Oleksandra Matviichuk is a Ukrainian human rights lawyer. Since 2014 she has been documenting war crimes with her organization Centre for Civil Liberties, that was rewarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. In De Balie she will speak about the fate and role of citizens in war.
Between the Maidan Revolution of Dignity and 2022, Matviichuk focused on documenting war crimes during the conflict in the Donbas region. In 2021, Matviichuk was nominated for the United Nations Committee Against Torture, making history as the first female candidate from Ukraine for a UN treaty body. She campaigned to reduce violence against women in conflict zones. In 2025, she became an ambassador for Protect Ukraine. Matviichuk has called for the prosecution of Vladimir Putin and Russian soldiers in a special tribunal, citing the extensive human rights violations committed by Russian forces.
Preceding her lecture, Jaap Scholten will give a short introduction. Afterwards Oleksandra, Volodymyr, Jaap and Yoeri will engage in conversation.
Even if you cannot rely on the international system of peace and security, you can still always rely on people. Ordinary people can change world history quicker than UN intervention. The people of Protect Ukraine are an example of this – Oleksandra Matviichuk
Sprekers
With a concert premiere by international award-winning pianist Maria Nemtsova
With Omar El Akkad, Sinan Çankaya and Mohamedou Ould Slahi
On October 25, 2023, three weeks after the war in Gaza started, Omar El Akkad put out a tweet: “One day, when it’s safe, when there’s no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it’s too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this.” Together with Omar El Akkad, Sinan Cankaya and Mohamedou Ould Slahi we talk about moral failure and Western complicity.
In 2024 gaf Nederland ruim 110 miljard euro uit aan zorg, dat is 10 procent van het bruto nationaal product. Dat bedrag zal de komende decennia fors groeien. Hoe houden we in een vergrijzende samenleving de gezondheidszorg toegankelijk en betaalbaar?
