Will Crimea be returned to Ukraine? There isn’t a doubt in former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko’s mind that the annexed territory will soon belong to his country once more. The post-war era was destroyed in an instant when President Vladimir Putin invaded Crimea in 2014, bringing U.S.-Russian tensions to their highest point since the Cold War.

In spite of the conflict, Poroshenko is grateful for strong bi-partisan solidarity from Canada and still considers the U.S. to be Ukraine’s strongest ally, even with the uncertainty that shadows that relationship today. He issued a call for Ukraine to join NATO. He also urged the Sunday Halifax Chat to remember that the values of democracy that once united the world, will strengthen NATO solidarity. He left the Forum with a warning from the frontlines of the Russia conflict – “Don’t let Putin divide us.” Ukraine is not going anywhere.

Canadian Deputy Defence Minister Jody Thomas recognized that in 2019, women must play an equal and significant role in global security – especially at events like the Halifax International Security Forum. The sector is often exclusionary to women, but the seventh plenary encouraged a discussion on how the barriers to gender equality can be removed. Janice Stein opened the panel immediately to the floor, allowing participants to speak directly to their experiences as women leaders in their field. This showed that women in security do not need anyone to speak for them. Their contributions and solutions speak for themselves.

Having more women in the room changes how we look at conflict zones. It changes our access to communities and it should be fundamental to our values as a nation. Canada has taken a leadership role in gender equality, but the world, the industry, and men can do more to ensure that equality is achieved. Including women in security is not just a moral imperative. It is a strategic security advantage that can bring change desperately needed in an uncertain world.

You say you want a revolution. Well, everybody wants to change the world. From Hong Kong to Lebanon to Chile to Iran, people are taking to the streets. They are frustrated with institutions that are failing to provide their basic social and economic needs. They are embittered by widening levels of inequality and they are fed up with their leaders’ weakness in the face of the existential threat of our day – climate change. As people rise up and raise their voices all around us, what should we make of this moment? Should we be hopeful? Should we be fearful? And what can democracies do to help?

Morgan Ortagus is convinced that democracies have a big role to play. She highlighted the U.S. State Department’s continuous efforts to use communications methods, old and new from telegrams to Instagram, in order to extend its hand to people who are fighting for their freedoms abroad. The U.S. goal is to amplify their voices for the rest of the world to hear. Dr. Joseph Joffe pointed out that while revolutions have local origins, these battles always turn into something larger. The world’s democracies have an obligation to help, but they can no longer do so by dropping bombs and firing bullets. Ambassador Jacqueline O’Neill agreed that democracies need to deliver support, but interventions can only yield long-term results if we encourage revolutionary movements to clear a larger space for women’s voices and leadership.