The Truth to Justice Platform 

Open Call for Artists: from Ukraine, Moldova, and Germany

Deadline: 04.08.2024

Call for artistic projects dealing with digital propaganda, abuse of history, propaganda narratives, and how these tactics shape perceptions and distort reality. russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine marked a dramatic escalation in the use of propaganda and disinformation. Before the invasion, these tactics were used to create division, weaken Ukrainian sovereignty, and manipulate public perception. However, the invasion became a focal point for a massive disinformation campaign. Fabricated narratives, weaponized social media, and distorted reporting aimed to justify the invasion, demonize Ukraine, and obscure the actual human cost of the war.

 How do we feel about disinformation in everyday life? How does it affect our connections in communities? How does it influence our decision-making process? These are the questions on which we wish to reflect collectively through different experiences and artistic practices. 

Project Overview: The Truth to Justice Platform is an international initiative designed to combat the pervasive threat of disinformation, predominantly russian, through a collaborative network of media, art, and academic professionals. 

This project aims to raise awareness and actively engage stakeholders in addressing and countering disinformation, explicitly focusing on the complexities introduced by Russian hybrid warfare. The alarming entanglement in Germany of Russian propaganda, particularly among individuals who distrust established media, underscores the urgency of this initiative. 

Ukraine and Moldova’s longstanding experiences combating Russian and other neo-colonial propaganda are a crucial foundation for this project.

Given the 2024 elections worldwide and the growing threat to freedom of expression from radical movements and disinformation campaigns on different media, there is a pressing need for enhanced international exchange of experiences and knowledge to address this serious threat effectively.

Link to the application form: https://forms.gle/iyg5yNDKk73MTvdD7 

Deadline of Open call: 04.08.2024

Language of fellowship: English 

OUR OFFER INCLUDES: 

 

• Two-Months long online curatorial guided fellowship (start 09.09.2024)
• Development of 4 art projects (production costs up to 300 Euro).
• An online artist fellowship program for two months is granted for 1,200.00 monthly.
• Showcase in Berlin during the conference – beginning of December 2024 – to be confirmed
• Artist talk during the conference in Berlin in December
• Transport and accommodation in Berlin during the showcase at the conference
• Publication on the platform Truth to Justice

A COMPLETE APPLICATION SHOULD INCLUDE

1. CV in PDF format (two pages maximum) and  portfolio (max 70 MB); 
2. Motivation letter
3. Draft of an  artistic idea for the project you would like to submit and develop during the fellowship. 
4. Please fill out the application form here till 04.08.2024: https://forms.gle/iyg5yNDKk73MTvdD7 

The organizers reserve the right to contact the selected candidate(s) for additional online interviews and for one online group meeting. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Application documents will be accepted in English only;
• Fellowship will be held in English;
• If you have any questions, please feel free to contact kateryna.tarabukina@vitsche.org
• The results of the recruitment procedure will be announced by (19.08). The list of selected participants will be published:
  •  On the website of VIitsche e.V:  https://vitsche.org/ and https://www.instagram.com/vitsche_berlin/ 
  •  On the website of Arta Azi: https://artaazi.org/ 
• The organizers are not obligated to substantiate the enrollment committee’s decisions.
• No appeal procedure has been provided for candidates selected to participate in the project, and the present document will constitute an attachment to the agreement concluded between any such candidate and Vitsche e.V.

ORGANIZERS

Participants: selected 4 artists from Ukraine, Moldova, Germany

Partner Institutions: Vitsche, Arta Azi

Program Coordinator: Kateryna Tarabukina

Assistance Coordinator: Rusanda Alexandru Curca

Curator of Fellowship: Ksenia Malykh

Open call Jury: Kateryna Tarabukina, Rusanda Alexandru Curca, Ksenia Malykh

 

Project granted by: Bundesamt für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten (Auswärtiges Amt)

 

#CivilSocietyCooperation 

On May 30th at Bard College Berlin‘s Lecture Hall from 18:30 to 21:30 the presentation of the Ukrainian Decolonial Glossary will take place followed by a public discussion and a chance to network with others.

