience working on labor issues as well as justice and reparation for victims of armed conflict. She has spent time with the International Criminal Court and held positions in various international universities. Currently, she is program manager for Project Sunflower, an organization working to assemeble and vet documentation of war crimes in Ukraine.
Hanna Dosenko is a PhD student in Anthropology, photographer and theatre-maker. Her work explores how we visualize death and what it leaves behind. As an anthropologist, Hanna is following the path of “Missing in Action” Ukrainian soldiers across eastern Ukraine. Through fieldwork that moves between family homes, morgues, and transportation vans, Hanna traces how soldier’s circulate post death. She picks up from the moment a soldier is killed, following his/her body as it is transported from the battlefield to the morgue, and finally returning with the soldier as they go back home, to where he/she was born. By accompanying dead bodies this way, Hanna explores how people “demobilize” soldiers after their service has ended.
Detroit native Terrell Jermaine Starr is an independent American journalist widely known for his coverage of the current Russian invasion of Ukraine. He is the founder and host of Black Diplomats, a weekly podcast reporting on foreign affairs and Eastern European politics. A former Fulbright grantee, Terrell is currently a nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. Conversant in Russian, Ukrainian, and Georgian, he is a recognized authority on Ukraine-U.S. relations, Georgian politics, Central Asia, and American democracy.
Yaryna Chornohuz
Yaryna Chornohuz has been active in the movement to decolonize Ukraine since 2014, when she was an active participant of the student Euromaidan and the Revolution of Dignity. She has helped coordinated projects to popularize a national transition into Ukrainian language, is an awarded poet, and has aided in translating English poetry into Ukrainian.
Currently, she is serving in the 140th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion of the Marine Corps as a platoon combat medic and scout. The 140th ORBM has been on the front line in Luhansk and Donetsk regions continuously since August 2021.

Speakers