Book Talk on Arts in Global Development
An event will be held on The Routledge Handbook of Arts and Global Development (2024), a new volume that examines how the arts are influencing public awareness, shaping policy, and contributing to meaningful global change.
Event Details:
Presenter: Patrick Kabanda, Co-Editor
Moderator: Marina Galvani, Art Curator, World Bank Group
Date: Wednesday, May 29
Time: 11:00 AM ET
Location: The World Bank Library, MC C3-214
Virtual Option: Available via Webex
Register: Click here to register
The session will explore the intersection of artistic practice and global development. Discussions will focus on how creative work can serve as a tool for engagement, transformation, and impact across sectors.
This event is open to both in-person and virtual attendees.
A Memorable Evening with Brookline Storytellers
Date: Wednesday, May 21
Time: 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Location: Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline, MA
Join Brookline.News for an inspiring evening of live storytelling at the historic Coolidge Corner Theatre, where seven local residents will take the stage to share personal stories of transformation, resilience, and community.
Hosted by Meghna Chakrabarti, award-winning host and editor of WBUR’s On Point, this special event brings together a diverse group of voices for a night that promises humor, reflection, and connection.
Featured Speakers
Lori Ehrlich – Former Massachusetts State Representative and FEMA Regional Administrator
Anthony Flint – Journalist and urban policy expert
Shan W. Liu – Harvard professor, physician, and children’s book author
Mark Ludwig – Founder, Terezín Music Foundation and BSO member emeritus
LeRoy J. Watkins III – CEO of Viking Sports and President of the Brookline Chamber of Commerce
Maria Udalova – Brookline High School senior and member of Team Trebuchet
Presented by Brookline.News
This event is organized by Iris Adler, co-founder of Brookline.News and 2024 Brookline Woman of the Year.
Sponsors
Headline Sponsors
Eastern Bank
Commonwealth Sports Club
Martha Huntley, Real Estate Agent
Concierge Home Sales by the Kerzner Group
Hammond Residential Real Estate
Stories Supporters
Brookline Booksmith
Kaplan Construction
2Life Communities
Brookline Bank
A Memorable Evening with Brookline Storytellers is an opportunity to celebrate the voices of our community and the power of local journalism to connect us. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.
For more information, visit: brookline.news/stories-live-at-the-coolidge
Chelsea, The Jewish Years Brings Local History to the Screen
The documentary Chelsea, The Jewish Years, directed by Ellen Rovner, is being presented across Chelsea, Massachusetts, in a series of public screenings hosted in partnership with local cultural organizations. The film explores Chelsea’s pivotal role as a center of Jewish immigrant life in the early twentieth century and is presented in collaboration with the Jewish Chelsea Museum.
Screenings are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Select events will include panel discussions and receptions.
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Location: Jewish Life Care
To register or inquire, email: ellen@thechelseagatewayproject.com
Sunday, May 18, 2025
Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Location: Jewish Chelsea Museum at Temple Emmanuel
Address: 60 Tudor Street, Chelsea, MA 02150
Following the film, a panel discussion will be moderated by Laura Mandel, Managing Director of The Vilna Shul, Boston’s Center for Jewish Culture. A reception with light refreshments will follow.
Admission: Free
RSVP: Available via Eventbrite
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: GreenRoots Teaching Kitchen
Address: 63 Pearl Street, Chelsea, MA
RSVP: Available via Eventbrite
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: Chelsea Black Community
Address: 68 Washington Avenue, Chelsea, MA
Ticket information: Available in June
To arrange a community or institutional screening of the film, either on-site or online, please contact ellen@thechelseagatewayproject.com. Study guides and filmmaker engagement options are available to support group discussions.
This screening series is supported in part by a grant from the Chelsea Cultural Council, with additional support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and Combined Jewish Philanthropies.
Israel and Iran at War — Policy Briefing on the Escalating Conflict
The Israel Policy Forum is hosting a timely webinar to examine the rapidly unfolding military conflict between Israel and Iran. As Israel continues its strikes targeting Iran’s military leadership and nuclear infrastructure, questions remain about the broader strategic goals and the cost of war on both sides.