Event Details: 

• When: 30.05
• Time: 18:30-21:30
• Where: Lecture Hall, Bard College Berlin Platanenstraße 98a, 13156 Berlin https://maps.app.goo.gl/g6mvxi1fCDtQhZeY7

Presentation and discussion will be held in English. Entry is free.

The Ukrainian Decolonial Glossary compiles essential concepts from de- and post-colonial theories specifically relevant to Ukraine. This unique lexicon created by Ukrainian researchers, writers, and artists, focuses on contemporary issues linked to colonialism, imperialism, and the Soviet past. This resource is designed for those in the cultural sphere and related fields, aiming to encourage dialogue and acknowledge subjectivity in the hierarchy of knowledge archives in various institutions. 

Following the presentation, invited speakers will discuss the present state and future possibilities of Ukrainian decolonial thought, art, and culture. Participants will examine the importance of decolonial theory in understanding russia and the Soviet Union, critically analyze the notions of colonialism and coloniality within the Ukrainian context, and draw parallels with other colonial experiences, such as those in Poland and Latin America.

Meet the Panelists:

Dr. Agata Lisiak, Migration Studies professor and Academic Director of the Internship Program at Bard College in Berlin. In her publication “The Making of (Post)colonial Cities in Central Europe,” she examines how postcoloniality impacts urban life in Central European cities.

Dr. Pablo Valdivia is a researcher at the European University Viadrina specializing in Western European Literature. He recently co-organized an international conference titled “Belligerent Accumulation Natural Right, Valorization, and Aesthetics in Colonial Modernity: Histories–Transformations—Resistances.”

Valeriia Buradzhyieva is a curator and artist pursuing a Master’s degree in Performance Studies at Stockholm University. She is also a co-curator for the online platform SONIAKH, which focuses on post- and decoloniality in Ukrainian culture and art.

Kateryna Demerza is pursuing a PhD in philosophy at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, focusing on memory and space studies, and is a head of communications at Vitsche. During the discussion, she will share the approaches Vtische is pursuing to work with russian imperialism in Germany.

Galyna Yarmanova is a researcher teaching courses on gender, sexuality, and feminism at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. She recently led a talk as part of a series at Bard College on “Feminist Pedagogy and Theory in the Times of Crises” examining the impact of neoliberalization on the devaluation of feminist and queer theories in Ukraine.

Moderator: Yurii Boiko is currently a visiting scholar at the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and  research assistant at the European University of Viadrina. Yurii is pursuing a PhD in philosophy and is a co-author of the Glossary. 

Join us to explore the glossary, engage in dialogue, and network.                                

For further information, please contact: press@vitsche.org

In April, we launched our new fundraising campaign, #UkraineVerstärker_in. Our goal was to raise 30k€ within a month to purchase and transport an evacuation bus to Kropyvnytskyi Hospital. This hospital is near the frontlines in Ukraine’s southeastern region, an area severely affected by daily russian bombardment. We are thrilled by the results and eager to share the finalized reports with you!

We surpassed 30k € and raised a remarkable 42.7k € ! Thanks to this incredible support, we could purchase extra equipment, including a second rescue car and medical backpacks.

The bus can transport 9-11 injured individuals at once and is fully equipped to ensure each person has access to medical care during the journey. The ambulance is crucial for immediate rescues of those affected, and the backpacks are stocked with essential medical supplies, to help increase survival chances before reaching the hospital.

We are incredibly grateful to our partners at BambergUA, who procured and personally delivered the rescue vehicles and critical medical supplies to the rescue workers. Thanks to all of you, everything arrived swiftly to its destination and is already helping Ukrainians to save lives.

This unique fundraising model, inspired by Ukrainians, surpassed our expectations in Germany! We are amazed by the positive response, and plan to use this approach in future fundraisers. 

Our sincere thanks go out to our 13 Ukrainverstarker*innen for supporting this project and helping us reach a broader audience.

