Negotiations about the war in Ukraine revolve around territory, security guarantees and geopolitical considerations. But Russia’s war against Ukraine is a war against people. 16,000 Ukrainian civilians are detained in Russia without any form of trial. On both sides there are thousands of prisoners of war, thousands of children have been abducted, thousands of Russians and hundreds of Belarusians are imprisoned because they oppose the war. They live, and many die, in inhumane conditions. They are not side issues. Peace requires justice and humanity. The peace organisation PAX, through the People’s 1st Campaign and together with Pakhuis de Zwijger, is organising an evening dedicated to this theme. We will engage in conversation with, among others, Nobel Peace Prize laureates from Russia and Ukraine to discuss how the Netherlands and Europe can stand up for human rights and a sustainable peace.
About The People 1st Campaign
The People1st campaign unites 81 Ukrainian, Russian, and other European organisations around a simple call: human beings must not be treated as bargaining chips. A central demand of the campaign is that any negotiations related to the war prioritize the release and protection of all individuals unlawfully deprived of their liberty as a direct result of the invasion, including:
- Thousands of Ukrainian civilian unlawfully detained by the Russian state
- Thousands of Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war held by both sides
- Thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly transferred or deported to Russia
- Hundreds of Russian political prisoners imprisoned for opposing the war
The People1st campaign emphasizes that existing peace efforts fail to address the humanitarian dimension and risk to prolong and exacerbate intolerable human suffering.