This special Israel Policy Briefing will bring together leading regional experts to unpack recent developments and analyze the next steps for policymakers.
Speakers:
Raz Zimmt, Director of the Iran Program at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies
Kenneth Pollack, Vice President for Policy at the Middle East Institute
Moderator: Rachel Brandenburg, Washington Managing Director and Senior Fellow, Israel Policy Forum
Topics of discussion include:
Israel’s military objectives and achievements
Domestic impact on Israeli civilians and infrastructure
Iran’s response and regional destabilization risks
U.S. involvement and strategic considerations going forward
Date: Wednesday, June 18
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Location: Online
This is an essential briefing for anyone interested in the evolving dynamics of the Middle East and global security.
Lessons from the India-Pakistan Clash After Pahalgam
In the wake of the tragic attack on tourists in Pahalgam, tensions between India and Pakistan escalated into a dangerous military exchange. Both nations blamed each other and declared victory, while retaliatory strikes and diplomatic friction pushed the region to the brink. A fragile ceasefire was eventually secured with U.S. mediation.
To critically unpack what happened and where things stand, The Black Hole is hosting a timely public conversation titled “Pahalgam’s Aftermath: Lessons from the India-Pakistan Clash.”
Join Siddharth Varadarajan, veteran journalist and founding editor of The Wire, as he examines the strategic, political, and human dimensions of the confrontation. The session will be moderated by Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy, with a focus on dissecting the official narratives, exploring the strategic consequences, and asking the urgent question: Can this cycle of violence be broken?
Details:
Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
Time: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Venue: The Black Hole, 5-H, Street 100, G-11/3, Islamabad
Entry: Free and open to all
This event is part of the Baat se Baat series and invites the community to engage in critical dialogue on the region's most pressing issues.
Global Maritime Accord – Academy Webinar on World Oceans Day
The Global Maritime Accord – Academy (GMA.A), an initiative led by the Liechtenstein Institute for Strategic Development (LISD) for the Society of Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Studies (SAMDeS), invites participation in its upcoming 6th public webinar in observance of World Oceans Day, 8 June 2025.
Webinar Theme:
Plastics and Overfishing – Key Challenges for Ocean Health
This session will examine two of the most pressing threats to ocean ecosystems: the global proliferation of plastic pollution and the unsustainable scale of industrial overfishing. It will convene experts and advocates from across sectors to explore strategies for remediation and long-term ocean resilience.
Event Details
Date: 8 June 2025
Time:
1200 UTC
0800 EST
1300 BST
1400 CEST
1730 IST
2200 AEST
Registration: Email GMA@eurisd.org with your full name, affiliation, preferred email address, and phone number. Webinar links will be issued on 5 June 2025.
More information: www.globalmaritimeaccord.org
Speakers and Contributors
Prof. Peter Droege (LISD, Liechtenstein)
Introduction to the GMA Academy and framing remarksAdmiral (Ret.) Robin K. Dhowan (SAMDeS, India)
Save Oceans for a Safe WorldProf. Micheni Japhet Ntiba (University of Nairobi, Kenya)
Sustainable Fishing Practices and Policy ImplicationsMs. Aamber Fatima (Senior Director, I.I.M.U.N., Mumbai)
Youth-led Initiatives in Plastic Waste ReductionMr. Ulhas Parlikar (Board Director, MRAI; former Director, ACC Geocycle)
The Plastics Treaty and Ocean Health: Global Waste SolutionsCommodore (Ret.) Sujeet Samaddar (SAMDeS, India)
Integrating Fish Protection and Anti-Pollution Measures into the GMA Implementation Framework
About the GMA and GMA.A
The Global Maritime Accord (GMA) is the first integrated, international initiative focused on harmonized governance of ocean spaces, with a special emphasis on Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ). Its academic and research platform, the GMA Academy, serves as a collaborative forum for education, dialogue, and development of new frameworks for marine governance.
The GMA supports implementation of international agreements under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It brings together oceanographers, legal scholars, diplomats, environmental scientists, and security professionals from over a dozen countries, including Australia, Canada, Kenya, Germany, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Foreground Reading
The Ocean is Getting Darker: Why Isn’t Anyone Talking About It?