Thank you: Patrick Heinemann, Franziska Davies, Rebecca Harms, Enno Lenze, Niklas Wenzel, Frank Peter Wilde, Christian Hagemann, Fabian Hoffmann, Simon Vaut, Till Mayer, Thomas Ney, Mattia Nelles, and Robin Wagener!

The campaign’s success was remarkably swift! We reached the required amount in just three days, and within the following two days, an additional 10k € was donated.

Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to the 460 donors. The average donation sum was 75.79€, and ranged from 1€ donations to 2,000€. Regardless of the sum, you have made a significant impact.

Your support allowed us to exceed our goal and obtain more vital equipment than expected! Your support helps save the lives of Ukrainians under constant russian attacks and is an incredible reminder of the unity within our community.

Thank you all for saving lives!

Let us keep donating and supporting Ukraine in all possible ways.

russia WILL lose

The absence of memorials in Germany for the over 10 million Ukrainian WWII victims has become painfully more apparent since russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The existing memorials are solely dedicated to the Soviet Union, neglecting countries like Ukraine and others that suffered under both Soviet and Nazi regimes. 

The Soviet Memorials in Berlin serve as stark reminders of this, displaying quotes from Stalin, a ruthless dictator responsible for mass murder, deportation, and labor camps. Despite the brutal war in their homeland caused by russia, the Ukrainian community in Germany is obliged to commemorate their fellow citizens and ancestors in a place that represents oppression, dictatorship, and pain. 

The atrocities of Stalin’s purges and the initial period of German occupation in Ukraine are often overlooked in the historical narrative. After the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, Einsatzgruppen, specialized killing squads, were utilized by the Third Reich to carry out mass executions resulting in the deaths of over two million Jews. Ukraine was one of the countries most affected by this “Holocaust by Bullets.” 

In September 1941, for the first time in history, a major European city witnessed the premeditated murder of its Jewish population at the ravine of Babyn Yar on the outskirts of Kyiv. In just two days, German occupiers executed 33,771 Jewish residents and threw their bodies into a mass grave.

The Nazis continued to use Babyn Yar for mass executions during their occupation of Kyiv from 1941 to 1943. Among the estimated 100,000 victims, around two-thirds were Jewish, while the rest consisted of Roma, Soviet POWs, activists, nationalists, psychiatric patients, and religious figures. The Babyn Yar massacre, the largest mass killing of WWII, has been consistently suppressed in historical memory. 

The Soviet Union’s policies for Holocaust remembrance involved censorship, concealment of records, distorting facts, and repression of the events. This made it impossible to commemorate Babyn Yar post-war. The first memorial at Babyn Yar, was not created until 1976, and honored “Soviet citizens,” aligning with the Soviet practice of subsuming all victims under the umbrella of Soviet civilians. Germany’s historical memory landscape still reflects this stance, as Soviet memorials are primarily linked to russia and are legally maintained under an agreement between Germany and russia. 

The devastating effects of the German occupation in Ukraine included burned villages, deportations, forced labor camps, and mass executions. Ukrainian territory faced extensive destruction, while German aggression only affected approximately 3% of russian territory. Despite Ukraine’s contributions to the global victory against the Nazis, russia claims this triumph while erasing Ukraine’s vital role. Monuments that ignore Ukraine’s sacrifices, or the absence of monuments entirely, continue to perpetuate a cultural memory of denial and distortion.

As part of the Ukrainian community in Germany, we strongly urge Germany to promptly address its historical stance on the Second World War and the Soviet Union. We call on the German government to recognize Ukraine as a direct victim of the terrors of National Socialism and establish a memorial in Berlin to honor the sacrifices made by Ukraine during World War II. 

The brutal murders of six Ukrainians in Germany this year, including two servicemen undergoing rehabilitation and young basketball players, have sparked outrage and a call to action.

To honor the victims and demand justice, a protest march is planned for Friday, May 3rd, 2024.

