WARM AT THE CONFERENCE “REALISING THE RIGHT TO MEMORY” IN KYIV

In September 2024, WARM Foundation participated in the international conference “Realising the Right to Memory: Pathways for a Contemporary Culture of Memory in Ukraine,” held in Kyiv. The conference was organised by the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance in cooperation with the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU) and brought together leading Ukrainian and international experts working on memory, memorialisation, and transitional justice.

As part of Panel Two: Developing a “New Language” of Memory in Ukraine,” WARM co-founder and director Damir Šagolj joined Oksana Dovgopolova (Past / Future / Art Memory Culture Platform), Kateryna Lytvyn (Northern Cultural Capital NGO), and other Ukrainian practitioners in a conversation facilitated by Alim Aliev, Deputy Director General of the Ukrainian Institute and founder of the Crimean Fig / Qırım İnciri Literary Project. The broader conference programme included Anton Drobovych, Anton Liagusha, Lera Lauda, Kateryna Semeniuk, Nataliya Gumenyuk, Svitlana Osipchuk, Sophia Milosevic Bijleveld and other thought leaders working on contemporary memory practices.

The discussions explored how Ukraine is developing new approaches to memorialisation amid an ongoing war — addressing questions of care, community engagement, psychological impact, state regulation, archiving, museumification, and the risks of memory being weaponised in divided societies. Particular attention was given to avoiding retraumatisation while creating meaningful spaces for remembrance, as well as to the importance of context-specific solutions rather than imported models.

Drawing on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s three decades of post-war memorialisation, Šagolj reflected on the importance of finding the right “distance” when interpreting traumatic pasts — neither too close to allow clear assessment nor too far to become abstract. The dialogue created a direct exchange between Ukrainian and Bosnian experiences, examining lessons learned, the role of Europe, and the long-term challenges of preserving memory with integrity.

WARM’s participation in the conference marks another step in its sustained presence in Ukraine and its ongoing collaboration with Ukrainian partners. Through projects such as Bosnia–Ukraine: Reporting from the Future and continued public dialogue, WARM remains committed to connecting experiences of conflict, memory, and responsibility across borders.

WARM’s activities in Ukraine are supported by UNESCO through the “Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans” (CC4WBs) project, funded by the European Union. The programme seeks to strengthen dialogue in the Western Balkans by enhancing the cultural and creative sectors and increasing their socio-economic impact, reinforcing WARM’s long-term engagement between Ukraine and the region and its commitment to meaningful cultural exchange in times of war.