A few days ago our compatriot Mykhailo Nakhod, deputy head of the executive committee of the Volyn regional organization of the "People's Union Our Ukraine" party, head of the Center for Political Analysis and Electoral Consulting, returned from Strasbourg. This time he brought to Volyn a Council of Europe certificate and a diploma certifying completion of the Ukrainian School of Political Studies, whose final stage took place in France in the city of Strasbourg, which is known to the world as a kind of capital of Europe, a city in which the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights operate. Mykhailo is not taking part in training under international programs for the first time. Previously, he was a participant in prestigious internship and exchange programs in the USA and Great Britain.
It is worth noting that Mykhailo Nakhod became one of the first 32 graduates of the Ukrainian School of Political Studies. From July 10 to 14, the first Summer University of Democracy took place in Strasbourg – one of the main events of the Council of Europe in 2006. It gathered about 500 participants – this year's graduates of schools of political studies from 11 European states, including a delegation of the Ukrainian School of Political Studies.
The event was attended by: the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Director General for Political Affairs of the Council of Europe, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Russian Federation, the former President of Slovenia, the former Prime Minister of Canada and other distinguished guests.
This is the first event of such scale held by the Council of Europe in the context of supporting the activities of the network of schools of political studies.
The ancient city of Strasbourg gathered more than 500 young successful politicians, civil servants, lawyers, journalists, public and academic figures, businesspeople who are students of national schools of political studies operating in 11 European states.
The Ukrainian delegation consisted of young people who have already achieved significant professional and public success, people ready to respond to the newest challenges facing Ukrainian society, people who, in the course of participating in the Ukrainian School of Political Studies, began substantive work on the problem of forming a modern Ukrainian European national idea. These are people who head law firms and television channels, run cities and scientific projects, work in state authorities and head public organizations, teach at universities and develop the Ukrainian economy.
As the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Terry Davis, noted during the work of the Summer University of Democracy: "Since their creation, the schools of political studies have taught people who dare to think, dare to know, dare to speak and dare to act in the interests of democracy, human rights and the rule of law."
According to Mykhailo Nakhod, the Ukrainian delegation is ready to put the acquired experience into practice, because Ukraine is needed and welcome in Europe. "Europe is not a geographical concept, but a mental concept. A number of well-known politicians and public figures who spoke from the rostrum of the Council of Europe noted that they want all countries that share European values to enter Europe not on paper, but mentally." "I would like Lutsk to become a window to Europe; many factors contribute to this. Today our primary task is to promote the strengthening of the role of local self-government in building civil society and Ukraine as a whole," noted Mykhailo Nakhod. In order to coordinate activities and translate the acquired experience into projects and implement valuable ideas, our delegation decided to establish the Alumni Club of the Ukrainian School of Political Studies.
USPS is the most successful project of this kind; I think that among the Ukrainian participants there is more than one future deputy and minister, therefore our joint work in the future will become a significant factor in the state-building of Ukraine."