Yuliya Tychkivska: “How to maintain loyalty to the organization’s mission in constant adaptability.”
The struggle of Ukrainians for freedom has been going on for more than 9 months. Adaptability has become a necessity. Russia’s full-scale military invasion has changed us and the work of government institutions, businesses, and the public sector. The activities of Aspen Institute Kyiv have also changed. However, in conditions of great upheavals, it is essential to keep the core to remain faithful to the mission and values of your organization. Below, I will talk about it the example of the activities of the Aspen Institute Kyiv.
How dialogue helps in the struggle for freedom
In the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, we realized that the mission of Aspen Institute Kyiv is now more crucial than ever. One of its foundations is the development of a culture of Dialogue among leaders. Yes, Dialogue helps make non-trivial decisions, which full-scale war requires daily. It is not about talking for the sake of talking but about exchanging ideas, opinions, and unique leadership experiences to find answers to challenges and positive societal changes. One of our strengths, which makes the Dialogue more productive, is the ability to involve leaders from various fields and bearers of different, sometimes opposing, views in discussing important issues. Such a dialogue does not only concern national challenges. We are also concentrating on particular industries in the conditions of a full-scale invasion of Russia. For example, with the support of EU4PAR, they held a series of dialogue sessions dedicated to the development of the civil service in the conditions of war and European integration; we are implementing the “Dialogue on Cyber Security” program in partnership with the USAID Project “Cyber Security of Critical Infrastructure.”
The social contract can be perceived as coherent by collecting a mosaic of different views and perspectives. I will explain in more detail how it works on the example of a project devoted to a social contract for Ukraine, one of the components which help us implement NED. Some of the participants in the seminars and Dialogue sessions look at the social contract from a business perspective — say, in the context of changing the principles of taxation. Someone — from a geopolitical point of view, considering how Ukraine will interact with other European countries. And for some, an essential thing in forming the social contract is the education of leaders and members of society in general.
Construction of international bridges
International support is not something abstract. International solid relations mean downed missiles and destroyed kamikaze drones that the Russians sent to peaceful cities, freed from occupied territories and the continuation of the Ukrainian economy. Such support is impossible without trust. The second strength of Aspen Institute Kyiv, which helped implement our mission at the international level during a full-scale war, is belonging to a global network of partners.
After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, we, together with another Aspen of the World Institute, created a platform for communication between Ukrainian and foreign leaders — Ukrainian Dialogue.
They also held a series of meetings dedicated to the European integration of Ukraine. Ukrainian leaders calmly explained what modern Ukraine is like and what it can give to Europe — it worked. Skepticism and, I would even say, “coldness” of the representatives of the partner countries changed to mutual understanding in the process of sincere and reasoned discussion.
In the same context, I will add the need to use every opportunity to address international audiences and try to build permanent and strong ties with them. We are doing everything possible to have Ukrainian speakers heard at major international events: Aspen Ideas Festival, Bloomberg City Lab, Action Forum, and Security Forum.
Community, responsible leadership, building horizontal connections.
The Russian-Ukrainian war once again proved the power of horizontal ties and the incredible ability of Ukrainian society to self-organize. From the first days of the full-scale invasion, the Aspen Community of the Kyiv Institute, which includes the most active graduates, became a platform for creating joint initiatives, a place for cooperation.
The urgent tasks of the first weeks were impressive in their variety and extraordinariness. From the mobilization of the hacker community to the supply of food to the occupied regions. From campaigns to boycott corporations operating in Russia to advocating sanctions. From the evacuation of people from the territories where hostilities took place to the launch of systemic humanitarian initiatives. The Community has become a factor in successfully responding to these challenges.
I will tell you more about one of these initiatives. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, we, together with several famous singers and bloggers, tried to reach the Russians – to tell them what was happening and to call for resistance to their leaders, to speak out against the war in Ukraine. Unfortunately, the initiative did not bear fruit. Still, this experience demonstrates that the Russian-Ukrainian war is not only a war of Putin, as is often said, for example, by ordinary Americans but of the whole of Russia. And a considerable part of the Russian population supports it, often with their silence and inaction.