March Details:

• Start Time: 6:00 PM (18:00)
• Starting Point: Auswärtiges Amt (German Federal Foreign Office)
• Route: The march will proceed from the Auswärtiges Amt to the russian Embassy, then to the Bundestag (German Parliament), before concluding at the Ukrainian Embassy.

Memorial Open Throughout the Week:

In addition to the protest march, a memorial space has been established near the Ukrainian Embassy since Monday, April 29th. The memorial will remain open until Saturday, May 4th, offering the public a space to pay respects to the victims.

Demands for Change:

The protest march aims to raise awareness about these horrific crimes and demand immediate action from the German government, including:

• Conducting thorough investigations and ensuring those responsible are brought to justice.
• Implementing strong security measures to protect Ukrainians in Germany.
• Stopping the spread of russian propaganda and hate speech that fuels violence.
• Closing russian institutions such as russian house used to spread disinformation.

We urge the public to join this important event and stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian community. Whether you can participate in the march or simply visit the memorial to pay your respects, your presence sends a powerful message.

Let us honor the victims and demand a safer environment for Ukrainians in Germany. Together, we can raise our voices and demand change.

For further information, please contact: press@vitsche.org

 

 

Am 24.Februar 2024, dem zweiten Jahrestag des russischen Großangriffs auf die Ukraine, ruft Vitschezusammen mit über 50 deutschen und ukrainischen Organisationen aus den Bereichen Zivilgesellschaft, Kultur und Politik von 13:00 bis 15:00 Uhr am Brandenburger Tor in Berlin zu einer Solidaritätsdemonstration unter dem Motto “Friedenverteidigen! #VictoryForPeace” auf, um ein starkes Zeichen der Solidarität zu setzen:

“Wir stehen in Solidarität mit den Menschen in der Ukraine und setzen uns dafür ein, dass die Ukraine siegt und die russischen Aggressoren zur Rechenschaft gezogen werden!”

Seit 10 Jahren kämpfen die Menschen in der Ukraine täglich für ihre Freiheit und Demokratie in einem brutalen Angriffskrieg, den Russland gegen die Ukraine führt. Der Zusammenhalt und die Stärke der ukrainischen Bevölkerung sind unglaublich, doch sie brauchen weiter unsere nachhaltige und schnelle Unterstützung, um den Aggressor aufzuhalten und zurückzudrängen.

„Leider hat der Frieden in Europa seinen Preis, den die Menschen in der Ukraine aufgrund der russischen Aggression seit 10 Jahren täglich bezahlen. So viele zerstörte Leben, Tode und tägliche Traumata sind unerträglich. Dennoch kämpft die Ukraine weiter für ihr Recht, ein freies demokratisches Land zu sein, in dem Bürger*innen Freiheit und Gerechtigkeit wählen, ihre Kultur und Liebe, anstatt Tod und Gewalt verkörpert durch die russische Welt. Deswegen braucht die Ukraine unsere Unterstützung gerade dringender denn je! Kommen Sie zu dieser Demonstration, zeigen Sie anhaltende Solidarität und Unterstützung für das ukrainische Volk, auch um die Sicherheit in ganz Europa zu wiederherzustellen.“ – so Iryna Shulikina, CEO von Vitsche.

Jeder Tag, an dem dieser Krieg andauert, ist ein Tag zu viel. Aus diesem Grund laden wir alle Menschen in Berlin und in Deutschland, Mitglieder der ukrainischen Gemeinschaft und Unterstützer*innen der Ukraine, sowie alle, die sich für einen ukrainischen Sieg, Gerechtigkeit und Frieden einsetzen, ein, sich der Demonstration “Frieden verteidigen” anzuschließen. Lasst uns den Menschen in der Ukraine Hoffnung geben. Jede Person zählt!

Der Aufruf wird unterstützt von:

Able e.V.

ACUD Macht Neu

Aid Pioneers e.V.

Allianz Ukrainischer

Organisationen e.V.

Bake for Ukraine

Be an Angel

Bass Resistance

Berlin Story

Berlin to Borders

Bund Ukrainischer Studenten in Deutschland e.V.

