«Democracies have to support each other even stronger» – Oleksandra Matviichuk at Nobel Prize Dialogue Brussels

On March 5th the Dialogue titled «Fact & Fiction: The Future of Democracy» was hosted in Brussels, gathering Nobel Prize laureates, thought leaders, and scientists. The conference was organized as part of the Nobel Prize Dialogue, inspired by the Nobel Week Dialogue, which has been taking place in Sweden since 2012 on the day before the Nobel Prize award ceremony. Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties, delivered the speech at the meeting. 

Among other notable speakers were Maria Ressa, a journalist and the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate recognized for her efforts to safeguard freedom of expression in the Philippines; Ben Feringa, recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry; and Paul Nurse, recipient of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

The discussion also welcomed European Commission Vice-President Vêra Jourová and Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind to explore the influence of artificial intelligence on science, society, and democracy.

Oleksandra Matviichuk participated in a public dialogue on the power of narratives and media manipulation, particularly in times of war. Oleksandra highlighted that 2024 poses significant challenges not only for Ukraine but for democracies worldwide. Oleksandra stated, «Half of the population on the Earth will go to election, but 80% of those people live in non-free or partially free societies, where elections are more of a facade than a real democratic process».

The human rights lawyer emphasized that China, Iran, and other authoritarian countries supply Russia with crucial technologies, thus becoming allies in supporting authoritarian regimes. In response, she urged democratic countries to support each other even stronger.

Translated from Ukrainian by Maria Melnyk, the Center for Civil Liberties volunteer.