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Speech by Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Ambassador Tochytskyi, dear Mykola

Excellencies,

Ms Antonella Candiago,

Youth Representatives,

Dear friends,

This week, we are celebrating 30 years since Ukraine acceded to the Council of Europe.

It is, of course, a bittersweet celebration.

Russia’s war of aggression continues unabated.

And this exhibition, “Tales of the Brave”, is about courage, resilience, kindness and determination — the values that the truly brave Ukrainian soldiers – the many men and women – have demonstrated in response to Russian aggression.

You know, the Greek author and storyteller Aesop apparently once said that it is easy to be brave from a safe distance.

But for millions of Ukrainians, that is not a choice they have.

They are thrust into the middle of a horrific conflict that is not of their making.

The citizens of Ukraine cannot be at a distance from the present war, nor its consequences.

They will have to live with the devastation for years to come.

And I am astonished every day by their bravery — their courage, their commitment in the face of an ongoing barrage of death and destruction.

And it is ultimately the young people of Ukraine on whose bravery its future must be built.

This very special exhibition showcases 15 inspirational projects funded by the European Youth Foundation.

They are the result of a special call to support young people affected by the war — a call that was made almost at the outset of the conflict.

Since that call, nearly 60 projects have been supported by the European Youth Foundation, with almost a million euros invested in various youth initiatives.

They cover everything from youth participation in rebuilding communities to conflict transformation, and from mental health to peacebuilding.

It is crucial work — and I am proud that the European Youth Foundation is part of the Council of Europe.

Investing in youth — in all their creativity, commitment and hard work — is an investment in peace.

An investment in human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

And an investment — of course — in the future.

Today, our gratitude goes to the Ukrainian Ministry of Youth and Culture, and to our partners and youth organisations for their steadfast commitment to the values of the Council of Europe.

And soon we will have the opportunity to hear from Ms Antonella Candiago, a representative of the youth movement of the European Network on Independent Living (ENIL).

She has been directly involved in the summer school for young disabled women, known as ‘Leaderka’, and that is presented in this exhibition.

Antonella is one of the young leaders transforming communities who are key to every one of these projects.

As each of them embodies the values of democracy and peace — and “Tales of the Brave” is actually a testament to their work and values.

“Tales of the Brave” will not only be shown here at the Palais — it will next be presented at the European Youth Center in Strasbourg, before travelling to Lviv in Ukraine.

There, it will be part of the closing event of the 2025 Lviv European Youth Capital, and it will remain there permanently, as a gift to partner organisations in Lviv.

I had the pleasure to take part in the opening of Lviv as the Youth Capital of Europe, in April this year. 

Lviv is an extraordinary city. And the city and its leadership have remained committed to advancing youth work, despite the war.

Across Europe, youth-led initiatives have rallied support to Ukraine, bringing both attention and action to the urgent need for solidarity and the need to fight Russian aggression driven by extreme nationalism and wild ideas of reestablishing a long-lost empire.

Dear friends,

I ask you all to have a good look at each of these posters.

Move among them — take the time to read the stories — they are stories of bravery, of unity, and of hope.

The Lviv European Youth Capital has as its motto, “Not easy, but move.”

For us here, it is easy to move among these posters.

But for so many Ukrainians, nothing is easy anymore.

There is no safe distance, and their bravery is everything.

Their outstanding courage and commitment remind us that democracy is not just a principle — it is actually what makes us breathe and live in freedom — and today, we must fight for it.