Center for Civil Liberties

Chervona Kalyna Berlin

Cinemova

Clubcomission Berlin e.V.

Come Back Alive

Common Sense Communications

Europäische Akademie Berlin

Fellas for Europe e.V.

Freie Ungarische Botschaft

Freedom Today

Fridays for Future Berlin

Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker e.V.

Gute Mission

GZA

HÁWAR.help

Hotel Continental – Artspace in Exile

Helping to Leave

International Centre for Ukrainian Victory

IWEK e.V.

Kult’ura

Kulturfabrik Moabit

Kyjiwer Gespräche

Open Platform e. V.

Junge Liberale

JUSOS Berlin

LeaveNoOneBehind

Libereco Pilecki

Institut Berlin

Plast Berlin

Project Together

PUSH-UA

Securing Futures – Future Lab for Ukraine

Serpen Gallery

SKRYNIA

The Armed Truth

tremBEATS.fm

TYME

Ukrainian Cultural Community

UKRAINE-HILFE BERLIN e.V.

Ukrainische Orthodoxe Kirchengemeinde e.V.

Ukrainische Schule Berlin

Ukrainisches Institut in Deutschland

Ukr Dim e.V.

Valfair

Veselka

Vitsche e.V.

Vyriy

Zentrum für Liberale Moderne

Zusa

Für weitere Informationen und Medienanfragen über die Demonstration kontaktieren Sie bitte:

Krista-Marija Läbe Sprecherin und Pressekoordinatorin Vitsche e.V. press@vitsche.org

Daria Stanchuk Presse Team Vitsche e.V. daria.stanchuk@vitsche.org

Manifesto to the Free World on the Second Anniversary of russia’s Full-Scale Invasion and the Tenth Anniversary of russian war of Aggression Against Ukraine

“Please don’t ask Ukrainians when the war will end, ask yourself why is russia still able to continue it.” – Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Munich Security Conference.

Two years of russian open aggression and ten years of war are an immensely heavy burden for everyone in Ukraine. So many shattered lives, deaths, and daily traumas are unbearable. Yet, Ukrainians and our defenders continue to stand and fight for their right to be a free democratic country where citizens choose freedom and justice, their culture, and love, rather than death, violence, and the discrimination embodied by the russian world.

For Ukrainians, to stop fighting means to perish, to end up in occupation, to lose their identity and any hope of a future where justice and life prevail instead of the armed lawlessness of the russian occupiers. Stopping to fight means losing children, as russia deports them to its territory and forces them to forget about their identity and home, then militarizes them for its future wars. To stop fighting means for Ukraine to disappear, to turn into a russian military outpost.

The past two years have also been challenging for Ukraine’s partners and citizens of other countries. Indeed, step by step, russian informational influence penetrated more and more minds, dampening solidarity and the sense of justice, playing on fears and traumas. Democratic countries experienced divisions, the growing popularity of radical populist movements, and belief in conspiracy theories. russian propaganda and constant financial injections into destabilizing Western democracies have done their job. Part of the population of supporting countries has become tired of news about Ukraine, and they begin to suspect and blame NATO and Ukrainian society for all the consequences of this war. Forgetting that the only source of violence and war is russia.

Yet, there are still many of those who realize the real threat, who know that stopping to support Ukraine means inviting russia to conquer their countries, threaten their democracies, and pave the way for a world where autocrats and lawlessness challenge democracies and the rule of law everywhere.

For Europe to stop supporting Ukraine is to lose freedom and democracy, to give up everything gained and created since World War II to new totalitarian regimes. Stopping the support means finding oneself in a world where the law does not protect, diversity and rights are ridiculed and forbidden, and children are taught to love russia and die for it.

Despite the fatigue and constant manipulations in the information field, we are grateful to all who hold on to their judgment, think critically, and support Ukraine in the fight against the russian world and its allies. We see and feel your support, and together, we can defend ourselves against this darkness. We are grateful to all who understand that peace is only possible when Ukraine wins, and russia suffers defeat and, consequently, a complete transformation. Only through the defeat and complete transformation of russian imperial power structure and mind, and through a new security system that casts russia unable to perform military attacks, is sustainable peace achievable. That is why our main slogan this year is #victoryforpeace.

