Global conversations
A feast of British art is heading for Kyiv. First up is a major new exhibition of sculptor Anish Kapoor. Kapoor has been one of my favourite artists since I saw his 1991 Turner Prize-winning exhibit at the old Tate Gallery (this was before the Tate Modern opened in 2000). Kapoor also has a work, called “Turning the World Inside Out” inside the British Embassy in Berlin. I used to walk … Read more »Concrete and blood-red wax: British art in Kyiv
On the eve of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) I’m delighted to meet in Kyiv old friend Clare Dimyon, a British human rights activist whom I last met in June 2009. At that time, Clare was visiting Ukraine to coincide with the Second National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) conference in Kyiv. This time, she is attending the 4th annual Mykolayiv Rainbow Spring gathering of LGBT … Read more »IDAHO in Ukraine
The images are powerful. A woman prisoner displays bruises which she says were caused by mistreatment by prison guards. Allegations by ex-prime minister Yuliya Tymoshenko that she was physically mistreated by prison guards, followed by counter-claims by prison authorities that this never happened, have caused controversy in the rest of Europe. In an intense cycle of debate, there are reports that some politicians from EU countries will not attend the … Read more »Football and politics
I recently wrote a blog in which I welcomed the announcement that Ukraine had written formally to invite OSCE/ODIHR* to send observers to the October 2012 parliamentary elections. I was a bit surprised to see some people interpreting my words as suggesting that the mere presence of the OSCE observers automatically meant the elections would be fair. This is of course not what I said. It is indeed good news … Read more »Will October’s elections be free and fair?
The athletes crouch down. The signal is given and, muscles straining, they cover the run in a few seconds. There are 100 of them, aged 10-12. All around, teachers and students roar their support. Welcome to the “EkoNad” school, on the Left Bank of the Dnepr river in Kyiv, for a dramatic celebration marking “100 Days To Go” to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games. It’s terrific to see … Read more »London Olympics: 100 Days to Go
Ukraine is, with Russia, amongst the countries in Europe with the highest rates of HIV infection. In Ukraine around 60 people are infected daily and over 235,000 people live with HIV/AIDS. So I was delighted when Alliance Ukraine, a member of the Brighton-based International HIV/AIDS Alliance, organised a visit to Ukraine recently by Lord Fowler, Chairman of a House of Lords Select Committee which reported on HIV/AIDS in the UK … Read more »HIV/AIDS and needle exchanges in Ukraine
Will Ukraine seize the once-in-a-generation opportunity of Euro 2012 to showcase its European credentials? How about the October parliamentary elections – a litmus test for democracy in Ukraine? These questions are the subject of a powerful article by the British Minister for Europe, David Lidington, in the Ukrainian newspaper “Den” on 5 April.
Guest blog by Major Kirsty Baxter, Assistant Military Attaché Kyiv There is an explosion; then we hear the screams for help. Quickly we turn and jog back down the path. Our group of military attachés and Ukrainian officers find a badly injured sergeant, his foot blown off by a mine booby-trap. As he begs for help and calls out for his mother, we see sergeants standing guard and another prodding … Read more »UK-Ukraine leadership training in Crimea
I blogged last week about how an early invitation to OSCE/ODIHR1 to send observers to the October 2012 parliamentary elections would be a “quick win” to help Ukraine show its commitment to democracy. I subsequently saw a tweet from Foreign Minister Hryshchenko on 19 March saying that he had just signed off such an invitation. This is a welcome move, and will enable the OSCE/ODIHR to send a “needs assessment … Read more »Ukraine’s 2012 elections: a welcome move
I am frequently alerted by commercial contacts to difficulties with the Ukrainian business environment; and have often blogged on this subject. So it was interesting to hear from a leading independent economist recently the view that there had been some progress on macroeconomic reform recently. The economist said this had included: - The 2011 Pension reform – a tough but wide-ranging reform which had long been a condition of support from … Read more »Ukrainian economic success?