Summary by Luke McMillan on Voice for the Blue
Full paper by Thomas W. Davies and Tim Smyth: Global Change Biology, 2024
Background Reading
Beyond Paris: Emergency Imperatives for Global Policy and Local Action
Open access via Springer Nature’s Sustainable Earth Review:
Read the article
This event is hosted in collaboration with the following partner organisations:
Liechtenstein Institute for Strategic Development (LISD)
Society for Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Studies (SAMDeS), India
International Military Council on Climate and Security, Netherlands
The Trebuchet – Breaking Down Barriers / Building Bridges
Commonwealth Security and Resilience Group, UK
For all past event recordings and additional resources, visit: www.globalmaritimeaccord.org
College Freedom Forum at Tufts: Voices of Resistance and Hope
On a powerful day of reflection, resistance, and dialogue, the College Freedom Forum (CFF) brought together a remarkable coalition of global human rights defenders, students, and educators at Tufts University. Produced by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) in partnership with the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, IGL, and The Trebuchet, the forum highlighted some of the most urgent human rights challenges in authoritarian regimes and uplifted the voices of those courageously working to confront them.
CFF serves as a platform to connect university students with prominent advocates for democracy, freedom of expression, and justice. It offers students the opportunity to engage deeply with international issues while forming direct connections with frontline activists and thinkers.
Featured Keynote Speakers
The forum featured compelling testimonies and stories from globally recognized activists:
Faisal Al Mutar – Founder of Ideas Beyond Borders, survivor of sectarian violence in Iraq, and advocate for knowledge access in authoritarian contexts.
Jewher Ilham – Advocate for Uyghur rights and daughter of imprisoned scholar Ilham Tohti. Her work spotlights forced labor and international advocacy for the Uyghur community.
Hanna Liubakova – Belarusian journalist and analyst reporting on developments in Belarusian civil resistance.
Félix Maradiaga – Nicaraguan political activist and former prisoner of conscience, advocating for democracy and the rule of law.
Lobsang Sangay – Former President of the Central Tibetan Administration and senior fellow at Harvard Law School.
DJ Switch (Obianuju Catherine Udeh) – Nigerian artist and activist known for her leadership in the #EndSARS movement and use of music to protest injustice.
Program Overview
Opening Session (10:00–11:15 AM)
Speakers shared personal journeys and advocacy efforts in the face of repression, introduced by Elle Ota (HRF) and Dayna Cunningham (Dean, Tisch College). Speakers included Faisal Al Mutar, Jewher Ilham, and Félix Maradiaga.
Session II (11:30 AM–12:30 PM)
Featured remarks from Tufts student Nica Gojan and HRF’s Sherman Teichman, followed by talks from DJ Switch, Hanna Liubakova, and Lobsang Sangay. The session closed with reflections from Liz Selbherd and Grace Spalding-Fecher (HRF).
Panel Discussions
Voices of Resistance: The Reality of Human Rights Advocacy (2:00–3:15 PM)
Moderated by Eleanor Shackne-Martello, with Faisal Al Mutar and Lobsang SangayThe Dictator’s Playbook: Strategies of Repression and Resistance (3:15–4:30 PM)
Moderated by Ariadna Condezo Trinidad, featuring Jewher Ilham, Hanna Liubakova, and Félix Maradiaga
Breakout Sessions & Reception (4:30–6:00 PM)
Dinner followed at Breed Memorial Hall.
About CFF
CFF is a series of university-based forums created by the Human Rights Foundation to amplify the work of dissidents, journalists, artists, and policy thinkers operating under authoritarian regimes. Through presentations and dialogue, the program equips the next generation of scholars and civic leaders with knowledge, insight, and inspiration.
Hosted at Tufts, this year’s forum sparked urgent conversation across disciplines and borders—uniting attendees around the shared goal of global justice.
For more about the Human Rights Foundation and upcoming forums, visit: www.hrf.org
Educating for Peace: A Teachers’ Conference for Nuclear Disarmament Education
Calling all educators committed to peacebuilding and civic responsibility—this in-person weekend conference is designed for middle and high school teachers passionate about fostering critical thinking and empowering youth to create a better world.
