"Peace is a matter of will. This will should originate from all involved», Natalia Bezkhlibna emphasized in her speech at Tampere Peace Day, "We strive for sustainable peace, a ceasefire without a real peace agreement is not an adequate tool for achieving sustainable peace. Ukrainian peacekeepers have been working on the task of reconceptualizing peacebuilding since 2020 and advocate the concept of a "just peace" that would guarantee Ukraine's independence and territorial sovereignty and accountability for human rights violations and war crimes."
On November 27, Natalia Bezkhlibna, Head of the Secretariat of the Community of Practice of the Ukrainian Dialogue, spoke at a conference in Tampere, Finland: Tampere Peace Day: Adapting peacemaking to respond to global challenges. Natalia took part in the discussion "Inclusive peacemaking in interstate conflict: the case of Ukraine and the South Caucasus", which was also attended by Andrea Chmelinski Bigazzi, CMI - Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation Manager, South Caucasus Region, Lina Klymenko, Research Fellow at the Helsinki College of Advanced Study, and Tanya Tamminen, EU4Dialogue project manager, funded by the EU.
In the context of the war in Ukraine, discussions about peace have focused on military victory, security guarantees, and negotiations between state leaders.Instead of discussing when the war will eventually end, the discussion was created to draw attention to the role of inclusive, civil society-oriented processes in interstate wars.
At the event, Natalia spoke about the state of peacebuilding in Ukraine and the role of civil society in it, about new social challenges, the efforts of civil society organizations that were united at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, and about the Ukrainian Dialogue Community of Practice and its achievements: "Seven Points on War and Dialogue" (May 2022), "Call for Peace and Conscious Solidarity" (May 2023), as well as activities and projects carried out by the members of the Ukrainian Dialogue Community of Practice.
The first Tampere Peace Day was organized by the Tampere Peace Research Institute (TAPRI) in cooperation with CMI - Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation (CMI). Its goal is to become a platform for people and organizations working in the field of conflict and peace to come together and discuss how to adapt to current global challenges and work for a peaceful tomorrow. The goal of the day is to combine the latest research with practical knowledge about peacebuilding.The common platform will enable the exchange of knowledge and best practices, and create a space to foster cooperation and partnerships between all those working for peace in Finland and around the world.
Photo:Maria Santto/CMI
