The Center for European Neighborhood Studies in cooperation with the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation cordially invite you to the roundtable discussion "Frontiers of Democracy: How to support democratic transition in Ukraine?"

Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel (22 Yaroslaviv Val Street, 01054 Kyiv)

Date: January 25 (Wednesday), 2017

Language: English, with simultaneous translation to Ukrainian

Program in Engish: http://bit.ly/2kiyOeq

Program in Ukrainian: http://bit.ly/2jgEXKx

Register by January 23 (Monday) at Ms. Zsuzsanna Végh (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or through our online registration form here: http://bit.ly/2jqfI8Q

Democratization is a complex process that entails critical choices of new legislative and institutional frameworks, but that should also trigger citizens’ engagement and a change in mentality that reflects their attachment to the new system. Embedding democratic values in a pre-existing belief system marred by features of mistrust, fear and corruption created by totalitarian communist regimes and the hardships of transition is a difficult task that can hardly be achieved solely through institutional crafting. To promote active citizenship, transparency, accountability, tolerance and equality in a transforming society, a wider toolkit is necessary: the role of political socialization and civic education including through civic initiatives are essential, while the supporting potential of free media cannot be underestimated. Visegrad countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) have long portrayed themselves as “democracy’s new champions”, who, thanks to their own transition, have a unique set of experience that can support the transition of countries on a similar path, like Ukraine. 

But can the Visegrad countries really offer lessons for embedding democratic values that are useful for Ukraine? Does the know-how on offer match Ukrainian needs? Can the Visegrad civil societies showcase successful initiatives that can serve as an inspiration for Ukraine at a time when we see the signs of democratic rollback in Central Europe? How can democratization be effectively supported in Ukraine?

This roundtable and book launch seeks to provide answers to the above questions and concludes the discussion series organized in the framework of the project “Frontiers of Democracy: Embedding Democratic Values in Moldova and Ukraine” supported by the International Visegrad Fund.

For more information, visit CEU website: http://bit.ly/2jVN7cD