Wer oder was ist PORA?
Hier das Kozept und die Selbstvorstellung dieser Organisation:
CONCEPT
OF NATIONAL INFORMATIONAL, EDUCATIONAL AND MOBILIZATION CAMPAIGN
(Full version)
Title: National mobilization and informational Campaign Pora;
Target group: citizens of Ukraine that have the right to participate in the Presidential elections of Ukraine in 2004;
Participants: youth, in particular active students, organized into mobile groups and united in a countrywide, efficiently coordinated network;
Number of participants: no less than 9,000 volunteers (registered members of mobile groups);
Campaigns aim: to provide conditions for definitive affirmation of democratic priorities in the development of Ukrainian society, realization of complex reforms, formation of transparent power structures in Ukraine, as well as realization of its Euro-Atlantic choice during the Presidential elections of Ukraine in 2004.
Tasks:
- To come up with alternative mechanisms for delivering objective information and candidates positions directly to citizens in all regions of Ukraine over the course of the electoral Campaign;
- To stir up participation of electoral groups supporting Euro-Atlantic integration ideas, national priorities, and democratic development (youth, intellectuals, etc.) during elections;
- To provide organizational conditions for active participation of those sympathetic to a European vector of development for Ukraine in informational and educational components of the electoral Campaign;
- To form a developed and powerful network of volunteers for effective promotion of national-democratic ideals during the electoral Campaign;
- To carry out broad and well-grounded promotion of European and national-democratic ideas (slogans) to attract a substantial part of neutral or poorly-informed citizens towards progressive forces in society;
- To create a mechanism for efficient preparation of informational and educational materials pertaining to the socio-cultural and political specifics of the regions, and for their efficient distribution using the network formed in all regions of Ukraine;
- To mobilize society for the protection of their democratic rights and freedoms in case of falsification of election results or of other illegitimate actions of authorities.
Campaigns status:
The Pora Campaign is independent from any political structure, commercial or governmental organizations. It is a self-governing nation-wide action, registered in the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. The implementation phase of the Campaign is supposed to last until the legitimacy of the elections has been confirmed by all subjects of the election process and by international organizations (OSCE, Council of Europe, etc.). Organizational and legal bases for the Campaigns realization are provided by the Coordination Center of the Campaign that is a main structural department of the Campaign.
ANNOTATION
Slovak Republic 1998, Serbia 2000, Georgia 2003.. and Ukraine 2004. What is common between these countries? For a long period of time they were united only by the hard totalitarian heritage, but on the concluding stage of the post-Soviet development they have got a chance of implementing radical democratic reforms, and most of them have used this chance. The most actual remains the challenge if democratic choice for one of the largest European states Ukraine. And the final answer to this challenge will be given by the forthcoming elections of President of Ukraine in 2004.
The weak regional structure of political parties brought about by the absence of independent local self-governing and the extremely strong vertical structure of executive power creates the unprecedented preconditions for manipulation of the course and results of future elections. These cautions are confirmed by experience from the previous election campaigns and by the unprecedented pressure on opposing political forces during the first months of 2004. Under such circumstances, a number of independent and ramified all-Ukrainian youth organizations, supported by the Freedom of Choice Coalition of Ukrainian NGOs, have decided to create a broad volunteer network for the implementation of a nation-wide informational and educational Campaign, aimed at securing the voter rights of citizens.
It is well known that Ukraine has a system of strict control over information and has practically no independent mass media, particularly in remote regions. The suggested initiative envisages the implementation of a complex nation-wide informational and educational Pora Campaign aimed at democratizing the upcoming Presidential elections of Ukraine in October 2004. Its task is the large-scale distribution of information on candidates programs, voters rights, course of the electoral Campaign directly to the voters, increasing their motivation to participate in the elections and promoting national and European values. The strategy and plan of the Campaign has been structured by analogy with successful activities of volunteer networks in Serbia (OTPOR, 2000), the Slovakian Republic (OK-98), and Georgia (Khmara, 2003). An international expert-advice group is supposed to be formed out of those projects technologists and leaders. The Campaign will be executed through a range of interrelated informational and educational events in all the localities of Ukraine.
