SLOVAK NGOS AND THINK TANKS FOR UKRAINE:
Developing Joint Assistance Program
As we are marking the 25th anniversary of democratic changes in Slovakia, we see the Czechoslovak Velvet Revolution and the Ukrainian Maidan Square protests as expressions of the same desire by free people to live in a free and democratic country. Alas, unlike the non-violent change in our country, the Ukrainian revolution faced tragic events and an armed conflict. It highlights our wish to commend the utmost bravery and will of the Ukrainian people to change the situation in their country. First they defiantly struggled against the old administration for their European path at Maidan Square in Kiev. Later they had to endure the humiliation of Russian occupation and annexation of Crimea. Today they reaffirm their readiness to continue the struggle in the war with the Moscow-fuelled separatists in their attempt to reverse the change.
Ukraine is our largest neighbour. During World War II the people of Ukraine paid massive toll in lives for our freedom, too. At the beginning of last winter the Ukrainians made clear their identification with Europe and its values. As Europe gave us its helping hand a quarter of a century ago, today we must not turn our back to Ukraine. We trust that the European project remains wide open to Ukraine for a long time, as much as it was open to our return in 1989.
The future of Ukraine is ultimately up to her people. However, as a good neighbour, Slovakia ought to clearly and more audibly keep stating its desire for Ukraine to be free, independent, democratic, and prosperous. These values would ensure good neighbourly relations with Ukraine, diffusing risks of instability, threats and concerns to SK and EU.
The Slovak non-governmental sector has extensive experience in providing practical support and technical assistance in transformation and European integration. Over the past two decades our organisations helped partners in a number of countries in Central and Eastern Europe that embarked on the path of transformation.
We are convinced that, following the successful Presidential and Parliamentary elections, Ukraine is now on the right path to change its style of government, reform its economy and embark on integration in the EU common market pursuant the endorsed Association Agreement.
The undersigned representatives of Slovak non-governmental organisations started developing a joint technical assistance program for Ukraine. We hope Ukraine can draw from Slovak experience acquired in the process of modernisation, economic reforms, and European integration. We are prepared to discuss forms and means of assistance with Ukrainian non-governmental organisations and their official representatives.
We publish this declaration in hope that further Slovak civic groups, municipalities, and individuals subscribe to the aforementioned principles and join the support movement to Ukraine.
Signatories of the initiative (as of 12 November 2014)
Alexander Duleba, Slovenská spoločnosť pre zahraničnú politiku / Slovak Foreign Policy Association, SFPA
Milan Nič, Central European Policy Institute, CEPI
Marek Kapusta, Nadácia otvorenej spoločnosti – Open Society Foundation, NOS-OSF
Grigorij Mesežnikov, Inštitút pre verejné otázky / Institute for Public Affairs, IVO
Lenka Surotchak, Nadácia Pontis /Pontis Foundation
Ivana Raslavská, Platforma mimovládnych rozvojových organizácií / Platform for Non-Governmental Developmental Organisations, PMVRO
Pavol Demeš, zahraničnopolitcký analytik, foreign policy analyst
Milan Ježovica, MESA 10
Milan Solár, Slovak Atlantic Commission
Katarína Minárová, Karpatská nadácia /Carpathian Foundation
Róbert Vass, Stredoeurópska strategická rada / Central European Strategic Council, SAC
Boris Strečanský, Centrum pre filantropiu n.o. / Centre for Philanthropy
Ľudmila Verbická, Ukrajinsko Slovenská iniciatíva / Ukraininian – Slovak Initiative, USI
Juraj Mesík, Spoločnosť pre trvalo udržateľný rozvoj / Society for Sustainable Development, STUŽ
Štefan Szabó, Sosna
Andrej Šteiner, Karpatský rozvojový inštitút o.z. / Carpathian Developmental Institute
Martina Barancová Paulíková, Združenie Slatinka / Slatinka Association
Peter Tatár, Slovenský zväz ochrancov prírody a krajiny, ZO 6 Bratislava / Slovak Union of Environmental and Landscape Protection
Filip Vagač, Nadácia Jána Langoša / The Ján Langoš Foundation
Pavel Petráš, Združenie ochranárov severovýchodného Slovenska Pčola / Pčola – Association of Environmentalists in North-Western Slovakia
MUDr. Etela Janeková, InClinic s.r.o.
Gejza Legen, Legend Foto Košice
Géza Tokár, Okrúhly stôl Maďarov na Slovensku / Szlovákiai Magyarok Kerekasztala / Roundtable of Hungarians in Slovakia
Zuzana Fialová, Človek v ohrození / People in Need