Dates: May 9–11, 2025
Location: Cambridge, MA
Format: Free and in-person only (application required)
Organized by the Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, and Dialogue, the Soka Institute for Global Solutions, the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, and EdEthics at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the conference brings together educators to build capacity in nuclear disarmament education.
Participants will:
Explore practical strategies for integrating nuclear disarmament into the classroom
Strengthen skills for civic engagement and critical thinking
Connect with like-minded teachers in an inspiring and collaborative setting
Who should apply? Middle and high school educators ready to lead thoughtful dialogue and global learning in their communities.
Spots are limited. Apply now to be part of this transformative learning experience.
Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi at MIT
The Massachusetts Rwandan Community Abroad, in collaboration with MIT students, invites you to attend a solemn event honoring the victims and survivors of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi, during which one million lives were lost in the span of just 100 days.
While Rwanda officially observes the national commemoration on April 7, the Massachusetts Rwandan community will hold its remembrance gathering on April 10, 2025, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Event Details:
Date: April 10, 2025
Time: 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Location: W20-307, 3rd Floor, Stratton Student Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
This gathering provides an opportunity to reflect, honor the memory of the victims, and stand in solidarity with the survivors and their families.
For further information about Kwibuka and survivor support in the United States, please visit: www.ibukausa.org
Undercurrents: An Art Exhibition Exploring Community Challenges
Join us for Undercurrents, an art exhibition that uses creativity as a lens to explore the pressing issues affecting our communities today. Through powerful visual works, artists will shed light on local and global challenges while sparking meaningful dialogue.
Dates: April 14–15, 2025
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Location: The Clayroom, 1408 Beacon St, Brookline
An artist panel will take place on April 14 at 7:00 PM, offering deeper insight into the inspirations and messages behind the artwork.
Exhibiting Artists:
Janet Kawada
JayPix Belmer
Gail Bos
Carla Osberg
Terry Boutelle
Lisa Fliegel
Come learn more about the stories behind the artwork, connect with the artists, and reflect on how art can become a tool for awareness and action.
Book your free ticket:
Register at tinyurl.com/undercurrentsevent
For more details:
Call +305-606-7334 or email mariaa.udalova@gmail.com
VII Foundation Exhibition
Opening April 8 at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, April 1975: Phnom Penh / Saigon is a powerful exhibition by The VII Foundation, part of the Memory Module Program 2025. It documents the final days of the Vietnam War and the Khmer Rouge takeover in Cambodia, capturing moments of profound historical transition and human resilience as witnessed by the photographers on the ground.
Curated by Gary Knight and Jon Swain, the exhibition features over 100 photographs and personal artifacts from journalists who risked their lives to document history. It explores themes of conflict, memory, and survival through raw, unforgettable visuals. Among them is the visceral image of a man being punched—an iconic moment that encapsulates the chaos, fear, and emotion of the period. This and many other images confront viewers with the personal cost of geopolitical collapse.
Hosted by the VII Foundation, this exhibition serves not only as a memorial to those caught in the crossfire of history but also as a call to bear witness. It reminds us of the continued relevance of photojournalism in understanding the complexities of our world and honors the lives of 31 Cambodian journalists killed by the Khmer Rouge.
Location: National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo
Opening Hours: Tue–Fri: 10 AM–7 PM, Sat–Sun: 10 AM–6 PM
Admission: Free for this exhibition
More info: https://theviifoundation.org/report/exhibitions/april-1975-phnom-penh-saigon/
Image courtesy of The VII Foundation.
50/50 Startups - Israeli, Palestinian Collaboration and Coexistence, A Glimmer of Hope
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
There are, even in the current environment of anti-normalization and extreme polarization within our communities, resilient and persistent efforts to confront the pessimism that seems so pervasive. I have often referred to Leonard Cohen's Anthem lyric, "There is a crack, a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in." One such effort is one I am very proud to be affiliated with: 50:50 Startups. One of its core creators is my friend, and Trebuchet mentor, Amir Grinstein.
