\n\tThe Ukrainians are commemorating the events which took place in Kyiv exactly two years ago: the pinnacle of the Revolution of Dignity (also known as Euromaidan), bloodshed and deaths of more than a hundred of peaceful protesters.
\n\tPeople in Ukraine first came out onto the streets when it became public that then-President Viktor Yanukovych failed to sign the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. A week later, after a violent crackdown on protesters, the uprising spread nationwide. Real Revolution of Dignity started when fundamental rights to assembly and freedom of expression were violated by the regime of former President.
\n\tIf you ask an average Ukrainian what Euromaidan was about, they would say it was about human rights, fighting corruption, and accountability of the government. It was not about the membership in the European Union. It was about Ukraine's European dream, if by «European» you mean democracy and rule of law.
\n\tRevolution of Dignity might seem to be a thing of the past, yet the struggle continues not on the streets but in governmental institutions. Ukrainians desperately need the Association agreement that will provide a crucial roadmap for implementation of high standards of public policy. This is what so many Ukrainians sacrificed their lives for. Ukraine is able to fight corruption, defend human rights and modernize economy without the Association Agreement, but with it the transformation of Ukrainian economy and society will go faster and much more effectively.
\n\tAssociation Agreement was signed not because it was imposed by Brussels and European Union. It was signed because Ukrainian people had the courage to go onto the streets and defend their demands for three long months of winter.
\n\tOn April 6, 2016 the Netherlands will hold the referendum on the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. For the Association Agreement to come in force, there is just one step left – voting «Yes» at the referendum in the Netherlands.
\n\tAllow us our future.<\/p>\n
\n\t \n\tThe Ukrainians are commemorating the events which took place in Kyiv exactly two years ago: the pinnacle of the Revolution of Dignity (also known as Euromaidan), bloodshed and deaths of more than a hundred of peaceful protesters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"authors":[178],"source":[],"class_list":["post-9868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bez-kategoriyi","authors-cplr"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n\tAlyona Getmanchuk, Director, Think Tank “Institute of World Policy”
\n\tIryna Bekeshkina, Director, Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiative Foundation
\n\tIhor Koliushko, Head of the Board, Centre of Policy and Legal Reform
\n\tOleh Rybachuk , Head, NGO “Centre UA”
\n\tOleksii Khmara, Executive Director, Transparency International Ukraine
\n\tYevhen Fedchenko, Co-Founder and Director, StopFake
\n\tSergiy Sydorenko, Editor, NGO “European Pravda”
\n\tBogdan Globa, Executive Director, LGBT organization “Tochka Opory” | Fulcrum
\n\tAlya Shandra, Managing Editor, Euromaidan Press
\n\tOleksandra Matviychuk, Head of the Board, Center for Civil Liberties
\n\tAnna Golubovska-Onisimova, Chair of the Board, Ukrainian Environmental Non-governmental Organization “MAMA-86”
\n\tOleksiy Matsuka, Head of the Board, NGO “Donetsk Institute of Information”<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"