Hannah Arendt Center presents:
Courage To Be Defiant with Andrea Chalupa
Organized by HAC Courage to Be Student Fellow Svitlana Kukharuk
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
This event occurred on:
Be Defiant: How can we preserve our humanity and make a meaningful impact in a world plagued by fascism and deceit? The film Mr. Jones offers a powerful lesson through the true story of Gareth Jones, a young investigative journalist who risked his life and career to expose the Holodomor, Stalin’s 1933 genocide famine in Ukraine. His courageous efforts to reveal the truth have profound implications for us today, as Russia continues to wage war against democracies across the globe, including a genocide in Ukraine.
Andrea Chalupa is a Brooklyn-based journalist, author, and filmmaker. As the host and producer of the Webby Award Honoree civic action podcast Gaslit Nation, Andrea passionately addresses the threat of fascism globally. Andrea is the writer-producer of the journalistic thriller Mr. Jones, directed by three-time Academy Award-nominee Agnieszka Holland and starring James Norton, Vanessa Kirby, and Peter Sarsgaard. Her books include the graphic novels In the Shadow of Stalin and Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think. In 2014, she initiated #DigitalMaidan, a viral hashtag supporting the EuroMaidan revolution in Ukraine. She wrote and directed the short documentary The Holodomor: Stalin’s Secret Genocide, shown at the United Nations in 2016. Her frequent speaking engagements share inspiring insights into global affairs, U.S. politics, and saving democracy. She has spoken at the Council of Europe, the National Press Club, the National Arts Club, a committee room at the House of Lords, and universities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. She studied Soviet History at the University of California, Davis, and Ukrainian at the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. Her commitment to human rights was inspired by her parents, born in European displaced persons camps after World War II. She delves into this personal history in her book, Orwell and The Refugees: The Untold Story of Animal Farm, revealing a “special gift” from Orwell in her family.
Learn more about the Courage to Be Courses and lecture series here. Find recordings of the Courage Dinner Lectures on our YouTube channel.
The Courage to Be Dinner Lectures are for students enrolled in the Courage to Be Courses. R.S.V.P. required for those not enrolled. Please email [email protected]
Andrea Chalupa is a Brooklyn-based journalist, author, and filmmaker. As the host and producer of the Webby Award Honoree civic action podcast Gaslit Nation, Andrea passionately addresses the threat of fascism globally. Andrea is the writer-producer of the journalistic thriller Mr. Jones, directed by three-time Academy Award-nominee Agnieszka Holland and starring James Norton, Vanessa Kirby, and Peter Sarsgaard. Her books include the graphic novels In the Shadow of Stalin and Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think. In 2014, she initiated #DigitalMaidan, a viral hashtag supporting the EuroMaidan revolution in Ukraine. She wrote and directed the short documentary The Holodomor: Stalin’s Secret Genocide, shown at the United Nations in 2016. Her frequent speaking engagements share inspiring insights into global affairs, U.S. politics, and saving democracy. She has spoken at the Council of Europe, the National Press Club, the National Arts Club, a committee room at the House of Lords, and universities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. She studied Soviet History at the University of California, Davis, and Ukrainian at the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute. Her commitment to human rights was inspired by her parents, born in European displaced persons camps after World War II. She delves into this personal history in her book, Orwell and The Refugees: The Untold Story of Animal Farm, revealing a “special gift” from Orwell in her family.
Learn more about the Courage to Be Courses and lecture series here. Find recordings of the Courage Dinner Lectures on our YouTube channel.
The Courage to Be Dinner Lectures are for students enrolled in the Courage to Be Courses. R.S.V.P. required for those not enrolled. Please email [email protected]