Beyond the Statistics: Highlighting Ukrainian Stories at the Council for European Studies
On June 25-27, 2025, the Council of European Studies hosted its 31st International Conference of Europeanists at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, under the moniker ‘Legacies and Ruptures: Making Sense of Europe’.
There was no shortage of topics during the 3-day conference addressing politics and economics, reflecting on how past crises shaped current policy, the effect of art and culture throughout Europe’s history, NATO, warfare, modern technology, and, of course, Ukraine and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
On June 26, 2025, day 2 of the conference, the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia participated in a panel discussion on the documentary film Beyond the Statistics – Amplifying the Voices of Ukraine. Produced by Fernando Ramirez, founder of NGO Bridges 2030 International, the film highlights the personal journeys of forcibly displaced Ukrainian citizens who arrived in Philadelphia due to the full-scale invasion by Russia.
With mainstream media reports focusing on death, destruction and statistics, Mr. Ramirez wanted to change the narrative and share the personal stories and human impact of families displaced by the invasion, providing a different lens for our youth, developing empathy and compassion in the future global citizens of the world.
Representing the Archeparchy on the panel was Marta Rubel, Social Outreach Director. She was joined by Roxanna Senyshyn, Associate Professor, Applied Linguistics and Communication at Penn State University Abington; Maya Sarver, Temple Class of '23; and Fernando Ramirez, founder Bridges 2030 International and Executive Producer of the film.
