April 28, 2026
Soul Arbitration: The Architecture of Survival and the Jurisprudence of Resilience in Ukraine
Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion
Thursday, April 30, 2026 | 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Location: New York City Bar
42 West 44th Street
New York, NY 10036
Program Fee: $20 for Members | $40 for Nonmembers
Overview
Join us for a screening of Soul Arbitration, a powerful documentary that brings forward the voices of women and children displaced by the war in Ukraine. Offering intimate testimony about survival, separation, and resilience, these firsthand accounts shed light on the human impact of conflict and the urgent legal and humanitarian questions faced by refugees worldwide.
Following the screening, the film's director alongside distinguished experts in international humanitarian and human rights law will examine the testimonies presented in the film through the lens of civilian protection and global legal frameworks, offering critical insight into how international law responds to the realities of war, displacement, and human suffering.
Program
Opening Remarks
Christina Chelliah, Triple Qualified Attorney in New York, England & Wales, and Malaysia
Speakers
- Professor Sophia Murashkovsky Romma, Chair, United Nations Committee, New York City Bar Association
- Christopher Pioch, Former Chair, Task Force on the Independence of Lawyers and Judges, New York City Bar Association
- Dr. Ugoji Adanma Eze, Chairman, African Bar Association, Human Rights and Constitutional Law Committee
- Margaret L. Satterthwaite, UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers
- Victoria Ivasechko, Chair, International Law Committee, Ukrainian Bar Association, Ukrainian attorney, Redcliffe Partners
- Maria Kostytska, Ukrainian attorney, Avocat a la Cour, Barrister in England and Wales, K&L Gates LLP
Moderator
Yveline L. Dalmacy, Founder and CED, International Caribbean Women Alliance for Empowerment (I.C.W.A.E.)
Sponsoring & Cosponsoring Organizations
Sponsoring Committee
United Nations, Sophia Murashkovsky, Chair
Cosponsoring Committees
- Council on International Affairs, Margaret E. McGuinness, Chair
- African Affairs, Melissa Marie Verpile, Chair
- European Affairs, Katherine Gonzalez and Rafael Carmona, Co-Chairs
- Task Force on the Rule of Law, Susan J. Kohlmann, Chair
- Task Force on the Independence of Lawyers and Judges, Matthew Diller, Chair
Cosponsoring Organizations
- Vance Center for International Justice
- Ukrainian American Bar Association
- Baltic American Chamber of Commerce