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Live Webinar: Rescuing Ukraine’s Children from Russian Abduction
As a part of its informational and advocacy campaign in support of the Ukrainian children suffering from the war, U.S-Ukraine Foundation presents this webinar, Rescuing Ukraine’s Children from Russian Abduction featuring people that are practically involved in searching and rescuing Ukrainian children kidnapped to Russia. Joined by U.S. Helsinki Commission Senior Policy Advisor Janice Helwig, Mykola Kuleba and Dmytro Filipenko of Save Ukraine NGO will discuss the disastrous realities and facts of Russia’s genocidal approaches and crimes against the most vulnerable victims of this war as well as Ukraine’s efforts to save children from forced captivity.
Opening remarks:
Nadia McConnell
Moderator:
Janice Helwig, Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. Helsinki Commission
Panelists:
Victoria Litvinova, Deputy Prosecutor General
Mykola Kuleba, Director of the NGO Save Ukraine
Dmytro Filipenko, Save Ukraine Rescue Project Manager
Currently, Save Ukraine is providing assistance to orphans, children with disabilities, and low-income families affected by the war in Ukraine and is conducting evacuation operations of children.
Janice Helwig, Senior Policy Advisor U.S. Helsinki Commission
Janice Helwig has served with the U.S. Helsinki Commission for more than twenty-eight years. As a senior policy advisor, her work currently focuses on human rights aspects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, human trafficking, Central Asia, Afghanistan, and cultural heritage. She also served for many years as the Helsinki Commission representative on the U.S. Delegation to the OSCE in Vienna, Austria, where among other things she negotiated many of the OSCE’s commitments concerning human trafficking.
Ms. Helwig holds a B.A. in History and Classics and an M.A. in Art History from the University of Louisville.
Victoria Litvinova
Victoria Litvinova is a Deputy Prosecutor General in Ukraine. Prior to her appointment, Litvinova worked as the deputy head of the specialized environmental prosecutorʼs office of the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office. She will continue to take care of the work of the specialized environmental prosecutorʼs office, as well as areas of countering human rights violations in law enforcement and penitentiary spheres and protecting the interests of children.
Mykola Kuleba
Mr. Kuleba is the Director of the NGO Save Ukraine, which was established in 2014 to provide assistance to vulnerable populations in the warzone in Ukraine. Previously, Mr. Kuleba served as the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the office of the president of Ukraine. In 2006 he headed the international charity "Children's Rescue Service." Beginning in2000, he served as President and Founder of the International Charitable Organization “Child Rescue,” where he created a network of specialized rehabilitation centers for children at risk, street children, and orphans. Mr. Kuleba graduated in 2007 from the European University of Finance, Information Systems, Management and Business with a Bachelor of Management, and in 2008 he received a master's degree in marketing.
Dmytro Filipenko
Dmytro Filipenko is the international government and donor relations director of Save Ukraine and is responsible for raising awareness about Save Ukraine’s activities among international community and partners. Mr. Filipenko has many years of experience working with International NGOs and also with the Ukrainian Government and Parliament. Before the war, Dmytro held a position of Country Representative of Democracy Reporting International and later served as state expert in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. Mr. Filipenko graduated the Institute of International Relations in Kyiv in 2002.
Nadia McConnell is the Co-Founder and President of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation (USUF). She has previously served as Director of Congressional Relations at the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and then as Deputy Assistant Administrator of NASA for Congressional Affairs in the Reagan Administration. Since 1991, she has designed and managed over $60 million in programs for democracy development across Ukraine.