A Conversation with Alena Kuzmenko (President, UNITY Charity Foundation)

​Alena Kuzmenko is the President of the UNITY Charity Foundation, a Russian humanitarian organisation focused on improving the quality of life of children and adults living with cancer and their families.

​UNITY develops international programs that combine psychosocial support, education, art, medicine and international cooperation. One of the Foundation’s most distinctive initiatives is Space Art Therapy — an international program for children with cancer that uses art and space exploration as tools for emotional support, inspiration and connection with the wider world. Its flagship Art Rocket Project has brought together children from 18 countries. In 2025 and 2026, children’s drawings were transformed into large-scale artworks on two Soyuz launch vehicles and sent into space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

​In this conversation, Alena Kuzmenko will explore the growing role of humanitarian diplomacy in the space sector and how space can become a platform not only for science and technology, but also for international solidarity, healthcare, education, culture and support for people facing serious illness. She will share the experience of UNITY’s international projects, including its work with children with cancer and cooperation with space agencies, astronauts, medical institutions, universities, NGOs and other organizations across different countries.

​The conversation will also focus on the importance of expanding humanitarian space initiatives in Africa and other regions, creating new forms of cooperation between the space community and the humanitarian sector, and making charitable organizations meaningful participants in the development of space alongside governments, private companies, research institutions and international organisations.