We will gather with a small group of bold Israeli and Palestinians, unique, courageous entrepreneurs who are alumni of the 50:50 Startups program, who will talk about their experiences building startups together.
The question we are entertaining is:
"Can Entrepreneurship Bridge an Extreme Divide?"
These unique, courageous entrepreneurs are alumni of the 50:50 Startups program, which brings Israelis and Palestinians together to develop and nurture collaborative startups. Northeastern University is its critical partner.
Attached, please find the flyer with all of the speakers' bios.
There will be excellent food, drinks, and perhaps a bit of hope and inspiration.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Please RSVP soon by writing to both Amir and me.
Sherman and Amir
PS – Apologies for the late invitation. I was abroad until very recently.
Polarization in the Wild: Understanding Our Global Divides
Hope Makers in the Living Room presents a timely and thought-provoking conversation on one of the most pressing issues of our time: polarization.
From climate change debates to the rise of populist movements and the global pandemic, polarization isn’t just a buzzword—it’s actively reshaping our societies and democracies. But what does it really mean, and what can we do about it?
Join us for an evening of reflection and dialogue with Dr. Kati Kish Bar-On (MIT & Northeastern), who will explore the roots and implications of societal division—and why it so often leads to hatred.
Date & Time:
March 26
Starts at 7:30 PM
Location:
82 Atherton Rd., Unit 2
Brookline, MA 02446
Come be part of the conversation and help imagine ways forward, together.
Organize with Back from the Brink: Youth-Led Strategy on Nuclear Disarmament
Join Back from the Brink’s Boston-area Organizing Hub for a powerful afternoon of planning and collaboration to set goals and strategies for the year ahead. As the threat of nuclear war looms larger, this event offers an important opportunity to work together for disarmament and a safer future.
Date: Sunday, March 16
Time: 2:00–4:00 PM
Location: St. James’ Episcopal Church, 1991 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140
The session will feature Maria Udalova, a Brookline High School student and member of Students for Nuclear Disarmament, as the guest speaker. Her youth leadership and perspective are a key highlight of this gathering.
Attendees will take part in breakout groups focused on:
State and federal legislation
Coalition building
Organizational outreach
Youth engagement
Media strategy
Whether you're new to the movement or a returning organizer, this meeting is a chance to connect, collaborate, and build momentum.
RSVP to: info@gbpsr.org
We need your voice in shaping our future.
Stories from the Lab: Three African Women Scientists on Building Capacity and Becoming a Leader
Curious about what it takes to build scientific capacity in developing countries? Wondering how women scientists forge careers and strengthen institutions in resource-limited environments?
Join Seeding Labs for an exclusive webinar:
“Stories from the Lab: Three African Women Scientists on Building Capacity and Becoming a Leader”
Date: February 25, 2025
Time: 9:30 a.m. EST
In this inspiring hour-long fireside chat, three African women will share their personal journeys of building scientific capacity in their home countries. The event will be structured as a moderated discussion, with time for audience questions.
Moderator:
Dr. Kala Subramanian, Operating Partner, Flagship Pioneering and Seeding Labs Board Member
Panelists:
Prof. Ibok Oduro, Fellow, Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences; Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Ghana
Dr. Rana M.I. Morsy, Lecturer, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Egypt
Dr. Mama Sy, Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Senegal
These unique stories highlight the challenges and opportunities for scientists in developing countries—and the power of perseverance in the lab.
Registration is free, but space is limited. Don’t miss this special opportunity to engage with scientists driving change where it’s needed most.
Hosted by Seeding Labs, connecting scientists in developing countries with the tools and resources for impactful research.
Convisero Mentor Lucy Kaplansky Live at BOMBYX Center for Arts & Equity
On A Winter's Night ft. Cliff Eberhardt, John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky, Patty Larkin
Presenting the Reunion Tour of “On A Winter’s Night” from veteran singer- songwriters that remain among the brightest stars of the singer/songwriter movement for the past three decades. In 1994 Christine Lavin gathered them together, along with folk and Americana artists to showcase music of the Winter Season on the now-classic On A Winter’s Night CD, followed by several years of touring collaborations. These artists have released dozens of recordings and toured steadily through the decades, with fond memories of their touring days together. The winter season is again celebrated by these unique and popular performers, back together by popular demand.
