'Democracy dies in darkness' - Urgent help needed

Urgent help needed for people in Kyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine!

'Democracy dies in darkness'-- this quote is used as an official slogan by the Washington Post in its print and online version. The quote was originally said to have been expressed by Bob Woodward, the journalist who uncovered the Watergate affair in 1972 together with his fellow reporter Carl Bernstein. This led to the resignation of then U.S. President Richard Nixon, whose administration was found responsible for initiating a burglary at the Democratic Party's headquarters.

The photo (courtesy EPA) was published in Oct 2025 in the South China Morning Post and shows a rescue team at work in Kyiv after a Russian missile strike.

Millions of people in Ukraine are currently experiencing daily missile and drone strikes as part of Russia's war. Ukrainians are fighting for survival, independence and ... yes: democracy. As if this were not tragic enough, they are also suffering from freezing conditions and darkness as a result of deliberate attacks on the energy grid and power stations. This is particularly the case in the capital city of Kyiv. While they are now experiencing the coldest winter since the war began in February 2022.

As of today, February 2, 2026, "There are currently 244 buildings without heating in the capital [...At one point] 3,419 high-rise buildings were without heating. While, the vast majority of them have been reconnected to the heat supply, utility workers and energy specialists continue to work and restore heating in Kyiv residents' homes," Vitali Klitschko.

Urgent help is needed.

Several organisations across Europe are collecting donations to provide power generators, heating systems and many other essential items to help keep people safe. Some of these organisations specialise in the rapid delivery of these devices, so please don't hesitate to donate.

LUKRAINE is active in Luxembourg and speaks to the Ukrainian community in the Grand Duchy and beyond. Donations can be made HERE.

MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERE has a Luxembourg chapter that provides medical and development aid in many parts of the world, among them also Ukraine. More information can be found HERE.

WE AID understands itself as a non-profit-as-a-service organisation and, among other initiatives, runs a programme called Ukraine2Power. It specifically aims at organising fast-track help with all devices that can bring warmth to people. More information can be found HERE.

The DEUTSCH-UKRAINISCHE GESELLSCHAFT was recently founded in Germany, pursuing a commitment not only to providing help, but also to fostering scientific and political collaboration — activities that will be needed when the country is rebuilt. Technical assistance is one of the purposes for which donations can be made via their website HERE.

Reference:
Без тепла у Києві залишаються 244 будинки. Kyiv. Info. https://kyiv.info/article/bez-tepla-u-kyyevi-zalyshayutsya-244-budynky

The BeNeLux Geography Conference in Leuven 8-10 April is approaching fast - register and sign up for activities!

The BeNeLux Geography Conference in Leuven 8-10 April is approaching fast, and we are excited to share that the preliminary program for the conference is now online! With over 400 abstract submissions across 90+ sessions, the program offers a broad and inspiring overview of current geographical research and practice in the region and beyond. You can already explore the preliminary schedule here. Please note that minor changes may still happen.

More than sessions

In addition to the main sessions, the conference includes,

• Three keynotes by Erik Swyngedouw, Meredith Glaser, and Bart Crease
• Early career workshops
• Excursions in and around Leuven
• A geography pub quiz on Wednesday evening
• Plenty of opportunities to meet colleagues from across the BeNeLux and beyond during coffee breaks, lunches and reception.

Conference Registration is open until 26 February, and some activities have limited capacity, so we encourage you to register soon if you plan to attend.

More information about, and a sign-up form for, the extra activities can be found here. Please note that all of the activities have a maximum capacity so register quickly as it’s first-come-first-served. Deadline to fill in the form: February 13, 2026!

Education Track – Thursday 9 April

There are quite a few sessions that are directly or indirectly relevant to high school geography teachers. To make attending the conference as accessible as possible for teachers we’ve created a dedicated Education Track on Thursday 9 April that bundles many of the sessions most likely to be of interest to teachers in this single day. In part thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Flemish Science Foundation and the Dutch 'Koninklijk Nederlands Aardrijkskundig Genootschap’, we are able to offer a limited number of reduced-fee registrations of €40 for high school geography teachers who wish to attend the Education Track on that day (see https://www.benelux-geo.eu/registration.html for details).

