Un new front in Israel. An attack documented by terrible images, an immediate reaction, a humanitarian tragedy. Another one. Yet the last Nobel Peace Prizes, which awarded civil rights fightershad made us think of progress, at least theoretical, in raising awareness of respect for those who are not soldiers and simply go about their lives.
This year the Nobel came to Iranian activist Nargiz Muhammadiin prison in Tehran, sentenced to 31 years and 154 lashes. Last year it was from Oleksandra Romantsova, executive director of the Kiev Center for Civil Libertieswhich collects evidence on war crimes committed in Ukraine since 2014 with the Russian occupation of Crimea.
Oleksandra Romantsova Nobel Peace Prize
Romantsova is convinced that we can’t get used to conflicts, now that another one has broken out. The meaning of the Nobel is precisely this: «To carry forward a campaign of justice for Ukraine and for all the victims of military conflicts. Even if it takes a long time, every war crime must be punished.” He is happy with the award to Nargiz Muhammadi: «The struggle of Iranian women suffering in one of the most anti-democratic societies in the world is important. They die, they are handcuffed, locked in prisons where they suffer abuse and torture, so the attention of others is fundamental. I am happy that the theme of religion is combined with that of women’s rights.”
Oleksandra Romantsova, 38 years old. Activist for democratic reforms in her country, Ukraine, and in the OECD.
Brunette, short hair, 38 years old in December, she started as a volunteer on the telephone line established to provide legal assistance to persons arrested or detained illegally. During the day he worked in the bank, at night he answered calls (many, since 2013). But he realized he had a vocation. She left the bank and dedicated herself to the Center full time.
Behind the placid air there is a girl who lives dangerously: interviewed victims and witnesses of war crimes, visited former torture sites and prison camps, dodged a mine while in the car and with his collaborators documented 33,000 potential human rights violations in the first year of the Ukraine-Russia conflict alone (we are at more than 40 thousand now).
It will be in Florence, al festival Women’s Legacy (24-26 November, see below) dedicated to female empowerment, which deliberately coincides with the Day against Violence. The theme is “Mothers of the Homeland”.
Do you feel a bit like Mother of the Homeland? Is this why the Center for Civil Liberties got the Nobel?
For fifty years it will remain secret why we were chosen, who nominated us and who the other candidates were. The Nobel announcement speaks to our role in the fight against despotism. We have been rewarded for documenting war crimes, work we have been doing since 2014. The Nobel gave us the opportunity to convey our message to the world. Now we can get it to where decisions are made, and carry out a campaign for justice for Ukraine and for all victims of military conflicts and aggression.
What did you feel when the news of the Nobel arrived?
There was a moment of shock, then laughter, joy and disorientation on how to correctly and fully use the opportunity given by the prize. During the ceremony, we were worried that the words of the speech, pronounced for the first time in Ukrainian by Oleksandra Matviichuk (lawyer, founder of the Center, ed.) in the Oslo hall where the award ceremony takes place, would reach the public and convey the importance of this moment. The Ukrainian population is not only fighting for its freedom, independence and democracy: two models, two ways of life have collided, Ukraine has become an arena where the strength of democracy opposes a primitive despotism.
Have you ever been afraid?
Have we ever been afraid? Of course, in Kiev, surrounded by soldiers, but we are busy documenting terrible crimes such as torture, kidnappings and illegal killings and we have come to a certain distance. So the feeling of calm could be a professional deformation or a reaction to stress. But there are also times when you realize that you probably won’t even be able to protect your loved ones.
He saw many terrible things. What struck you the most?
The fear and pain of children and people who have not been protected – it’s tough emotionally. It’s touching when they ask you: why can’t we explain to the Russians, our neighbors (we speak their language), how illegal and inhuman what they are doing is?
The fight for the rights of war victims
How many are there at the Center?
There are 26 of us, we have experts in various fields of human rights, and not many are lawyers. The Center’s projects require knowledge of international relations, analysis of certain social aspects, information work, so our team is largely made up of managers who can organize campaigns and analyze laws. Such flexible and creative people who often have very different jobs. We are more women than men, but, thank God, we have gender equality.
What are the next projects?
Achieve an international system of justice for crimes committed on the territory of Ukraine since 2014 and the internal changes necessary to guarantee the rights of victims, such as ratification of the Rome Statute and harmonization of Ukrainian national legislation with international humanitarian law . We will continue educational activities. There is a strong demand among the people, and from various categories: politicians, journalists, teachers and students ask to participate in human rights activities.
Can ordinary people do something?
Ordinary people can do many extraordinary things, disseminate correct information in humanitarian issues and investigations, collect information that allows us to understand violations. It is ordinary people who move the world forward, making it a better place for everyone.
Are we getting “used” to this war? How can it end?
It is difficult to get used to the war, because if you follow all the news about the bombings, about the deaths, about the advance on the front line, something happens every day… Where there are personal contacts between Ukrainians and people from other countries, there is no tiredness, there they are strong feelings and there is a desire for this war to end as soon as possible. But stopping suffering does not mean stopping fighting, it means freeing from captivity the people in the occupied territories, those who the Russian Federation has kidnapped, both adults and children. We want it to end with the victory of the people who are suffering now.
Does your commitment allow you to have a private life?
The Nobel has greatly reduced the private part of my life, and I know that the energy to work with such complex and scary situations can only come from a certain balance, from people with whom you feel in close contact: this is the only way to maintain motivation and professionalism. So, at the Center, we know that it is necessary to rest, but we are so immersed in our work that it is often difficult to force ourselves to do so!
What did you want to become as a child?
Good question! At first the ballerina, then the trolleybus driver, then the astronaut, and finally I turned 6 and thought that the most interesting thing was the people, and I didn’t know how, but I wanted to connect with people from all over the world. I liked the idea. I understood the way when I saw Kofi Annan (secretary general of the UN from 1997 to 2006, ed.) on television, I discovered what diplomacy was and I wanted to be part of it. In the end I graduated in International Relations, my profession is international economics and now I am exactly where I wanted to be.
Women talk. Let’s listen to them
In Florence with the director of the Kiev Center for Civil Liberties, the Afghan Zarifa Ghafari and the writer Eve Ensler.
“Mothers of the homeland”, sixth edition of the festival Women’s Legacy (in Florence from 24 to 26 November and online at legadelledonne.eu ), is dedicated to the extraordinary things women have done in every field. He will address the topic of war together with the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize Oleksandra Romantsova, director of the Kiev Center for Civil Liberties. Participating in the focus on Afghanistan is Zarifa Ghafari, mayor of Maidanshahr from 2018 to 2021, now a refugee in Germany.
Migrations and the environmental emergency will also be discussed with Angelica De Vito, UN consultant on climate change and climate refugees. We will talk about rights, motherhood and feminism with Eve Ensler, writer, founder of the movement “One Billion Rising“author of the famous play The Vagina Monologuesback in bookstores with Reckoning, a memoir in which he deals with activism, writing, success, global struggles, abuse, depression.
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