Another Way Forward: Co-Creating Amid Catastrophe
Another Way Forward: Co-Creating Amid Catastrophe
Join Combatants for Peace (CfP) co-founders Souli Khatib and Avner Wishnitzer, alongside Mehra Rimer, founder of B8 of Hope, for an urgent conversation about steadfastness, nonviolent resistance, and the struggle for a just peace. Moderated by Tiffany Goodwin-Van Camp, Executive Director of American Friends of CfP, this event will explore how solidarity and collective action connect the struggle for liberation in Israel and Palestine with movements for justice worldwide.
📅 Date: December 17, 2024
🕒 Time: 1:00 PM ET / 8:00 PM Jerusalem Time
📍 Location: Online (Zoom link provided upon registration)
Shafiq Islam guest lecture at Krea University - A Talk on Engineering Diplomacy
This lecture will explore the intersection of science, policy, and the politics of water, spanning local to global scales. It will examine the technical, political, and socio-economic dimensions of water resource management, including transboundary water disputes, water scarcity, and water-related disasters. Special emphasis will be placed on understanding the role of diplomacy in fostering cooperation, negotiation, and conflict resolution to ensure sustainable water governance and equitable access to water resources. Using recent floods in India and Bangladesh as an example, the lecture will demonstrate how numbers and narratives shape the understanding of and responses to natural hazards.
The Distinguished Lecture series at Krea University, proposed by Professor Nirmala Rao, Vice Chancellor, Krea University, addresses current issues in world politics to promote local, national, and global engagement among the student body. Upcoming lecture themes include international humanitarian law, water and environmental security, challenges of climate change, war and forced migration, refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), global governance and political thought. The lectures will be delivered by a diverse range of academics and practitioners, offering Krea students an invaluable opportunity to connect their academic studies to real-world issues and engage with leading experts. The series will be convened by Sherman Teichman, Emeritus Founding Director of The Institute for Global Leadership at Tufts University (1984-2016).
SDE Teiman and Beyond: A Dive into Israel's Detention of Palestinians in the Shadow of War
Dear friends
As the world's eye is turned to Gaza, a parallel, sinister crisis has unfolded for the past 9 months. Dozens of incarcerated Palestinians from both Gaza and the West Bank have died in Israeli detention centers. Hundreds have suffered medical neglect, and many have been subjected to abuse and torture at the Sde Teiman military base and other facilities.
Join Physicians for Human Rights Israel for an English-language Webinar that will delve into these and other issues, including the Israeli medical system's complicity in some of these rights violations, the latest updates on Sde Teiman, and the denial of medical treatment in the Israeli prison system.
Tuesday, July 2nd at 7 PM Jerusalem time/12 PM EDT
Speakers:
Ms. Oneg Ben Dror, Project Coordinator, PHRI's Prisoners and Detainees DepartmentMs. Hadas Ziv, Director of Medical Ethics at PHRIDr. Lina Qassem-Hassan, Chairperson of PHRI's Board and a family physician with experience treating incarcerated Palestinians
Hosted by Ms. Lee Caspi, Director of Resource Development at PHRI
Sign up here
Best regards,
Lee Caspi
Director of Resource Development
Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI)
A ‘Free Russia’ Passport Could Undermine Putin
Welcoming Those Who Want To Break With The Russian Leader’s Regime Would Mobilize A Key Community To Help Ukraine To Victory.
By Garry Kasparov and Mikhail Khodorkovsky
The war in Ukraine is now well into its third year, and Western support for the country has faltered dangerously.
While the U.S. Congress did pass an aid bill after months of fitful negotiations, the assistance came late — and at great cost. In the interim, Russia took advantage of Kyiv’s shortfall in munitions, dramatically intensifying the shelling of key cities. The EU, for its part, did pass a multibillion-euro defense package in March, but the bloc remains deeply divided over the scope and type of military assistance.
In light of all this, commentary has rightly focused on the need to provide adequate support that would allow Ukraine to defend itself on the battlefield. This must remain a key area of attention. However, the West has other avenues at its disposal to help Ukraine win — and these can and must be explored too.