Dialogue with people, who will not necessarily share your thoughts but will listen to them, also has a therapeutic effect. We hold dialogue sessions, seminars, and talks for the members of the Community, which provide an opportunity not only to hear other leaders but also to share your thoughts sincerely. This reflection is necessary to transform all pain and stress into resilience.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, dozens of discussions and collaborative initiatives within the Community and among alums are a way to implement another component of our mission—sharing ideas for positive impact.
New formats, unchanged mission
I am very inspired by visual art. I have a deep conviction that with the help of paintings or sculptures, you can sometimes say much more than with words. And this is not one-sided information but also a form of Dialogue: art evokes inner feelings and motivates action. The idea of organizing the exhibition “Beast of War.” Bird of Hope” (Beast of War. Bird of Hope) in the city of Aspen (USA) came to us with partners from the Aspen Institute somewhat unexpectedly but quite organically. Unexpected because this is the first exhibition created by Aspen Institute Kyiv. Organically, because artists were among the first to react to unjust, inhumane wars at any time — the Russian invasion of Ukraine is one such. And art itself has always promoted humanism and universal values. We did not deviate from our mission, but we found a new, non-obvious form of its implementation.
Unfortunately, I was not able to visit this exhibition in person. According to our American colleagues and curator Alisa Lozhkina, it became a wonderful reminder of the essence of the Russian-Ukrainian war and an incentive to continue supporting our country. Most visitors to the exhibition are leaders of American society with whom the Aspen Institute works. These are people who influence their fields. The works that impressed and inspired the visitors quite likely left an impression on what this influence will be concerning Ukraine.
In the same context, I completely agree with Vlad Troitsky. We still need to understand what a powerful weapon art can be. Therefore, I call on all Ukrainian artists: to keep creating, keep talking about the struggle of the Ukrainian people for freedom, and more actively offer their work to the world.
3 tips that will help you stay true to your mission even in the most challenging times
I am sure that, just like us, many organizations faced the question: “What next?” after the beginning of a full-scale invasion. Let’s be honest: uncertainty remains even now. It’s like you’re driving on a night highway, and you see only the illuminated section of the road in front of you. What helps to illuminate it, these conventional headlights are precisely the mission. Thanks to its immovability, it indicates the direction of movement.
My first conclusion and advice are to convey the mission to the outside and implement it and to do everything so that this mission is understood and the team believes in it. Without the desire of each member of the Institute’s team to contribute to the common good, none of what is described in this column, there would be no superpowers. And this column, accordingly, would not exist either. The Supervisory Board of the Institute plays a significant role in our activities. This is another powerful carrier of the organization’s mission and an incredible partner in implementing complex projects that arise in force majeure situations.
The same goes for the communities you belong to or form around you. A big idea always brings people together better than anything else. And better than anything else, such big ideas encourage us to act together for the common good. The Aspen mission has become an integral part of many people, and it allows us not only to overcome all difficulties but also to develop the organization.
My second advice is don’t be afraid to do something you didn’t do yesterday. If the mission remains permanent, the implementation tools can and should be adapted to the realities. For example, Aspen Institute Kyiv was never directly associated with art. Still, the organization of the exhibition “Beast of War. Bird of Hope” helped us explain the nature and consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian war to hundreds of American leaders.
The third advice is to focus on your strengths and stay focused while pursuing a mission and looking for new formats. No matter how motivated and committed to your organization’s ideas you are, it’s impossible to cover everything. As I wrote at the beginning, these points of strength for us were the opportunity to build bridges between Ukrainian leaders in various fields and belonging to an international network of partners.
Upheavals change, and changes can be of two kinds: they either break us or make us stronger. Which of the two options will take place depends on stability. We will win! Persistence is directly related to the awareness of the mission because you know what you are working for and making efforts. Therefore, I wish all of us to remain faithful to our beliefs and mission to be stable.
