Our Experience: The 6th Annual HURI Conference on Solidarity

Olivia DeMarsh
May 30
2 min read

By Leah Finney, Olivia DeMarsh, Leeza Ciccarone

The 2026 Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute TCUP conference was centered around one question: How has global solidarity for Ukraine changed over the past 4 years? Solidarity was defined as an active convergence of feelings that bridges a distance; something won, not given. Throughout 2 days, the conference explored questions about how people can remain connected and in solidarity with Ukraine despite physical distance and the societal normalization of the war.

During the first panel we listened to 4 panelists with varying backgrounds discuss shifting dynamics of solidarity in Ukraine. Mediated by Rory Finn we heard from Nataliya Gumenyuk founder and CEO of Public Interest Journalism Lab, Yevhen Hlibovytsky a director of the Frontier Institute, Sergio Jaramillo of Acordemos, and Roman Waschuk, a former Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine.

Throughout the panel we explored what solidarity meant and Finn started with his fact of the matter that solidarity is through speaking, acting, and knowing: themes that recurred throughout this panel. Knowing is such a big component to this issue.

Yevhen Hlibovytsky remarked “You can't be in solidarity with someone you don't know” referring to the importance of knowledge in this conflict and in keeping solidarity in general. A perceptive offered by Gumenyuk is that people are shaken by this global violence and are at a loss for action. With the large scale of the problem and the struggle people find themselves in to try to relate. Gumenyuk shares how she promotes individual stories because she feels that they make more connections.

Hlibovytsky exclaimed that to the west this conflict is simply “lost in translation” and something they struggle to perceive. Over all this panel offered many important standpoint on solidarity and its current state in relativity to Ukraine. Our many take away was the importance of knowledge and we decided to use that knowledge for good.

The final panel focused not just on education and information, but action. Consisting of 5 panelist members including, Melinda Haring, Sean Kivlehan, Nate Mook, Sarah D. Philips, and Meagan Mobbs who not only shared what they have done to contribute to the war effort and solidarity in Ukraine but also what we can do. The idea was to end the TCUP conference not leaving people feeling powerless, but inspired to act among the issue through a multitude of ways, for Sean Kivlehan that was traveling to Ukraine to help animals, or for Sarah D. Phillips it was supporting Ukrainian scholars who aren't leaving Ukraine.

The 2026 TCUP conference ended with traditional Ukrainian music and a chance for attendees and panelists to connect and discuss with each other after 2 days of informative panels which brought new ideas into dialogue and networking opportunities available to everyone.

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