Corruption is not only a crime, but also a social phenomenon shaped by values. We usually talk about it through the lens of reforms, electronic declarations, laws, or specialized institutions. But it is equally important to talk about trust, responsibility, and moral choices as the foundation of a culture of integrity.
This is the focus of the “Project 97”, an initiative at the intersection of culture and anti-corruption policy, implemented by the Publishers Forum NGO with the support of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI).
In the centre of the project is Mykola Kulish’s play “97” about the famine of 1921–1923. The project aims to explore how corruption manifests in times of great moral crises. This is a theme that resonates today, as Ukrainian society once again faces war and the ethical challenges that come with it.
💭“Promoting integrity is a multidisciplinary task. The soft power of culture and art can reach much deeper, shaping perceptions and narratives of acceptable and unacceptable behavior on a subconscious level,”
notes Iryna Shyba, Deputy Head of the EUACI.
Following the launch at the Lviv BookForum, “Project 97” continues with a festival in Kharkiv, bringing together artists, cultural researchers, and anti-corruption experts.
The two-day programme at Yermilov Center on 7–8 November will feature lectures, public interviews, and discussions on culture, values, and integrity in times of war. Among the participants are cultural manager Sofia Cheliak, theatre researcher Yana Partola, playwright and serviceman Maksym Kurochkin, Kharkiv Literary Museum curator Maryna Kutsenko, investigative journalists, and activists.
On 8 November, Anton Marchuk, EUACI Senior Expert on Anti-Corruption Policy, will give a public lecture titled “How Not to Let Corruption Destroy the Past and the Future.”
- “Project 97 in Kharkiv”
- 7–8 November, Yermilov Center, Kharkiv
- Free admission
Details: https://bookforum.ua/p/1583
Project 97 is implemented with the support of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) — the leading anti-corruption programme funded by the European Union, co-funded and implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.
