Open Community Lectures
Ukrainian cultural and educational society PROSVITA
Estonia
OCL is a space where lived experience becomes a tool for civic participation and cultural resilience. We want to give voice to people with lived experience rather than formal expert status. Anyone with motivation and experience can become a lecturer and speak on topics relevant to Ukrainians living abroad: culture, language, identity, education, psychology, art, migration etc. The project responds to the urgent need for safe and understanding, inclusive public spaces and online events where displaced and migrant communities can reflect, learn and participate in shaping shared meaning.
OCL is a hybrid (online/offline) lecture and discussion format designed as an open civic platform for Ukrainians in Estonia and beyond. The project shows the value of life experience and interest in valuable topics from representatives of the knowledge source community.
Lecturers are not required to have academic degrees or certificates. Instead, the project invites cultural workers, activists, artists, educators, volunteers, journalists, people with migration experience, and community members who have been “living inside” their topics for years. Each lecture is curated for relevance, responsibility, and openness to dialogue.
Topics include Ukrainian culture and language, identity, art, education, psychology, migration, civic engagement, and everyday strategies of survival and resilience abroad. Every lecture is followed by a discussion, fostering critical thinking, empathy, and collective reflection.
The project will start in february by the organisations Mriya and Prosvita, with a strong focus on fair remuneration for speakers based on audience interest and real attendance.