PREAMBLE
Ukraine is the second-largest European country (603,7 thousand square km) with almost 50 million inhabitants and- highly educated population. During its almost 2000 years of history, the country many times was the epicenter of world events and geopolitical processes. As one of the most populated European nations, situated on the eastern border of Europe, Ukraine has always been a place where cultures and civilizations intersect.
At the beginning of the 20th century the territory of present-day Ukraine was mainly divided between the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires. Active influence of the latter on the political life of Ukrainian society contributed to the emergence of stable European traditions that retained their attributes even during Ukraines time as a member of the USSR. Beginning from the second half of the 20th century, Ukraine has been the third largest and second most populated USSR republic that possessed the most developed industry in the Soviet Union, had one of the largest contingents in: applied mathematics, development of artificial intelligence, atomic energy, exploration of space and the Antarctic, and geology and physics. The main branches of the Ukrainian economy were plane and rocket construction, shipbuilding, energy machine building, electronics, and ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. Among republics of the former Soviet Union, Ukraine occupied leading positions in the social and cultural sphere, education, and development of medicine and arts. During eight Olympic games in which the Soviet Union participated, Ukrainian sportsmen won 150 gold medals. Ukrainians represented the majority of the inferior and medium-level officers and a significant part of generals within the military forces of the USSR. The third largest nuclear weapons arsenal in the world was situated on Ukrainian territory, but after the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine voluntarily got rid of it in 1994.
Moreover, Ukraines democratic traditions were demonstrated by the fact that under the totalitarian conditions of the Soviet system Ukraine became the greatest center for dissident resistance movements among former Soviet republics. Together with the Baltic states Ukraine acted as the most active initiator of democratization in Soviet society and in 1991 - as the initiator of the disintegration of the Soviet Union and of the creation of new independent states in its territory.
During the post-Soviet period Ukraine, unique among USSR countries, managed to avoid interethnic conflicts and civil wars. Over the last 12 years Ukrainian military contingents have carried out peacekeeping missions in more than 10 countries on three continents, among them Iraq, Serbia, Liberia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sierra Leone, and Congo. Ukrainian planes and ships provide transportation for NATO and UN troops in areas of peacekeeping and stabilization operations on three continents. Ukraine, together with Georgia, is a military, political, and economic leader of the regional GUAM grouping.
After a long period of economic depression, Ukraine has enjoyed one of the highest rates of economic development on the European continent in the new millennium. Furthermore, Ukraine possesses the best transit possibilities in Europe. In particular, it has advanced networks of oil, gas, and electric power transit in all directions. The capacity of Ukraines gas depositories and oil refineries has no equal in Europe. Ukraine is also a part of the Eurasian transport corridor that doesnt cover Russia.
In 2002 Ukraine officially proclaimed its orientation towards Euro-Atlantic integration and EU- and NATO-membership. Taking into account its geopolitical location and human resources potential, Ukraine represents a key element of Euro-Atlantic security. The present-day geopolitical significance of Ukraine grows even more by the process of formation a new pattern of relations between the unstable East, totalitarian regimes in Russian and Belarus, Moldova and the expanded European Union.
Situation
Present-day socio-political development in Ukraine, despite some economic achievements, is characterized by authoritarianism and systematic oppression of basic rights and freedoms. After a decade of post-totalitarian transformation the Ukrainian society is losing trust in the former-communist nomenclature that still retains power in the country, but is unable to ensure its consolidation and to carry out conceptual reforms. Today Ukraine faces the fundamental challenge of making decisive choice on its social and geo-political priorities. The solution to this challenge can be obtained only through free and transparent elections.
The results of parliamentary elections in Ukraine in 2002 demonstrated that democratic ideals and pro-European policy enjoy increasing support from the population, but a wide range of political forces that support these ideals were considerably restricted in possibilities of communication with the electorate. Providing balanced and objective information on the positions of diverse political powers is an increasingly worsening problem. The absence of equal opportunities for freedom of choice and freedom of speech in Ukraine has already been the subject of numerous conclusions and resolutions by well known international organizations. Due to the absence of independent television and press, all of Ukraines media resources are concentrated in the hands of politically biased state authorities or other financial and political groups.