We hope to welcome you in Leuven this April! The BeNeLux Geography Organizing Committee

European Regional Policy in Times of Transition--ARL International Congress 2026

The Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz-Association (ARL) accepts proposals for paper contributions to its 2026 International Congress, which will take place on 1st and 2nd October 2026 in Cologne, Germany.

The main topic of the Congress is “European Regional Policy in Times of Transition”. European regions are facing overlapping crises, ranging from economic and demo-graphic shifts to environmental and geopolitical challenges. There is a constantly changing patchwork of spatial structures, including structurally weak peripheries, growing and shrinking urban regions, and dynamic rural areas. “Left-behind” places pose major challenges, as does implementation of the Green Deal and the digital transition. With EU budget negotiations and the post-2027 future of the Cohesion Policy at stake, key questions arise about how to ensure territorial cohesion and spatial justice, particularly given the uneven impacts of sectoral policies.

Photo: Lea Molina Caminera/ARL, 2nd place in the 2020-photo contest "Just Spaces"

The conference aims to create a platform for critical reflection and forward-looking discussion: How can regional and cohesion policy be made effective, just, and sustainable in times of multiple transitions? We welcome contributions that address key problem areas of regional development and policy from different analytical and conceptual perspectives at various spatial scales. Interdisciplinary perspectives are most welcome. Contributions from geography, regional and spatial planning, economics, political science, environmental and sustainability studies, or related fields are encouraged.

We are particularly interested in abstracts that engage with the following topics:

1. The future of EU Cohesion and Regional Policy

Firstly, we invite contributions that critically examine the future of various policy con-cepts and strategies − such as the EU Cohesion Policy and Regional Policy – intended to support regional growth and innovation, and compare them with place-based approaches to regional development. One focal point of the discussion will be the current debates of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027. Moreover, we particularly welcome analyses that address debates around the notion of a “Europe of the Regions” and the potential re-nationalisation of regional policy within the evolving European governance framework. This includes analyses of the European Green Deal and related strategies for regional transformation. We also welcome analytical perspectives on cross-border, transnational, and interregional cooperation aimed at addressing shared challenges and enhancing resilience, connectivity, and territorial cohesion.

2. Regional Disparities and Policy under Conditions of Transition

Secondly, the Congress provides a forum for discussing issues related to regional development and policy under conditions of transition − for example, the challenges faced by “left-behind” regions, growing spatial disparities, associated path dependencies, and “lock-in” effects, as well as the normative tensions between equity and growth. We particularly encourage critical reflections on socio-economic, environ-mental, and geopolitical resilience within the context of regional and industrial policy. Furthermore, we seek contributions that critically engage with the interrelations between democracy, populism, and governance at the regional level.

3. Long-Term Perspectives on Regional Policy and Regional Transformation

Thirdly, we welcome contributions that address fundamental or long-term issues of regional development, including structural transformation and evolving notions of “development”, digitalisation, urban–rural relations, and political polarisation, as well as questions of territorial justice, sustainability transitions, and multi-level governance frameworks. We consider different territorial scales and especially encourage submissions that explore the interactions and tensions between different policy domains, for instance, how cohesion and innovation policies can be aligned with sustainability objectives.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Alongside invited panellists (tba), the programme will feature two confirmed keynote speakers:

Professor Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, London School of Economics and Political Science

Rachel Lancry Beaumont, European Committee of the Regions, Head of Department for the COTER Commission

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES AND TIMELINE 

 If you are interested, please submit your abstract by 15 February 2026 to <congress@arl-net.de>. 

For this purpose, please send us a short summary of your planned contribution on European regional policy (max. 2,500 characters without spaces), with clear reference to at least one of the focal areas presented above. Your abstract should include the central research question, your arguments and conclusions, and a meaningful title. Please also provide your name, academic title (if applicable), and your institution. The congress language is English; however, selected sessions will allow presentations in German. Please indicate your preferred presentation language: English, German, or either. After a review of the submitted contributions, a selection will be made.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Britta Bockhorn ARL – Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association Head of International Affairs 

<britta.bockhorn@arl-net.de>