Liza, you recently received the 2024 Young Diplomat Award: Top 5 Cases. Could you tell us how you earned it, what this award means, and which project received such recognition?
Liza Bezvershenko: Since I started volunteering with Promote Ukraine for several years, my friends encouraged me to apply for this award organized by the Academy of Youth Diplomacy and the Bohdan Hawrylyshyn Family Foundation to showcase the advocacy work we do in Brussels. I have always prioritized the work itself over recognition, but I’ve come to realize that making projects visible is just as important — not just for praise but also to share best practices.
In 2024, I finally submitted an application. The process required us to outline our diplomatic efforts as young advocates supporting Ukraine and to describe one successful case. I did not doubt that it should be the Ukraine Leads Network project, which Promote Ukraine has been championing even before the full-scale invasion. In my application, I highlighted our advocacy campaign ahead of the European elections and the Manifesto of Ukrainian Civil Society Organisations: Ukraine in the European Elections 2024.
Could you walk us through this project and its main goals?
Liza Bezvershenko: The Ukraine Leads Network connects Ukrainian civil society organizations across Europe to support Ukraine. We organized two European Advocacy Forums in 2022 and 2023, addressing shared challenges from the Russian full-scale invasion. Together, we agreed on joint messages and formalized our collective efforts by creating the Ukraine Leads Network. To this day, the network meets monthly online to exchange information and share best practices.
What specific outcomes did you achieve through the Manifesto of Ukrainian Civil Society Organisations for the European Elections 2024?
Liza: In Brussels, we held more than 50 closed-door meetings with candidate MEPs, European and Belgian political groups, presenting the Manifesto and discussing how they can and should support Ukraine, and why they need it as much as we do. As you can imagine, it wasn’t easy, especially when engaging with reluctant stakeholders who wished to maintain friendly relations with Russia. Yet, we are used to it, and our professionalism lies in providing facts, data, and balanced recommendations while managing our emotions. I am grateful to the team I co-lead for always coming up with creative ways to frame our messages and ensuring we remain welcome and heard in EU cabinets.
Members of our network did the same – in Germany, Italy, France, Cyprus, Sweden, Denmark… The actual outcome of advocacy is always tricky to measure.
Why do you think this project deserves an award?
Liza: I was very happy and, honestly, surprised to receive this award, as most applicants presented projects developed in collaboration with governmental authorities — Ukrainian or international — or projects based in Ukraine. Our initiative, however, is entirely driven by civil society and directed at European governments abroad. We are the voice of the Ukrainian people, amplified across nearly every European country. This is our strength.
What are your plans for expanding or evolving the Ukraine Leads Network in the coming years?
Lisa: Currently, we are working on expanding our network with new members and developing our website (special thanks to Yura Uhlanov for creating such an excellent website entirely on his own and a voluntary basis). We are actively seeking funding, as it is difficult to sustain any network, especially one composed of volunteers facing the intense emotional pressure of war.
Can you share any personal moments during your advocacy work that were particularly meaningful or inspiring?
Liza: My team inspires me. The supportive and motivated team at Promote Ukraine makes you feel that anything is possible. The international volunteers in the advocacy team, who have been with us since 2022, are our anchor of stable motivation, while Ukrainian volunteers are more prone to burnout and emotional strain. People in Ukraine inspire me the most. If Ukrainian men and women can fight in the trenches in the cold and snow, we have every reason to continue our advocacy work.
What advice would you give to young advocates who want to make a difference on an international scale?
Liza: Find a mentor. I am grateful to Marta Barandiy, the President and Founder of Promote Ukraine, who always believed in me and generously gave me opportunities to push myself further — to go on TV, travel to represent the organization at international conferences, lead the team at young age. Being young brings a lot of doubts, and you need people around you who will help you overcome them. Ukrainian youth are much stronger than we often realize. Because of our difficult history, we are far more mature and ready to respond to major global challenges. The world needs such young leaders — brave, resilient, and inspirational.
