On December 10, International Human Rights Day, an online meeting “Democracy in Dilemma: How to Preserve Values in Times of Challenges” was held.
The event was dedicated to how modern challenges - war, economic and social crises, information manipulation and social polarization - affect democratic processes and our daily understanding of rights and freedoms.
The guest speaker was Maksym Prykhnenko, Candidate of Political Sciences, Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work, Youth Policy and Development, Senior Lecturer at the Department of International Relations and Foreign Policy of Vasyl Stus DonNU. He shared his professional vision of the transformations democracy is undergoing today and why citizen activism is key to its preservation.
During the meeting, the participants considered specific situations of democratic dilemmas: the balance between security and freedom, the limits of privacy, issues of equality and justice. The discussion focused on human rights - as the foundation without which the development of a democratic society is impossible.
Special attention was paid to the role of youth. It was emphasized that it is young citizens who are able to form new approaches to participation in public life - through volunteering, local initiatives, creating a safe information space, critical thinking and responsible consumption of content.
The interactive part of the meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on
- how to preserve human dignity, equality and freedoms even in difficult times;
- what it means to be a person in conditions of social transformations;
- what values remain unchanged regardless of external circumstances.
The event is implemented by the NGO “Youth Center Territory of Initiatives” in cooperation with the Donetsk Regional Youth Center within the framework of the mini-grants program for youth centers,implemented by Democracy Reporting International (DRI).