M100 Sanssouci Colloquium and M100 Media Award 2023

YouTube

Mit dem Laden des Videos akzeptieren Sie die Datenschutzerklärung von YouTube.
Mehr erfahren

Video laden

News

This war had implications for us all

By Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws KC

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was and is a criminal act under international law. Despite Russia’s purported claims that Ukrainian territory is a historic and integral part of Russia, Ukraine remains a sovereign nation, and Russia’s invasion constitutes a Crime of Aggression.

Since the beginning of the invasion, the Russian state has committed numerous war crimes and atrocities. The Russian military has carried out a sustained campaign of targeting civilians and other non-military targets, ranging from schools and hospitals to crucial infrastructure. Notable among these was the attack on the Kakhovka Dam, which was destroyed on June 6th, 2023, unleashing a flood which led to the wholesale devastation of the affected area. Additionally, the shelling of the Zaporizhian nuclear power plant and the consequential disruption of its operation could have, if not unchecked, resulted in a nuclear disaster. Russia has also engaged in the repeated and continuous use of chemical weapons against Ukraine in clear violation of the Geneva Convention.

read more This war had implications for us all

It is our duty not only to mourn, but to act

By Mike Schubert

It has been two and a half years since we honoured Alexei Navalny with the M100 Media Award for his unwavering commitment to democracy and transparency. His political companion and friend Leonid Volkov accepted the award on his behalf in Potsdam, as he was already in prison for his fight against Russia’s unjust regime. The news of his death reached us last week. We are deeply shocked.
And we are shocked that two years after the Russian army invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the war is still going on. Every day we receive new reports of people who have fallen victim to this war. Thousands have already lost their lives, millions have been forced to flee and are now seeking protection and a new home in countries like Germany. These figures are not just statistics; they represent individual fates, shattered dreams and the immense suffering of families torn apart.

read more It is our duty not only to mourn, but to act

It’s getting harder to hope

By Olga Rudenko

This Saturday, February 24, millions of people in Europe will wake up and go about their usual weekend business. They will be having brunches with friends, driving kids to playdates, and doing grocery shopping.
Here in Ukraine, millions of people will have a heavy heart this Saturday morning. This day, February 24, marks two years since Russia launched an all-out invasion of our country.
I was asked many times what that first day of invasion was like. I recounted it in my opening remarks at the M100 Sanssouci Colloquium in September 2022. I still remember it in all its details, hour by hour. One doesn’t forget hearing an air raid for the first time.
Are you still with me? If you are, thank you. Two years in, the stories of what Ukrainians go through don’t capture people’s attention as they used to. It’s human nature to grow more blunt about suffering after hearing about it again and again.

read more It’s getting harder to hope