On October 12–14, the 29th Forum 2000 Conference took place in Prague, one of the most famous international platforms for dialogue on democracy, human rights, and global challenges of our time. Our Foundation was honored to participate in this event, presenting the Ukrainian experience of resilience, mutual support, and community development during war.
The Forum 2000 was founded in 1996 as a joint initiative of the late Czech President Václav Havel, Japanese philanthropist Yohei Sasakawa, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel. They sought to create a space where world leaders could openly discuss the challenges facing humanity. Since then, the conference has evolved into an annual event that brings together politicians, scientists, activists, and representatives from civil society worldwide.
The theme of the 2025 conference is “Facing the Odds: Democratic Resilience in Action”.
Among the more than 700 participants from over 100 countries at the 29th Forum 2000 Conference were: President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jan Lipavsky, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviychuk, fifth President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies Fernando Iglesias, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Czech Republic Vasyl Zvarych, representatives of the European Parliament, human rights activists, representatives of international civil society organizations, the media and many others.
During more than 80 panel discussions and seminars, conference participants explored how democracies can remain resilient despite internal disagreements, pressure from authoritarian regimes, the spread of disinformation, and the rapid advancement of technologies.
The discussions were held around four main areas:
- Reinforcing democratic ties in a fractured world;
- Responding to 21st-century authoritarianism;
- Forum for Ukraine;
- Democracy and technology.
During the forum, Ukraine was a key topic of discussion. The discussion “Freezing U.S. Support for Ukrainian Media: A Threat to Democracy and Freedom of Speech?” discussed that independent media is a key element that distinguishes Ukraine from Putin’s Russia, so the termination of a significant part of funding could have irreversible consequences for the media sector and freedom of speech in Ukraine, and considered what alternatives there are in the event of the loss of funding from key donors.
The discussion “Ukraine: At the Heart of Europe’s Future Security Architecture?” discussed the role of Ukraine in European security. The country’s resilience demonstrated that Ukraine can be a key player in the European security system and contribute to Europe’s broader defense strategy.
The panel “People First: Securing Freedom for War's Forgotten Victims” raised important issues of supporting war victims, prisoners of war, Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, and political prisoners who were convicted for not supporting Russian aggression.
The discussion “Global South Perspectives on the Invasion of Ukraine” highlighted that, until 2022, Ukraine was relatively unknown and difficult to understand for countries in the “Global South” (those in Africa, Asia, and Latin America). However, the consequences of the war are global, and, unfortunately, Russian propaganda has spread to these distant countries as well. Therefore, the experience of communication between Ukraine and the countries of the “Global South” is necessary for a better understanding of the conflict and the establishment of future partnerships.
The final discussion dedicated to Ukraine, “Resilience under Fire: How Ukraine Can Strengthen Society Amid Uncertainty” revealed the question of what scenarios Ukrainian society should be ready for, based on how the war might end: from the continuation of the conflict to an imposed peace agreement that would not meet the country’s national interests; how Ukrainian communities, civil society, and institutions are adapting to war conditions today and what is needed for their resilience in the face of constant external and internal pressure. Participants discussed the resilience of Ukrainian society, the role of citizens in protecting freedom, the restoration of de-occupied territories, and the importance of international solidarity.
For us, participation in Forum 2000 was an opportunity to share stories from the deoccupied communities of the Kherson region - about how people are rebuilding their lives, strengthening trust, and developing democratic values , even in the most challenging conditions.
Despite the high level of representation at such international forums, it is essential that local organizations, which work directly with the challenges of war every day, also participate in the discussions. They are the ones who best understand the needs of people in frontline and deoccupied communities, see the real picture, can offer practical and effective solutions, and share real experiences. Such representatives of the public sector can convey the voice of those who work on the ground, in frontline communities, where issues of security, survival, and cohesion are addressed every day. Involving these voices makes the international dialogue more complete and closer to the real needs of society.
This forms a proper understanding of what democracy in action is. After all, without the involvement of local organizations, international conversations about democracy remain incomplete.
Today, as democracy around the world faces challenging times, the Ukrainian experience demonstrates that the strength of democracy lies in the people, their unity, and ability to act together.
