X LMF International Media Forum in Ukrainian Bomb Shelter Brought Over 500 Guests from 36 Countries
The tenth anniversary international media conference, the largest media event in Eastern and Central Europe, Lviv Media Forum (LMF), held in one of Lviv's bomb shelters, brought together more than 500 guests from 36 countries and 67 speakers and moderators this year. The forum included 30 events, the organisers say.
The focus theme of the anniversary event: "Language for Understanding: Searching for Meaning in a Polarised World".
"At the X LMF, we managed to bring together representatives of different communities - from journalists and civil society leaders to experts from international organisations, politicians and diplomats. These are all people who directly or indirectly influence public opinion and government decisions in their countries. We invited them to discuss topics that shape the agenda of the global media community and are universal challenges. So, we should look for solutions together," says Olya Myrovych, the head of Lviv Media Forum.
The keynote speakers at the X LMF were Oleksandra Matviychuk, head of the Centre for Civil Liberties, and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, professor at Columbia University. You can watch the recording of their speeches here.
Every fourth person at the conference was from outside Ukraine. "For us, the main practical goal of this conference is to allow Ukrainians to talk to their foreign colleagues live, with enough time and space to be heard and formulate their thoughts and arguments. We have seen hundreds of such conversations during panels and informal communication. That's how understanding is born," says Otar Dovzhenko, creative director of Lviv Media Forum.
Some of the conference events can be viewed on the Lviv Media Forum's Facebook page.
Since 2013, LMF has been the largest conference about media and for media professionals in Eastern and Central Europe. It is organised by the Lviv Media Forum NGO. Last year, the organisers changed the format and focused on issues that are critical to international support for Ukraine in times of great war.