We stand with Ukraine
One year ago, Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine started as a coldly calculated act of aggression.
Despite the humanitarian and political consequences, the Russian regime is attacking the shared values and security framework that has underpinned Europe’s longest peace and prosperity since 1945.
It cynically undermines European political and state rationality with absurd arguments, bizarre historical analogies, and extreme threats. Europe shows its solidarity with Ukraine and its people in this bloody tragedy by providing rapid and unbureaucratic aid and support.
The Ukrainian civil society is on the frontlines of international armed conflict, providing essential services to the population. The Ukrainian civil society is resilient and has helped democratise the country, but wartime threatens its ability to provide relief and monitor human rights violations.
The civil society in Germany can play an important role in supporting the Ukrainian civil society, by offering education and training programs, especially in areas like human rights, democracy, and civil society development. This can help build capacity and promote greater civic engagement in Ukraine after the end of the war.
Elbarlament, together with the other members of the European Partnership of Democracy (EPD) have come together to call on EU institutions and European governments to respond to the war by developing strategic approaches to supporting democracy globally in the long term.
Following this call, elbarlament has started the project “Democracy moves!” for Ukrainian refugee women in Germany.
From September 2022 to January 2023, “Democracy Moves!” offered workshops on personal development, the German political system, and political participation opportunities in Germany to three groups of refugee Ukrainian women.
That way, the participating women learned about the German political system’s underlying principles, such as transparency, the rule of law, human rights, women’s rights, freedom of the media as well as the separation of powers.
One highlight of the project was a meeting with members of the German Bundestag, as a result of which several parliamentarians have agreed to offer internships.
Another special event was the opportunity of meeting up with Ukrainian and German organisations such as Kyiv Talks, Alliance of Ukrainian Organisations, ECCHR, to exchange ideas and network.
Elbarlament’s “Democracy Moves!” participants now have a much more solid starting point for future socio-political engagement in Germany, in Ukraine and beyond.
Elbarlament stands with Ukraine.