On February 5, 2026, the School of Peace launched its first online event as part of a new project led by Peace Ambassador Ksenia Kodzhebash. Despite wartime power outages and an unstable internet, young peace ambassadors from Kolomyia, Kyiv, Lviv, and other Ukrainian cities came together to discuss creativity, courage, and meaning with writer Karine Lyut.
A meeting that couldn’t wait
Moderator Vladislav Mayer opened the meeting by thanking participants for their presence and perseverance, noting that some had lost connection several times due to power outages. Before the event, Director Mykhailo Ilin gave a brief introduction, sharing insights from his recent business trip to Japan, Poland, and Berlin, during which he met with partners and visited volunteer organizations supporting internally displaced persons. Across all locations, he encountered surprise and admiration that UPF Ukraine and the Peace School remain active.
Ksenia Kodzhebash described the project itself, which will run from early February through April, simply:
Ksenia Kodzhebash described the project as a series of lively, informal meetings with her friends and close acquaintances. She considers herself fortunate to have met inspiring individuals and aims to introduce them to participants at the threshold of new opportunities.
Guest of the evening: Karine and her “Black Stork.”
The project’s first guest was Karine, author of the psychological thriller “Those Who Did Not Return” (“Black Stork”). Trained as a director and actress, she did not consider herself a writer until the full-scale invasion began.
“My sister is a military medic. She was wounded, and I was driving her in a wheelchair, not knowing what lay ahead. At that moment, you feel nothing but despair. So I started writing to somehow cope with that emotional flood.”
She wrote her first story in three days on her phone, without a laptop, feeling inspired. “Like Stallone, who wrote Rocky in three days,” she remarked. However, inspiration was only the start. When a professor told her, “The story is interesting. It’s poorly written,” she responded, “Then I’ll rewrite it.”
This episode set the tone for the discussion, focusing on perseverance, openness to criticism, and progress. Creativity requires daily, systematic effort, not just inspiration.
Advice that will stay with you for a long time
Ksenia Kodzhebash conducted the conversation as a live interview, asking direct questions: How do you avoid giving up? How do you know an idea is truly yours? Where do you find confidence if you lack it? Karine responded candidly and directly.
On starting without confidence:
“Just start. Once you start, your belief will come naturally. You will get feedback from people. You will gain understanding. And if not, you will still have done something for yourself.”
How to tell your idea apart from a passing fancy:
“Give it time. If it won’t let you go, it’s your idea. If it does let you go, it’s not your idea.”
Practical task for the week:
Karine suggested a practical task: Ask yourself what you would do if you had unlimited resources. This likely reveals your true passion; consider making it a hobby or dedicating yourself to it fully.
When she felt like a writer:
“I was standing in the kitchen, washing dishes, when an acquaintance called and said, “I read your book. Can I ask you something?” That was when I knew—one hundred percent—my work was already living on without me.”
Karine is inspired by French writer Laurent Gounel, especially his book God Always Travels Incognito. She values his ability to address profound topics in simple language, exploring approaches to life and the reasons behind challenges.
Peace is not just a word.
One of the participants asked Karine: if she were to write a book about peace, where would she start? Her answer was precise and warm:
From the lives of ordinary people. Peace is not a mythical word; it is hope, support, and human security. In peace, people flourish and develop. They are interested not in survival, but in life itself. When ordinary people thrive, the whole world thrives.
This idea formed a clear connection between her creativity and the Peace School’s mission.
Despite the power outage, Tetyana Mykolayivna Fedunova summarized:
“We are alive. We do not hide behind the war. The fact that the children came today, did not fall silent, and did not turn off the microphones—that is our front line.”
More to come
The meeting concluded with thanks and a commitment to continue. The next session is tentatively scheduled for February 18. The guest will be announced in advance so participants can prepare questions. The project continues, as Ksenia Kodzhebash noted:
Ksenia Kodzhebash closed by reflecting that the people we meet often become answers to questions we have not yet asked.