World Youth Movement for Democracy
Essay Contest Eurasia Regional Winner
Daria Taradai
Ukraine
I
n a Swedish village, too small to be found on a map, an outdoor lecture was held with the theme, “Democracy in
Sweden.” We discussed a hypothetical situation: a few high-rise buildings have a children’s playground in the
courtyard - the only one in the neighborhood. City authorities refuse to provide its upkeep. They say, “There is no
money in the budget for this now,” which means the playground will soon be closed. What can local residents do,
especially since almost all of them have children who play there?
We, the Ukrainians, with no hesitation would begin planning a protest, as we have a more recent memory of
the mass protests at home. Pickets, posters, rallies and demonstrations.... In response to this, the Swedish lecturer told
us how this problem was resolved in his city: the people came together and made a cleaning schedule and provided
maintenance to the playground themselves. City authorities had no objection. The playground continued to bring joy
for local children and each individual family easily repaired or cleaned the playground monthly.
We were stunned silent. We felt ashamed. We are not accustomed to taking responsibility for our lives, but
instead have learned to demand it from the State, from the leadership, even from our parents. Our lecturer lucidly
demonstrated the difference between the Ukrainian and Swedish understanding of “democracy.” For our young
country, democracy is, first and foremost, formal manifestations such as the right to protest and criticize, for example,
since it was strictly forbidden in Soviet times. As starving people only wish to be fed, so do we focus on external
manifestations, ignoring the deeper issues.
Democracy the Ukrainian way
In our country, democracy is primarily associated with two concepts: freedom of elections and freedom of
speech.
The first one has managed to turn into a real farce. Electoral campaigns are not battles of different political
ideologies and ideas, but are instead battles dominated by public relations. Paradoxically, the problem is not that
Ukrainians are afraid of falsifications or that their voice will not be counted. After the 2004 elections, even an
inveterate pessimist believed our elections were democratic. There is no choice given. All candidates have long been
discredited either by staying in power too long or for working with the dishonest and corrupt. As a result - the
elections are perceived as a time to earn extra money or as a period of great deception, but not as an opportunity
to replace those in power. For a long time there were calls to make way for the young, those who did not grow up in
the communist reality, but it turned out that their methods are no better than the methods of those before them. Our
democratic youth transformed in a wonderful way, hardly realizing their own power.
Quite a different situation with freedom of speech
After 70 years of totalitarianism, we deeply valued freedom of speech at the beginning of the 1990s. We had
a breath of relief and began to live in this new reality. And already at the turn of the century, we want to have real
choices. With a vague anxiety, we began to feel what our history has already been: regulated information, full
control over the media, the disappearance of people. This was the apotheosis of the election campaign of 2004,
which can hardly be called democratic in any circumstance. Still, I am insanely proud of my country, which then
showed itself in all its glory in a peaceful, united protest on Independence Square which made an indelible impression
on us and the whole world. Do not call it the “Orange Revolution,” call it “Orange”. The two-word name was
discredited by our journalists, analysts, policy-makers, commentators, and by Russian ones too. A “pomaranch” in
Ukrainian is orange (the fruit), and our protest was the color of orange – bright and juicy. And it is true that we were
there in the frost and cold, not just for one of the candidates! No, we stood for the right to live in a democratic
country where everyone has the right to express his or her point of view. Of course, first young people came:
students, yesterday’s graduates, young professionals. Those who, “have seen this country out of a window of a
Boeing, flying to the West, but returned to build the West here.” Those who had a lot more to lose.
These were amazing days, carrying a feeling that we stand for truth, which gave such an emotional lift that
these feelings kept people warm on cold nights. And we had them. But the most important thing is that all this was
done in a peaceful, democratic way – without a drop of blood. Only now, years later, do we know how close the
country was to armed conflict in those days. But people on both sides of the barricades clearly understood one thing:
to allow that would be impossible.
We are proud of our Ukrainian freedom of speech. Sometimes we take this right to an extreme, but there is
nothing better than to feel proud to be a Ukrainian for this. People come to us, for example the Russians, and show
amazement that we do not have taboo subjects: neither for journalists nor for the humorists, for no one. We will
criticize the fact that we do not like something, but more acutely, we laugh about it. And this is a right we upheld in
November of 2004. I hope that once and for all, we will enjoy this.
“Initiative is punished”
“Democracy” in my country is a battered and hackneyed notion. It is at the same time a wonderful goal and
also a justification, or even a smoke screen, for the most unseemly behavior. But besides this, we don’t realize our
personal responsibility for it. Democracy for Ukrainians is associated with something that should come as instructed
above. There is no doubt that 70 years of Soviet Union rule were not in vain. Is it conceivable that even the noun
“initiative” we usually pair with gerund “punishable?” Thus, as if to emphasize, there is no room for initiative at all. But
is a democratic Ukraine possible with people who are afraid to be proactive? I can not imagine it is.
I do not wish to blame a Soviet fatherland that no longer exists for all the troubles of today. Although Soviet
leaders engaged in bloody politics, our country can be proud of its great scientific discoveries, its status as a space
power, an educated population, and a high level of industrial development. We cannot easily be classified with the
countries so disparagingly called “third world,” but we have forgotten what it means to be active, responsible, and
prudent for these 70 years. Of course there are several great inspiring exceptions of those who are not waiting for
help from the authorities, but who act themselves.
“I cannot stand for more of it”
Someone not indifferent and actually active finally stopped and said, “I do not want to leave my country, but
want to live and study here. If my state cannot give me that opportunity, then I’ll create it myself.” Soon after, the
country’s first Doctorate program opened. It has been open a year, and maybe in three years we will start seeing the
first holders of a Ukrainian PhD degree. The program’s founders were called madmen and adventurers, as were
those who dared to enter the program to get a degree that does not officially exist in Ukraine. Now the Ministry of
Education has great interest in the school’s direction: how it will be accountable to Kyiv in the next year, how the
introduction of the Bologna Process will go, and how useful the school will be as a demonstration facility. It no longer
matters how many sleepless nights a handful of activists endured for the creation of this school, searching for
sponsors, teachers, and the first class of students. It’s behind us, but it is important that they are willing and able to
continue.
I am grateful for the fact that in my country’s achievements and growth, democracy is used not only to satisfy
basic needs, but for much more. This shows, according to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, that we have almost
reached the top. We want to realize ourselves, to be competent and respected. And it is good for the whole
interconnected and globalized world that we do this. After all, if Ukraine becomes a prosperous state then it ceases
to be a consumer of international assistance, and in return it will begin to provide.
Epilogue
Democracy is diverse, and even more diverse are its manifestations. It is also complex and about more than just
formal appearances. Alas, it is not enough to write a constitution based on democratic principles – otherwise Ukraine
would long ago have reached the democratic process of the western European countries, and, even better,
Scandinavia. People need time to grow and become active and informed citizens. That is the real implementation of
democracy, to follow the democratic principles and respect the values, demanding to and from others. I am deeply
outraged by popular beliefs in some circles that regard the Russian people as needing authoritarian rulers, such as a
king-autocrat, because that belief is very often transferred onto Ukrainians. I am convinced that no one is destined
for slavery or for inequality. Everyone has the right and potential to be a worthy citizen of a democratic society.
Post-Soviet countries have developed a mentality that democracy is associated especially with young people,
and older people are more and more nostalgic about the times of the Soviet Union. However, I believe in the young
and the brave. I want us to pardon them for all of the mistakes from before and understand: only “they” do nothing.
We need not “they,” but “we.” This is “my” democracy.
English translation provided by the World Youth Movement for Democracy.