On Sunday, March 27th, Sarasota Jewish Democrats presents:  “A conversation with ROBERT KESTEN – An insider’s peek at Ukraine, Russia and America.” Join us to hear insights on the situation in Ukraine from someone who knows it well.

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Mr. Kesten was on the ground and witnessed Ukraine’s birth as an independent nation. At the time, he worked with top officials, members of minority communities, the arts and cultural communities, and foreign governments.

He met with President George H.W. Bush and other global figures, encouraged Ukraine to become the first Soviet Republic (and first former republic) to decriminalize homosexuality, and produced the 50th Commemoration of the massacre at Babyn Yar, recently hit by Russian missile strikes.

Mr. Kesten is the Executive Director of the People’s Movement for Human Rights Learning (PDHRE.org) that was founded in 1988 by Shulamith Koenig. They are an independent, international, non-profit organization working on human rights globally. Columnist, Carrie Seidman of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune did a column in February on their efforts. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the backbone of their work. It consists of 30 Articles beginning with “All human beings are born free and equal.”

He hails from New York where he was a former candidate for the 40th Senate District in 2018. He worked on Capitol Hill, with leading members of the US Congress, and on international and domestic issues including agriculture, education, housing, and foreign affairs. His professional experiences have taken him from film work in Hollywood to Tahrir Square in Egypt during the Arab Spring and many places in between.