A short period of governing of the team of reformers in 2000 led to reduction of the shadow economy segment and contributed to formation of equal operating conditions not only for Russian, but also for Western companies in the Ukrainian market. During this period long-term debts on salaries and pensions were paid off, interests on the states external debt were paid timely, stability of the national currency was retained, and gold and exchange currency reserves of the country grew. Furthermore, Ukraine intensified Euro-Atlantic co-operation and adjusted business partner relations with Russia (in particular those regarding transit of energy resources). These accomplishments have awakened optimism in society and stimulated business and public activity. However, the fast achievements of reformers threatened the interests of financial-political clans, and after only one year of work the reformatory government was dismissed.
Presently the public sector of Ukraine is undergoing active qualitative changes. Ukrainian NGOs who directed their efforts towards the democratization of previous electoral campaigns have gained precious experience of mutual co-operation and realization of important informational, educational, and monitoring projects. Dozens of influential NGOs that possess considerable technical resources and qualified personal function throughout Ukraine using the active support of international funds and organizations. The political trials in the last years have led to the emergence of mass youth and student associations that form a powerful volunteer network of activists that actively promote democratic ideals. Also, Ukrainian NGOs can now use the positive experience of the activities of colleagues from Yugoslavia, Croatia, Slovakia, Georgia, and other countries of the region that successfully realized their potential in recent critical elections.
That is why the leaders of many Ukrainian NGOs think that before the future presidential elections in Ukraine they challenge a critical need and a unique opportunity to mobilize their common capacities for the final victory of democratic ideals, the speeding-up of Euro-Atlantic integration, and the realization of qualitative reforms. From the viewpoint of active centers of civil society, there are presently satisfactory intellectual, human, and organizational conditions for IMPLEMENTING A WIDE INFORMATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN AND SECURING LEGITIMATE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN 2004.
This document demonstrates the primary tasks, approaches, and principles of the implementation of a complex informational and educational Campaign on the national scale. Realization of this technological plan must become a part of the strategy towards democratization of Ukrainian society, coordinated by different progressive groups. Successful implementation of the Campaign and a democratic victory in the Presidential elections of Ukraine in 2004 would exert crucial influence on the processes of political development in Ukraine and secure the irrevocability of its European choice.
Taking into account the unique internal political circumstances and important geopolitical processes on the European continent, the future Presidential elections of Ukraine will symbolically complete the post-Soviet stage of social transformation, and their results get crucial significance both for strategic prospects of Ukraine and for the system of European safety.
Important comments:
The idea of implementation of the Pora Campaign comes from philosophy and traditions of student national-democratic movement of late 80s early 90s of the last century, that at the beginning of the new century were developed within the framework of the All-Ukrainian public resistance committee For Truth. Management of the Campaign, its analytic support and the development of informational and educational materials will be provided mostly by former activists of that movement. The Pora Campaign will retain the legacy and basic principles of the All-Ukrainian public resistance committee For Truth that emerged in the student milieu at the beginning of political crisis of 1999.
The Campaign will be realized in the framework of the clearly defined methodology and with high discipline of the execution.
All the informational and educational materials that will be distributed within the framework of the Campaign, will be formulated in the simple, easy understandable style and will satisfy the principles of:
- political correctness;
- objectivity;
- absence of direct appeals fro voting for a certain candidate.
Forms of activities within the framework Campaign:
Taking into account the extremely acute problems concerning access to information and "freedom of speech" in Ukraine, the idea of direct delivery of informational and educational materials to voters became the main task of the Campaign. Delivery of this information will be carried out in the form of the direct communication with voters, distribution of the printed and visual information materials.
The following means will be used for this purpose:
Shows of different kind;
Public actions;
Visual means of presentation (big boards, posters, graffiti, etc.)
Media presentation (videoads, interviews, etc.)
Printed products:
- leaflets;
- booklets;
- stickers;
- small souvenirs attributes.
Larger part of informational materials to distributed within the Campaigns framework will be created by the information-analytical department of the Campaigns Coordination Centre or by partner NGOs, which participate in the democratization of the electoral process (in particular by the member NGOs of the coalitions Our Choice 2004 and Freedom of Choice).