The World Congress of Ukrainians summit took place in Switzerland
The World Congress of Ukrainians summit took place in Bern, bringing together representatives of the diaspora, volunteers, experts and supporters around a common goal: to strengthen concrete support for Ukraine. The session focused on a central theme: the unity and resilience of the global Ukrainian community in the face of contemporary international challenges. Representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora from various continents shared their own experiences — ranging from cultural diplomacy and combating disinformation to working with the media and supporting youth organisations.
As noted by UA Service HUB, among the speakers was a representative of the Italian diaspora — Dmytro Shchukin, President of NAU (Network Associazioni per Ucraina) — who shared his many years of experience in the work of associations and the implementation of campaigns in support of Ukraine. Shchukin explained that, unfortunately, in Italy, the space for Ukrainians to have their voices heard in the media remains limited. “Often, experts who until 2022 didn’t even know where Ukraine was located are now telling Ukrainians how to live in their own country,” he noted. In his view, both the challenge and the path to overcoming it are quite clear: it is necessary to break out of the Ukrainian information bubble, build a systematic dialogue with political institutions, and develop communication capable of reaching those who actually make decisions. “This is not a criticism. It is a diagnosis and, at the same time, a direction to follow,” he concluded.
In turn, Volodymyr Kogutak, UWC Vice-President for Western Europe, emphasised the importance of strengthening Ukrainian youth organisations as future leaders of the global Ukrainian community. Dzvinka Kachur, UWC Vice-President for Africa, emphasised that Ukrainian culture has a real influence even on the African continent: Ukrainian communities are not merely present there, but are actively engaged in advocacy through cultural initiatives. Myroslava Kerik, President of the Casa Ukraine Foundation, drew attention to the information war being waged by Russia, spreading stereotypes about Ukrainians in Poland, Moldova and Romania, as well as to the crucial role of the diaspora in countering these narratives.
Marianna Tretyak, President of the American Coalition for Ukraine, reminded the audience that there are people in every corner of the US ready to support Ukraine. The main task is to find them, engage them and turn them into active allies. The best summary of the entire session came from Pavlo Grod, President of the Ukrainian World Congress: “Unity has many faces. But we are all united by a shared responsibility towards Ukraine. Together, we are a strong and united global Ukrainian community.”
