The methods of warfare used by Russia can be described not only as atrocious and genocidal, but also inadequate in the context of the state of modern technological development. It seems particularly painful and cynical that Ukraine has been struggling for the last 30 years to rebuild its environmental sector and to eliminate the influence left by the Soviet Union. The full-scale war launched by Russia has not only destroyed these efforts, but has created an even greater threat to the environment and climate on a global scale that cannot be ignored. Madara Meļņika, one of the panelists, articulates in an article published in Satori concerning the detonation of the Kakhovka dam: “This is not only a human catastrophe, but also an environmental one, which probably qualifies as an ecocide: The extent of destruction inflicted upon natural ecosystems, national parks and protected areas, endangered species,flora and soil, surpasses all other consequences of Russia's unlawful invasion of Ukraine, and the true magnitude remains unfathomable." The tragedy that Ukraine is currently experiencing as a result of Russian actions is yet another reminder: borders drawn on a map will not protect us, and our interconnectedness is far more profound than we may wish to acknowledge. Ukrainian writer Oksana Zabuzhko and human rights activist and environmental researcher Madara Meļņika talked about ecocide, environmental disasters and the impact of war and its consequences on our planet. They also theorized on the type of world we are shaping for generations to come.
In the second part of the conversation, a cohort of young individuals joined the speakers to scrutinize past events and to reflect on what is yet to come, making an informed and critical prediction of the future.
The conversation was moderated by Oksana Zabuzhko and Madara Melņika.
Oksana Zabuzhko is one of the most important Ukrainian writers. She has always been fearless about politics, and in 2004 her article "Ukraine's Solidarity" was published in the Wall Street Journal, in which she predicted major protests in Kiev. After this publication, Zabuzhko became known as "Orange Cassandra". Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, Zabuzhko has continued to explain to Westerners the context of the war, the history of relations between Ukraine and Russia, Russia's imperial ambitions, and the threat that Russia's military build-up poses to the climate and the environment in Ukraine and elsewhere. Zabuzhko's latest book “The Longest Journey” (Найдовша подорож), translated into Latvian by Kristaps Vecgrāvs, was published in September 2023 as part of the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art's translation series.
Madara Meļņika is a human rights activist. She has just completed her second Master's degree in Law at the University of Connecticut, where she researched, among other things, the environmental and climate impact of Russia's unlawful invasion of Ukraine.
The event was part of the "Collective Community Movement" project. The project is implemented by the LCCA in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut in Riga and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany.