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In light of the recent discussions surrounding the importance of continued support for Ukraine, join the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire's global community for a moderated conversation with U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Kate Nazarova, Susan Mathison, and Alex Ray. This global discussion, centered in New Hampshire, will provide insights into how NATO and its allies have provided vital support to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, why they continue to do so, and what is at stake for the world if Russia is allowed to complete its war of annexation.

Hearing from a set of diverse perspectives, audiences will have the opportunity to lead the conversation through their questions and to challenge their own thinking in this space. Many theories and approaches inform various ways of thinking around whether or not this support should continue and it is vital that these civil conversations are held in-order to come together as a global community to look for potential solutions. As always, WACNH does not look at this as the end of the conversation, but rather the start, which will equip you with trusted information as you navigate the complex world we live in.

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About the Panelists

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The first woman in U.S. history to be elected both a Governor and a United States Senator, New Hampshire’s Jeanne Shaheen is a trailblazer with a reputation for working across the aisle to serve the citizens of New Hampshire. She has served in the Senate since 2009 after serving three terms as Governor.  

As a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations, Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, Senator Shaheen fights for a U.S. national security policy that strengthens key alliances, improves trade and security cooperation and bolsters New Hampshire’s role in national defense, including by highlighting the critical role that Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Pease Air National Guard play in protecting our nation. As co-chair of the bipartisan Senate NATO Observer Group and Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee that oversees U.S. policy towards Europe, Shaheen has led efforts to help defend democracies around the world, including in Ukraine as it fights for freedom in response to Putin’s barbaric war. Also a member of the U.S. Senate Ukraine Caucus and multiple other bipartisan focus groups, Shaheen currently leads legislative efforts in the Senate that would address U.S. policy toward key political regions in Europe to bolster transatlantic unity, expand economic opportunity for Americans and our allies and partners and ensure the U.S. remains a leader in fighting for a prosperous, democratic world.  

Kate Nazarova is one of the hundreds of Ukrainians who sought safety in New Hampshire in 2022.  She has lived in Exeter since August and immediately began using her strong English skills and business experience to help other Ukrainians get established here.  She joined the Building Community in NH staff on January 3, 2023. 

Kate delivers a wide range of services to many of the 700+ Ukrainians in New Hampshire. She started at BCNH with a focus on supporting families enrolling their children in schools. That part-time assignment became full-time work on May 31, 2023, when the State of New Hampshire contracted with BCNH to provide comprehensive resettlement services to Ukrainians.

Kate is fluent in Ukrainian, Russian, and English.

Alex Ray – best known to Granite Staters as Founder of The Common Man Family of Restaurants and for his philanthropic work – and Susan Mathison – retired after a distinguished career at the U.S. Forrest Service who now also serves as president of her local Habitat for Humanity – joined together after the Feb. 2022 invasion of Ukraine to co-found with their partners the grassroots nonprofit organization, Common Man for Ukraine.

A 501c3, Common Man for Ukraine focuses on providing food, humanitarian aid, and an array of trauma counseling programs for Ukrainian orphans and displaced children. To date, their weekly supply convoys have delivered to orphanages and safe houses more than 800 tons of food and 10,000 sleeping bags. Their monthly, 3-week-long trauma counseling retreats for children of fallen Ukrainian soldiers has provided mental health treatment to more than 300 children and counting. Their work has been featured in USA Today and the CBS Evening News, expanding their effort nationally as they seek to keep these programs going with a $10 million fundraising goal. Together, Alex and Susan have made six humanitarian aid trips to the region, with the seventh scheduled for early November.