Tuesday, October 24, 2023
1:00 – 2:30 P.M., Eastern Daylight Time
Information on how to join the webinar is listed below.
Ensuring public access to information and promoting transparency are foremost in every aspect of the jobs of U.S. government information specialists. But how does open government work abroad? And how do you achieve transparency and public access during wartime?
There are plenty of lessons to be learned as ASAP proudly sponsors this unique opportunity to learn first-hand from those who truly are making a difference in Ukraine with e-government and freedom of information reforms. Such efforts are particularly important in the effort to fight corruption and transform the political and legal climate in the post-Soviet space. We invite you—and any member of the interested public— to join us for an incredible panel discussion on transparency in Ukraine—its past, present, and future. The event features:
Dr. Oksana Nesterenko, Ukrainian legal scholar, public policy analyst
Rob O’Donovan, Vice President for Programs at Eurasia Foundation (EF)
Moderated by
Nate Jones, FOIA Director for The Washington Post
Nate Jones will moderate the candid discussion as Dr. Nesterenko and Mr. O’Donovan discuss the difficulties in getting information out to the public, methods and channels they use and create, and what they see happening in the future.
Dr. Oksana Nesterenko is a Ukrainian legal scholar, public policy analyst. She holds the position of Associate Professor of Law at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (Faculty of Law) and serves as the Executive Director of the CSO 'The Anti-corruption Research and Education Center.' Furthermore, Dr. Nesterenko is a Visiting Research Scholar in Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, and a former Non-Resident Fellow at GWU's IERES Program and a Fulbright-Kennan Institute Research Scholar.
As a scholar, lecturer and legal advisor Dr. Nesterenko is focused on freedom of information, whistleblower protection, freedom of expression and media etc.
Dr. Nesterenko has authored and co-authored 70 publications, including books such as 'The Information in Ukraine: The Right to Access', “Whistleblower Protection in Ukraine.” Over the course of eighteen years, she has spearheaded numerous projects aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability within the Ukrainian government. She was actively involved in drafting the Law 'On Access to Public Information.' Additionally, she contributed to the formulation of the Ukrainian Law 'On Prevention of Corruption" regarding whistleblowers. Presently, Dr. Nesterenko is a member of the working group responsible for developing draft legislation on classified information.
Beyond her academic and legal engagements, Dr. Nesterenko serves as a valued Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. She is also affiliated with various organizations, including 'Transparency International Ukraine' and holds the position of International Council Member at Transparency International.
Rob O’Donovan is Vice President for Programs at Eurasia Foundation (EF). He directly oversees EF’s Civic Engagement and Governance practice area, which is comprised of five programs, including the Foundation’s flagship anti-corruption e-governance program in Ukraine. Previously Rob led EF’s business development team, securing several multi-million-dollar awards for the Foundation’s initiatives during his tenure. From 2006 – 2010, Rob served as EF’s Senior Program and Evaluation Officer and he regularly assessed the organizational capacity of the seven local foundations that comprise the Eurasia Foundation Network. From 2001–2006, Rob was based in Tbilisi, Georgia, and he worked as EF’s Regional Director of the South Caucasus Cooperation Program, a cross-border initiative that strengthened connections among leading non-governmental organizations from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Rob began his career in international development in 1996 as a Peace Corps Volunteer in southeast Kazakhstan, where he taught English to high school students and helped establish an English teachers association. Rob received a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Vermont and an M.S. in Development Management from American University.
Nate Jones is the FOIA director for The Washington Post, where he works with reporters to target documents to request, appeal and sue for. He works with reporters to obtain local, state and federal records and to think strategically about public records in all formats. He gives FOIA training sessions and advises reporters on how to write, refine and track requests, navigate delays and overredactions, and overcome other bureaucratic resistance. He has served on ASAP's Board of Directors, was a two-term member on the Federal FOIA Advisory Committee and holds a JD from the University of the District of Columbia. He previously was the director of the FOIA Project for the National Security Archive, where he used FOIA to write a book on the 1983 Able Archer nuclear war scare.
