The 6th National Advocacy and Lobbying School in honor of Oleksii Borys has taken place
On October 26-27, the UBA Students’ League held the 6th National Advocacy and Lobbying School in honor of Oleksii Borys.
The event was opened by Tetiana Borys, the widow of Oleksii, in whose honor the school is named.
"Right now, the League is my big family, from Kyiv to Odesa, from Lviv to Kharkiv. These are the people with whom I can recall both the sweet moments of joy and the bitter moments of failure, which I also remember, because they have given me invaluable experience. Without the League, I can hardly imagine my life—it would probably be too bland and monotonous. I’m sure that, decades from now, when I think of the word ‘youth,’ the first thing that will come to mind will be the League. Because the League is youth," shared Tetiana, reflecting on Oleksii.
The thematic part of the event began with a speech by Olena Yaliieva, Advisor at Pragma Consulting Group and member of the UBA GR Committee Board. Olena shared her experience, highlighting the key aspects of successful lobbying in the GR field.
Anastasia Lachikhina, co-founder of the government relations and communications company Good Politics, who has worked in international parliament and at the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, introduced the audience to the role of communication in lobbying. She specifically explained how to effectively interact with government bodies.
With Andrii Pidhainyi, Partner at Arzinger and attorney, the participants discussed the Law of Ukraine on "Lobbying" as the legalization of the lobbying services market.
After a short break, Yevhen Hrushovets, Partner at Ario Law Firm, Head of the Public Anti-Corruption Council at the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, and one of Ukraine’s most prominent lawyers, spoke about business advocacy in the field of economic crimes.
Next, Aliona Lunova, Advocacy Director at the ZMINA Human Rights Center, shared her insights. She emphasized the importance of human rights advocacy during wartime, offering strategies for protecting human rights and principles for action in challenging circumstances.
The first day of the National Advocacy and Lobbying School ended with a speech by Inna Sovsun, Member of Parliament of Ukraine, member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Energy and Housing and Communal Services. From her, participants learned how advocacy works in parliament and the role of MPs in promoting important initiatives.
The second day of the school was opened by Olena Shevchenko, Head of the "Insight" NGO, founder of the "Women’s March" charity, and human rights defender.
After her speech, a traditional panel discussion took place, where participants debated the question, “Should Ukraine implement mandatory state regulation of social media to combat disinformation?”
The discussion featured:
- Tetiana Soboleva, Certified Judge at the Ukrainian Debating Federation, top speaker and winner of national tournaments;
- Arie Mora, Debating Champion of Ukraine and Judge of the 2021 European Debating Championship semifinals.
Thanks to the discussion, participants understood how state regulation of social media could help combat disinformation while also impacting freedom of speech. The judges demonstrated the importance of substantiating positions through structured debates, teaching how to defend an opinion professionally and logically.
"The Advocacy and Lobbying School in honor of Oleksii Borys is symbolic, as it takes place at the Arzinger office, where Oleksii worked. And the fact that you can read ‘Yurydychna Gazeta’ is also part of Oleksii's legacy, as he was a journalist for this publication. We, as League members, want to leave the memory of a person who made a difference," said the event organizers.
The UBA Students’ League expresses sincere gratitude to the partners who contributed to the organization of the 6th National Advocacy and Lobbying School.
Tags: UBA Students League