A Year of War: Ukraine Solidarity March on 24 February

On 24 February, we will march from Museumplein to Dam Square, Amsterdam from 16:00.

When you put a price on human rights and start negotiating standards in favour of the price of oil, war will be the inevitable result. This is what Ukrainian people are fighting for now. Not because fighting is in our DNA, as some like to say, but because we chose the path of democracy and self-determination over that of authoritarianism and dictatorship.”

These are the powerful words of Oleksandra Romantsova, Executive Director of the Nobel Peace Prize winning Center for Civil Liberties Ukraine.

Everyday Ukrainians are standing on the frontlines of the war fighting for survival. From handing out basic resources to standing in the trenches, everyone is involved and affected by the war. When asked how she keeps her fighting spirit alive, Ukrainian Human Rights Defender Lyudmyla Yankina responded:

It is very hard to keep moving forward with the same amount of power, because I am exhausted. But we find a strong motivation in simply surviving, people stayed and helped because we know that if we stop fighting, we will lose our cities, our country and many more people will lose their lives.”

Join us in showing our solidarity for the Ukrainian people that are fighting day in and day out to resist Russia’s attacks on their fundamental freedom and rights.

We will march on the anniversary of the Russian invasion, 24 February, from Museumplein to the Dam Square in Amsterdam from 16:00. We hope that you will join us. Find out more about how to join the solidarity march, organized by the Ukrainians in Netherlands Foundation with support from the NHC and a number of Dutch Civil society organisations via the Facebook event here.

Hear more from Lyudmyla and her colleague Tetiana Pechonchyk, from our partner organisation in Ukraine, ZMINA Human rights centre, on their experience since the start of the war here.