All who understand and believe in the value of freedom, the rule of law, and justice must unite and show authoritarian rulers our determination to continue the movement and struggle for sustainable peace.

We appeal to the free world to support Ukraine in winning this war to achieve long-lasting peace.

What is needed for Ukraine’s victory?

1. Military aid

Which includes the manufacturing and supply of:

• ammunition
• combat drones
• fighter jets
• long-range missiles like Taurus cruise missiles.
• alll other possible military equipment and cutting-edge technologies

Technological advantage is our chance to win faster and reduce the number of potential casualties, to save lives, which for the free world is a value, not a resource.

2. #MakeRussiaPay

Transfer of frozen russian assets to Ukraine. It is not the West that should pay for the damages caused by russia, but the aggressor country itself. Doing this is now quite simple: redirecting frozen assets of the russian central bank to Ukraine, which is approximately $300 billion to date. For a detailed breakdown of available russian money in European banks, as well as arguments in favor, read the policy papers of our partner organization International center for Ukrainian victory (ICUV): https://ukrainianvictory.org/publications/confiscation-of-russian-sovereign-assets-mission-possible-and-overdue/

3. Sanctions

Sanctions as a tool against terrorist regimes can work if applied systematically and on different levels. By sanctions, we imply:

• Expanding of sanctions against russia and its supporters
• Closing loopholes in sanctions legislation

Closing loopholes in sanctions legislation will help to prevent the supply of Western technologies and materials to russia that are used in the production of missiles and drones.

More on this topic can be found in the research of Ukrainian civil society organizations: https://nako.org.ua/storage/pdf/2023-07-03–08:50:07-Report-drones-final.pdf https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/articles/2023/08/28/7417354/index.amp

4. Withdraw businesses from russia

• Issue guidance on risks for businesses in russia;
• restrict public procurement access for companies remaining there.

All taxes paid in russia are direct money for it to continue war. Every company that still operates in russia becomes the supporter of russian war in Ukraine.

The amount of taxes paid by all foreign companies operating in russia in 2022-2023 could be at the level of $20 billion annually, as per KSE estimates. This is enough to cover half of russia’s 2022 military budget, used to terrorize Ukraine.

222 German firms are still operating in russia — including Metro AG, Bayer, Hugo Boss, Knauf, Kärcher and Siemens Energy AG.

More information can be found here : https://kse.ua/about-the-school/news/61th-issue-of-the-regular-digest-on-impact-of-foreign-companies-exit-on-rf-economy/

https://leave-russia.org/?flt%5B131%5D%5Beq%5D%5B0%5D=320&flt%5B147%5D%5Beq%5D%5B%5D=9057 (German companies which continue operations in russia)

5. Countering russian influence in Europe

• Serious treatment of the russian information threat and allocation of resources for full-fledged resistance to the spread of russian disinformation campaigns.
• Involvement of intelligence services to counter the threat of russian espionage, blackmail, and financing of internal actors in European countries.
• Investigation and consistent closure of long-standing centers of russian influence in Europe (for example, the russian house in Berlin)
• Decolonize the Western European perception of Central and Eastern Europe in education and culture. Stop viewing these countries through the russian imperial lens.

6. Sustainable peace plan

Acknowledge and include the Sustainable Peace Manifesto as a plan for Europe’s future. A shared vision of victory and peace will help create realistic strategies for their achievement.

By starting the war, russia has violated fundamental norms and principles of international law. By ending it with the Ukrainian victory, we can reestablish the international security order peacefully and justly, creating a new global system based on solidarity and cooperation between just actors under the rule of law.

Let us keep on fighting and defending peace together. Come to the solidarity protest at Brandenburger Gate in Berlin on the 24th of February to express your readiness to protect a free and democratic world until peace and the rule of law are reestablished on values and not violence.