Kyiv, December 18, 2014. The Ukrainian independent project, “We have always felt your support,” was presented to fifty-seven foreign ministers of the OSCE states. The initiative is a successor to the “UN Hundred” project, which personally called upon world leaders to support Ukraine in this difficult time. This was stated by the UCMC board member Gennadiy Kurochka, civic activist Yulia Marushevska, and Ukraine’s ambassador-at-large Dmytro Kuleba at Ukraine Crisis Media Center today.
The project “We have always felt your support” was recently presented to the foreign ministers of the member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Each of the foreign ministers was presented with a picture of their own face among protesters participating during EuroMaidan last year. Kurochka says that the response of foreign leaders was very positive to the project. “Their emotions were very positive,” he said. The project is designed as an awareness campaign that seeks to make foreign policymakers aware of the plights of everyday Ukrainians toward fair and transparent governance. Marushevska believes that small, private initiatives such as this can actually make a big impact on people. “Human steps and human relations matter,” she stated.
Ambassador-at-large Kuleba said that he is very pleased with the results of the project and the reactions of foreign leaders. Such initiatives are worthwhile because they increase awareness of contemporary events, especially among policy makers. Kuleba is especially enthusiastic about the potential of cooperation between the state and civil society when it comes to important issues such as increasing awareness of Ukraine abroad. “We believe that the synergy of the state and non-governmental institutions will achieve the maximum result,” stated Kuleba. He believes that the Ukrainian government should be open to activists and private actors who wish to contribute their expertise and skills.
