UKRAINIAN-LATIN AMERICAN CONFERENCE IN MADRID
On March 10, Mykola Ryabchuk, a Principal Research Fellow of the Department of Political Culture and Ideology, participated in the conference “Latin America and Ukraine: Building Mutual Understanding,” organized in Madrid by the Barcelona Center for International Studies at the premises and under the patronage of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In the conference hall
A few dozen experts from Ukraine, Spain, and several Latin American countries discussed, within the framework of three panels, the (mis)perception of the Russian war in Ukraine in Latin American societies, the influence of Russian propaganda, the notable differences between the generally supportive attitude toward Ukraine on the part of local societies and the more cynical (“pragmatic”) attitude on the part of ruling elites. The discussants agreed that Ukrainian events evoke much more empathic response when presented through life stories and individual human experiences rather than dry analytical categories and abstract arguments. Another issue that drew broad attention of the participants was a growing threat of the “new global disorder”, that accelerated dramatically under erratic policies of the new American administration. All the small and medium-sized countries should unite their efforts to prevent the division of the world into “spheres of influence” among three hegemonic predators; all of them have a vested interest in preservation of their sovereignty, and Ukraine’s current anti-imperial struggle might be of particular relevance for Latin Americans.
Honorary guests of the conference
Dr. Ryabchuk participated in all three panel discussions, presenting in part the arguments set forth in his article “Ukraine’s (im)possible engagement with the Global South,” and noting that, among all the countries of the so-called Global South, it is Latin America that is culturally and psychologically closest to Ukraine, and therefore it is here that the prospects for understanding and cooperation look the best — provided that appropriate governmental and non-governmental efforts are made.
Ukrainian participans of the conference
“Living through the War”, a collection of photographs presented during the conference