Oleksandra Matviichuk, one of the most prominent human rights defenders in Ukraine and head of the Center for Civil Liberties (CCL), will be presenting at Florida State University. CCL is the first Ukrainian organization to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which it won in 2022.
Matviichuk will present “Defending Democracy and Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom,” followed by a question-and-answer session at 8 a.m. Monday, Feb. 10, in FSU’s Miller Hall. Later that day, Matviichuk will take part in a fireside chat at 2 p.m. with Timothy Chapin, dean of the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, and Vilma Fuentes, program director of the FSU Ukraine Task Force.
Matviichuk and CCL have been instrumental in strengthening Ukrainian civil society and national institutions for over a decade while pushing to further the rule of law and adherence to international law. Their work of documenting war crimes and human rights violations is paving the way to accountability and gaining increasing importance since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
CCL was founded in 2007 to promote human rights, democracy and solidarity in Ukraine and Eurasia. The organization rose to prominence in 2013 by documenting human rights violations and providing legal assistance during the violent crackdown on the Euromaidan protests. CCL has also launched initiatives to monitor various government agencies for civil rights violations, provide education on human rights, document pressure on civil society and map the persecution of human rights defenders.
Matviichuk was named one of the top 25 most influential women in the world by the Financial Times and won the Democracy Defender Award for “Exclusive Contribution to Promoting Democracy and Human Rights” from missions to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. She is also a member of the World Movement for Democracy’s Steering Committee, where she works with leaders worldwide to promote democratic values.
Miller Hall is located on the third floor of University Center C. The fireside chat will take place in Beth Moor Lounge in the Longmire Building. Both events are open to the public.
Matviichuk’s visit to FSU is a joint venture between the university’s Ukraine Task Force and the FSU College of Social Sciences and Public Policy.