We speak on behalf of all the Russians who believe in the potential for a free and democratic Russia. Neither of us have been able to return home for decades because of our opposition to the regime. Thankfully, with the resources available to us, we’ve been able to establish new homes and lives for ourselves and our families in the West. But the same opportunities aren’t available to the millions of Russians who, like us, don’t support Putin’s criminal system.
At this critical juncture in the struggle for Ukraine’s sovereignty, we have an opportunity to give these Russians the chance to make the same moral choice to break with the Putin regime — and, in doing so, mobilize a key community to help Ukraine to victory.
Let us be clear about what is at stake: the freedom and self-determination of millions of Ukrainians and their government’s right to territorial integrity. But the consequences extend far beyond one country’s borders. A victory for Putin’s regime would be a clear sign that the world’s democracies aren’t able to stand together in a firm coalition to uphold their core values and support their members in need.
But we still have an opportunity to change the outcome — if we act now — and affirm that democratic institutions and values are stronger and more sustainable than what authoritarians offer.
Thus, as a vital step in the international fight for Ukraine and against Putinism, we propose the creation of a single, harmoniously operating community of pro-Western Russians, which would serve as a crucial link in the broader Western web of opposition against the regime.
Practically speaking, Russians who wish to join this group would be required to sign the Berlin Declaration, which sets out the key principles for a Ukrainian victory and a Russia without Putin. After passing the necessary checks, signatories would then be issued documents recognizing them as members of a “Free Russia,” which would allow them to obtain visas and enter all countries participating in the agreement.
This would create a powerful incentive for more Russians to disavow Putin and emigrate. Many of the over one million citizens who have already departed the Russian Federation are highly educated. And the more that leave Russia, the greater the “brain drain” Putin’s regime suffers, leaving fewer intellectual resources for him to develop new deadly technologies and fewer soldiers to send to the front.
Unfortunately, Russians who have left their country behind often find themselves in a state of limbo and at risk of politically motivated extradition, living, for the most part, in Georgia, Armenia, Turkey or Central Asian countries, unable to seek refuge in Europe. Many would gladly join in the fight against Putin openly. However, with expiring passports, uncertain residency and no representation, this is an impossibility.
These individuals aren’t in need of economic assistance — they’re fully capable of supporting themselves. The system we propose would give them the opportunity to help themselves, their families and the West by supporting the international struggle against Putinism openly and without fear.
If the idea sounds far-fetched or impractical, we point to a historical example that suggests otherwise: Nansen passports, developed for stateless persons in the political chaos following World War I, were issued by the League of Nations after the Russian government officially revoked the citizenship of hundreds of thousands of Russians abroad. Named after Norwegian politician Fridtjof Nansen, their chief promoter on the international stage, nearly half a million Nansen passports were issued during their nearly two-decade existence. And the office responsible for their operation was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its work in combating this massive displacement crisis.
While the parallel is imperfect — as historical analogs always are — the growing number of Russians disaffected with Putin’s rule today similarly stand to have their lives transformed by such international recognition. In recent days though, Norway, along with Finland, banned the entry of Russian tourists (with few exceptions for essential travel and humanitarian reasons). And while the measure signals a strong stance against Putin’s war, it offers no way of distinguishing between Russians who fall in line behind him and those who seek to disavow him. It only further points to the urgent need for an international juridical mechanism for making precisely this kind of distinction.
As the war staggers on, we must use all the resources at our disposal — military, economic and legal — to help Ukraine prevail. The establishment of an extraterritorial free Russia, so to speak, with international recognition, would mark a crucial step toward Ukraine’s victory, dramatically shifting the balance of power in the struggle between democracy and dictatorship.
We cannot shy away from the truth that victory for Ukraine entails the full defeat of Putin’s regime. The steps we take to ensure Ukraine’s future are also steps that pave the way for a free, fair and democratic Russia aligned with the West. We urge the leaders of the free world to take this proposal seriously: to bring like-minded Russians to their side of the current fight and, as a result, integrate them into the international democratic fabric.