ZMINA joined the Civil Society Alley at Atlas Festival

On 19 July 2026, the Human Rights Centre ZMINA, in partnership with the EU Delegation to Ukraine, took part in the Civil Society Alley at ATLAS Festival.

Participants were invited to take part in an act of civic activism by sharing the issues that mattered to them personally. Festival guests left stickers bearing messages such as “for people with cardboard signs”, “against domestic violence” and “for the immediate exchange of prisoners”. ZMINA also prepared a number of its own messages, including “for LGBTIQ rights” and “against the persecution of the media”, which particularly resonated with participants. The activity was also joined by protesters who came to the festival with their own cardboard signs and later headed to a protest against changes to the government. As of Sunday, protests had been taking place across Ukraine for four consecutive days.

“It was valuable for us to see what matters to Ukrainians who may not be as closely involved in activism as those ZMINA works with. At the same time, it was important to bring these issues to the festival itself. The activity provided an opportunity to draw attention to both efforts to safeguard the independence of NABU and SAPO and the campaign to protect Protasiv Yar“, said Ana More, Head of the Civil Society Protection Programme at the Human Rights Centre ZMINA.

At the festival, ZMINA also presented its EU-supported programme for civil society. In particular, it presented an analytical report on the situation of human rights defenders and civic activists in Ukraine in 2025.