On December 12, 2023, Professor Korosteleva, IGSD Director, engaged in a discussion on Civil Resistance in Belarus at Europe House, London. The event shed light on Belarus' struggle against Lukashenka's regime, the impact of Russia's war on Ukraine, and ongoing repression. The screening of 'Civil Resistance: Belarus 2020+' highlighted the resilience of Belarusians amid adversity, with Lithuania supporting and sheltering those fleeing repression. The panel discussion included Prof. Elena Korosteleva, Parisa Savoji, Jon Parker, and Sir Tony Lloyd, addressing the situation and advocating for human rights. The event coincided with International Human Rights Day and the Sakharov Prize, recognizing outstanding contributions to freedom of thought. The documentary explored Lukashenka's rise to power and Belarusian resistance against his authoritarian regime. The Q&A session featured key figures discussing the challenges and aspirations of the Belarusian people.

Dr Anastasiia Kudlenko presented her research on resilience during the Russo-Ukrainian war on 4 December 2023 at the Ukrainian Institute London. At the event “Resilience as a tool for Ukraine’s recovery”, Dr Kudlenko and Ukrainian poet and writer Kateryna Babkina discussed the role of resilience in the defence and recovery of Ukraine, the experience of Ukrainians adapting to life in the UK and the landscape of Ukrainian communities in the UK.

Photo credit: Anastasiia Fursevych

On 7 December 2023, Dr Anastasiia Kudlenko attended the EU-Western Balkans Summit Link opens in a new window– breaking the stalemate: women, youth, justice and enlargement, organised by Friends of Europe in Brussels. The event focused on risks and uncertainties the Western Balkans has experienced in 2023 and the geopolitical challenges of the EU enlargement, which is set to go beyond the region and to include Ukraine, Moldova, and possibly other countries of the Eastern Neighbourhood. It was an opportunity to have a stimulating discussion with policy-makers, academics, civil society activists and youth representatives from across Europe.

Professor Korosteleva was interviewed by Ms Tetiana Fedosiuk, from the International Centre for Defence and Security, Estonia, during the Riga Conference. Her interview focus on 'Peoplehood in Belarus' as a crucial building block for democracy and why the hope for building still remains. This discussion was based on Elena's recent book 'Belarus in the XXI century' published by Routledge 2023. For the full interview please visit here: https://icds.ee/en/peoplehood-in-belarus-from-democracy-to-dictatorship-and-back/.

ESRC Outstanding Societal Impact Prize 2023

Many congratulations to our own Dr Vangelis Pitidis, who has been a key contributor to this award-winning project focusing on waterproofing data. The project used citizen generated data to tackle the impact of flooding and enhance disaster and community resilience in Brazilian marginalised communities. Further details about this exciting initiative can be found here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/schoolforcross-facultystudies/igsd/newsevents/news/.

Director of Impact leads by example - excellent news and warmest congratulations, Vangelis!!!