Film screening & panel discussion
Beyond prayers: a student-led humanitarian mission to Kiev
- Date
- Monday 23 February 2026
- Time
- Explanation
- Open to the public | registration required
- Address
-
Wijnhaven
Turfmarkt 99
2511 DP The Hague - Room
- 3.48
Ukraine enters the fifth year of full-scale war. The humanitarian situation in 2026 is not stabilizing but getting worse. In the last months, ongoing Russian bombing campaigns have damaged the critical infrastructure even more and exacerbated displacement. On top of this, a very harsh winter makes it even more difficult for people to have heating and energy and access to basic services. According to the UN Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) for Ukraine, the situation remains critical in 2026 while reduced funding has become not only a reality but a structural constraint.
It is within this context that Students of Ukraine released their documentary: Beyond prayers. We invite you to the screening of the film that follows the group of Leiden University students as they recount their initiative to organize a humanitarian aid mission to Kiev.
But the film and their action raise broader questions about civic agency and the challenges of humanitarian aid during wartime. How do grassroots and youth-driven networks contribute to humanitarian response? What distinguishes civic solidarity from institutional aid frameworks? How could/should grassroots networks complement and respond to funding gaps? How does protracted conflict change the relationship between institutional responsibility and civic action given the need for both predictability, flexibility and coordination? And, not least important, can these youth-led initiatives reshape European and global conceptions of humanitarian responsibility?
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion that places the film in this broader context.
In the presence of the authors and with our panellists (and guests from Kiev possibly joining live), we will be exploring various dimensions of humanitarian aid during wartime: from civilian protection, to citizen engagement, to democratic resilience, and to the global efforts for freedom and democracy.
Speakers
- Dr. Vlad Niculescu-Dinca, co-organizer and moderator
- Melek Knaus, Leiden Security Studies student, co-organizer and co-founder of Students for Ukraine
- Mathijs Hage, Leiden International Studies student, and co-founder of Students for Ukraine
- Anastasiia (Nastya) Poberezhna, PhD Fellow
- Jitske Hoogenboom, Peacebuilding Expert
- Inge Leuverink, Humanitarian Advisor Cordaid and Program Manager Ukraine