First Ladies, Gentlemen meet in Kyiv to create 'shared language of resilience' amid crisis
Concepts included "civic volunteerism" from the U.S., the British idiom "keep calm and carry on," and Ukraine's "sophiynist" — a philosophy of resilience that involves translating emotional and intellectual understanding into action.
On August 24, Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska, presided over the sixth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv, aiming to establish a universal language of resilience to guide nations through global crises. The initiative, initiated by Zelenska in 2021, brought together 14 first ladies and gentlemen, alongside other world leaders, during Ukraine's 35th Independence Day festivities.
This year's summit introduced a Global Vocabulary of Resilience program, which seeks to unify the various concepts societies employ to withstand adversities. Examples shared included civic volunteerism from the U.S. and the British phrase "keep calm and carry on." The Ukrainian concept of sophiynist, a resilience philosophy focusing on perceiving reality with both mind and heart, was also emphasized.
Zelenska highlighted the paradox of Ukrainians enduring the war while life continues as usual. The summit's vocabulary project is part of Zelenska's mental health initiative, "How Are You?", which addresses the war's impact on Ukrainians' mental wellbeing. The program compiles different resilience frameworks into an online dictionary, with a print version of core entries planned.
Attending in person were first ladies and gentlemen from Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Serbia, Romania, and Slovenia. Virtual attendees represented Germany, Belize, Israel, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Guatemala, Georgia, and Panama. Other dignitaries, such as Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Estonian President Alar Karis, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, also participated and shared their approaches to resilience.
Energy Minister and former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal praised Ukraine's resilient energy infrastructure, noting that repairs occur swiftly after Russian missile attacks. President Volodymyr Zelensky concluded the summit by stressing that humanitarian diplomacy is a vital pillar of major politics, and that Ukraine's resilience should be strong and enduring within the community of nations.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
