The World Forum for Democracy is a platform that allows representatives of different political cultures to share common concerns and experiences. It is by any means necessary to talk about the challenges and threats that public faces in its quest for democratic development: at a time when the freedom of the world depends on the integrity of a single democracy, the acceptance of “otherness” and diversity is a prerequisite for both domestic and international concord.
The voices of the Ukrainian delegation echoed at two of the Forum’s discussion panels — “Elections and Value Divides” and “Unravelling the Web of Disinformation” — as well as at the 5th plenary session “Agenda for the Future”.
The need to fight for democracy was one of the main narratives that the Ukrainian delegation conveyed to their colleagues at the Forum. Oleksandr Popov, Commander of the 15th Separate Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade and this year’s USPS participant, addressed the Council of Europe with these words:
Oleksandr’s words resonate with Ukraine’s call to defend freedom. The Ukrainians have a clear understanding that russia has only one language — the language of war. Therefore, in a situation where weapons are the only possible channel of communication, Ukraine must be ready to defend itself, because when one nation tries to obliterate another with the heaviest weapons, democracy must fight back. On the level of consciousness and on the level of the fight.
As we speak, it is not only the infrastructure of Ukraine that is being destroyed, but also the cultural integrity of the Ukrainian nation itself. russia is intentionally trying to erase the memory of the Ukrainian land. To draw the world’s attention once again to the atrocious crimes committed by the russian federation, the Ukrainian delegation prepared the #ArmUkraine campaign. A clear and transparent broadcast of the message that patience with the enemy is no protection for the state.
The symbolic performance of the Christmas song Shchedryk (known as Carol of the Bells), written by Mykola Leontovych, in the city of Pokrovsk, which is currently under ongoing russian shelling, is part of the #ArmUkraine campaign. The russian federation is methodically and purposefully annihilating the attributes of Ukrainian statehood. By blurring identities, russia seeks to reeducate our values, our history and our people.
During the 5th plenary session on youth democratic initiatives, Liudmyla Yankina, Independent, Expert in Civil Society Protection, Human Rights Activist, painfully recalled:
Liudmyla Yankina wanted to draw the Forum’s attention to an extremely serious issue: while other children are presenting initiatives to strengthen democracy in prestigious institutions, russia is murdering democracy at birth. As Liudmyla spoke, our delegation handed out drawings made by Ukrainian children to the audience to remind them of how they really feel about the war. To remind the world of the many thousands of children kidnapped by Russia.
For the drawings we would like to thank Educational and Rehabilitation Centre for Children with Developmental Disabilities No. 17, Charitable Foundation “Voices of Children”, Oksana Mykhalevych, Mariya Naumchyk, Unique School (Chaiky village), Middle Way School (Petrivka village), Glibivka gymnasium (Glibivka village), TGI (Irpin city), SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine, National Childre’s Specialized Hospital “Okhmatdyt”.
At the Forum, our delegation did its best to portray the horrors that the Ukrainian people are witnessing with each passing minute. With the resources available, Ukraine is striving to overcome the division, to preserve its life — its “otherness” — for democracies have never stood on scorched soil.
