Diversity Lecture: Emily Channel-Justice
“Free University, Free Country”: The Intersection of Student and National Politics in Ukraine This presentation will discuss the role of student activism before and during Ukraine's Maidan mobilization of 2013-2014. They will explain the rise in student groups in the 2000s and how their campaign tied directly into the broader protests that began around Ukraine in November 2013. Students adopted radical tactics from Maidan protesters and participated in occupations around Ukraine's capital, using this position of power to advocate for new legislation on higher education that would directly benefit students in important ways. At the same time, student groups with various ideologies had to compromise with one another and with the new government in oder to succeed in some of their demands. They will use examples of student activism in Ukraine to engage questions such as, how can students effectively organize around issues that directly impact them, especially in challenging political circumstances? How do these circumstances influence what we can and cannot do as activists? When should activists compromise, and what constitutes "success" and "failure" for student activists?
This event is part of the Symposium calendar.
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