The McCain Institute in partnership with ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications invites you to join the opening of the photography exhibit “Relentless Courage: Ukraine and the World at War” on Monday, September 25 at the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus. The Relentless Courage exhibit is a series of powerful images and essays from Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalists on the front lines of the war in Ukraine, with contributions from Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova.
A reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. AZT followed by a panel discussion at 6:30 p.m. titled “Only One Way Forward: The Vitality of a Democratic Ukraine.” A panel of experts will make the case for continued Western support for Ukraine, focusing on what is at stake in Ukraine, the human cost of war, and the important role of journalists in shaping public understanding of conflict.
A livestream link is available here for those unable to join in person: https://asu.zoom.us/j/99349055156.
Dr. Mariia Levchenko
Dr. Mariia Levchenko is a peacebuilding advisor for the Romanian Peace Institute, senior protection officer for the Center for Civilians in Conflict, and a 2022 McCain Global Leader. Mariia is a graduate of the Community Leadership Institute at George Mason University and was a Chevening Scholarship awardee in 2019-2020. In her work, she educates young people, refugees, and women on themes of “Civic Dialogue and Peacebuilding” and “Fighting Propaganda, Disinformation, and Extremism.” She implements social and emotional learning in education. Her specific expertise revolves around dialogue programs, facilitation, raising awareness, conflict resolution, and trauma healing. Mariia’s vision for a world without violence and war are significantly impacted by the present situation in her home country of Ukraine, and she believes that dialogue facilitation is essential for peace and reconciliation.
Dean Battinto Batts
Battinto L. Batts Jr. is the dean of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, a professor and an award-winning journalist and educator with deep experience in philanthropy and nonprofit administration. He recently served as director of journalism strategies for the Scripps Howard Foundation in Cincinnati, Ohio. Batts holds a doctorate in higher education management from Hampton University, a master’s degree in media management from Norfolk State University and a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Svet Jacqueline
Svet Jacqueline earned a Bachelor of Science in Photography from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. She started her career doing commercial work, freelancing for Sony Records and managing studios in Los Angeles, California. During the global pandemic, she began documenting the Black Lives Matter movement and published her first book, 100 Days of Protest. In 2021, she split her time between Los Angeles, Mexico, and Texas documenting migration at the U.S. border and the cycle of poverty on Skid Row. Her work won first place in the International Photography Awards and NPPA Best of Photojournalism. When Russia invaded Ukraine, she began focusing on visual stories around childhood trauma in conflict zones. She is a photo essayist in the book, Relentless Courage: Ukraine And The World At War and Ukraine: A War Crime by FotoEvidence. All About Photo named her one of the best modern photographers in their September issue and CNN featured her as one of 12 women and nonbinary photographers capturing 2022. She has participated in the “Eddie Adams Workshop,” and the “Missouri Photo Workshop” and received The Yunghi Grant for her ongoing work, “Too Young To Fight” and an honorable mention for the Mary Stafford Reportage Grant for “Unoccupied Playgrounds.” She was the July photography resident for The American Center for Photography’s Eyes on Main Street. She is now based in Ukraine and represented by ZUMA Press.
Dr. Evelyn N. Farkas
Dr. Evelyn N. Farkas, executive director of the McCain Institute, has three decades of experience in national security and foreign policy in the U.S. executive and legislative branches, private sector, and international organizations. She served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia/Ukraine/Eurasia and executive director of the Graham-Talent WMD Commission, as president of Farkas Global Strategies, ran for Congress in 2020, and was a contributor for NBC/MSNBC. Dr. Farkas obtained her Ph.D. from The Fletcher School.