Ideas Day in Odesa: Participants discussed Military Democracy and Resilience in Times of Trials

On Saturday, we held the final Ideas Day of the year. For the Aspen Institute Kyiv and Impact Hub Odesa teams and its co-founder Yegor Grebennikov, organizing the event in Odesa — where the Ideas Festival has traditionally taken place for many years — was especially emotional. We fondly remember this grand, multi-day, and inspiring event. The Ideas Days, as a logical continuation of the Festival in the context of the full-scale invasion, foster the generation of new meanings and content, uniting professionals from various fields who sometimes have opposing but interesting views.

More than 80 local community leaders, as well as alumni of the Institute from across Ukraine, participated in two pannel discussions — “Military Democracy” and “CASTIGAT RIDENDO MORES: Resilience and Humor in Times of War.” We examined how war affects democratic institutions, civil society, and political culture and analyzed relevant historical and present examples. During the second panel discussion with experts, we explored how humor helps maintain inner harmony, support mental strength, and nurture hope even in the most challenging times. We also focused on the appropriateness of humor and defining the “red lines” that might separate humor from disrespect for human dignity.

During the discursive forum, participants also shared ideas about the future of the Odesa region. An important part of this was deconstructing unproductive old myths, discussing what might unite the local community, and exploring Odesa’s identity. Sharing more about the region’s history and creating new narratives is crucial.

We thank the Odesa Aspen community, Odesa Business Club, Yevhen Lemberg, Mykola Viknyanskyi, and Maksym Mykhalochkin for their support in organizing Ideas Day. 

We also thank our media partners: Espresso, Rubrika, and Suspilne Broadcasting.

We believe the synergy of leadership worlds will strengthen everyone and help implement new projects that will positively change Ukraine’s future. Thanks to everyone for Ideas Days—2024, filled with new insights and inspiration. 

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We hope the event will catalyze the process of turning participants’ ideas and thoughts into reality.

See you next year!