Dartmouth Student Alliance for Ukraine Travels to New York City

Nine members of the Dartmouth Student Alliance for Ukraine accompanied by the faculty advisor Victoria Somoff traveled to New York City on June 14-16 to meet with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine and Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, Sergiy Kyslytsya. The trip was sponsored by the Dickey Center for International Understanding.

The students engaged in a meaningful discussion with Ambassador Kyslytsya about the role of the UN Security Council in the war in Ukraine, the role of Ukrainian activists on college campuses, and opportunities for students interested in careers in diplomacy. Ambassador Kyslytsya shared information about the behind-the-scenes work of the UN Security Council as well as his view on the importance of international organizations such as the United Nations in global conflicts, including the role of the UN as a large donor of humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Hearing the Ambassador's perspective about the role of students in advocating for Ukraine showcased the power of grassroots efforts in raising awareness and promoting positive change and reinforced the importance of groups like Dartmouth Student Alliance for Ukraine on college campuses. Following the meeting with Ambassador Kyslytsya the group also visited the NYC office of Razom for Ukraine—a non-profit aimed at fostering Ukrainian democracy and civil society and raising aid to support Ukraine during the ongoing Russian invasion. They discussed strategies for combating 'war fatigue' in local communities and amplifying fundraising efforts following the one-year mark since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.