Understanding a local conflict in the context of the ‘new cold war’.
In collaboration with Network Democracy, students of the Amsterdam University College are organizing a variety of events in the New Democracy Dome throughout the month of May. The students are following a Global Politics theme course on Global Civil Society so you can expect workshops, panels, discussions and more on topics relating to a variety of international and societal problems.
Thursday evening we invite you to a ‘Ukraine night’ in the Democracy Dome, where we will be screening the documentary ‘The Masks of the Revolution’, followed by a critical discussion with Ukraine-expert Chris de Ploeg. This evening will attempt to shake the simplistic good vs. evil narratives that have often framed the situation, by delving deeper into the complexities of the events that began unfolding in 2014.
Paul Moreira’s documentary: ‘The Masks of the Revolution’ premiered on French TV channel Canal +, questions the media representation of the Maidan revolution.
Was the Maidan revolution simply a quest for democracy; or were there local and geopolitical underpinnings that shaped the events?
Talk & Discussion:
Ukraine has been engulfed by violence. The United States and the EU have condemned Russia for illegally annexing Crimea, sponsoring terrorism and even invading Eastern Ukraine. On the other hand, many Russians claim to blow the whistle on ethnic cleansing by a Neo-Nazi government in Kiev.
The conflict was accompanied by a fierce information war between competing media representations. This lecture will try to separate fact from fiction and aims to address the following questions:
- How much support do both of the sides of the conflict enjoy within Ukraine?
- What are their grievances?
- How has the Ukrainian oligarchy positioned itself?
- How significant was the role of the far right in the Maidan revolution?
- How does this affect the democratisation process in Ukraine?
- What is the role of foreign involvement on both sides of the conflict?
Join us for an insightful lecture and a critical discussion with:
Chris de Ploeg – Chris is a journalist, political analyst and author of the book Oekraine in het Kruisvuur: Beeld en Werkelijkheid Achter de Informatie-Oorlog. He also helped write a journalism series on Ukraine for Follow the Money.
