Young reformers not only “save” willows, but also involve young people in civic activity for the benefit of their native city - a response to an article in the newspaper “Volyn”

In issue 75 (dated July 10, 2007) of the newspaper "Volyn-nova," an article titled "How Young Reformers 'Saved' the Willows..." was published, authored by Vasyl Dorosh. In our opinion, the author of this article did not approach the topic of the activities of the Volyn Oblast Youth Public Organization "Association of Young Reformers (AMoRe)" entirely objectively and presented some facts in a distorted light. This, in turn, affects the honor and good name of our organization. We have always maintained the position that journalists should approach the description of any facts critically, and therefore we have always welcomed an objective view from journalists. But at the same time, we have always been in favor of the Volyn newspapers writing "the truth." In addition, Mr. Dorosh did not pay attention to the format of the television program in which the central guests were advisers to the city mayor, not representatives of AMoRe. Therefore, there was neither the time nor the opportunity to convey to Lutsk residents information about the entire activities of our organization. So let us briefly remind the author of the article and all Volyn residents what the young reformers do. The Volyn Oblast Youth Public Organization "Association of Young Reformers (AMoRe)" - is a voluntary youth public organization that unites young people who adhere to a reformist worldview and wish to work toward the implementation of the tasks and goals defined by the Statute. Founded on 19.04.1999. Registered by the Volyn Oblast Department of Justice on 13.08.1999 - certificate No. 276. The main goal of AMoRe's activity is to involve young people in participation in public life, to promote positive transformations in our society, the deepening of democracy, the development of a market economy, the advocacy and implementation of reforms in the economic, environmental and social spheres, and the satisfaction and protection of the legitimate interests of its members. During its existence, the organization has implemented many good initiatives and projects. All of them concerned local issues or problems. Let us list just a few of them (if desired, we can tell Mr. Dorosh in more detail about our activities). It should be recalled that it was specifically representatives of the "Association of Young Reformers" who were among the initiators and implementers of such city-wide projects as "Avenue of Entertainment" and "Student of the Year." Members of the organization repeatedly participated in city pre-Easter community clean-up events and conducted environmental actions. In particular, in April 2005, for Environment Day, AMoRe members together with ecology students of LDTU conducted an action to clean up the area around the Zhyduvka River. In spring 2002, AMoRe initiated before the Lutsk city authorities the issue of banning vehicular traffic on Lesi Ukrainky Street and installing posts on this street that blocked the road, and in summer 2003, AMoRe initiated and conducted the collection of signatures under an appeal to the Lutsk city mayor for the protection of the willows in the city center. Let us add that at that time many Lutsk residents came out in defense of the willows. Besides our organization, KhDMU also participated in this initiative. It was the volunteers of these organizations who collected 733 signatures of Lutsk residents on Teatralnyi Maidan and, through city council deputy A.P. Sosnovskyi, sent them to the then city authorities. As a result of the joint efforts of all active Lutsk residents, a positive result was achieved. Among other successful initiatives, let us note: the initiative to create the Lutsk Youth Council - a youth advisory body under the Lutsk City Council and Executive Committee - and direct participation in the process of organizational development and elections to the LYC; holding at the end of 2003, together with a number of partner organizations, a training seminar for youth "How to Start a Political Career?" and a training seminar for the Debate game and a series of games within the framework of the project "Intellectual Game 'Youth Debates'". Among AMoRe's socially oriented projects: together with the Volyn Fund of Mercy and Health, on the eve of the Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord, for three years (2004-2006) it conducted the charitable action "Easter in Every Home"; in 2006 and 2007, the "Association of Young Reformers," as a regional partner of the All-Ukrainian Charitable Fund "Heart to Heart," twice conducted in the city of Lutsk a charitable action called "Let Everyone Hear". The organization also actively demonstrated its position during the events of the "Orange Revolution": AMoRe acted as one of the co-organizers of the creation of the Volyn Student Strike Committee. Today our organization works in several priority areas: 1. Involving youth in participation in public life: - April-December 2007, project "School 'Lutsk Public Asset'"; - August-September 2007, project "Youth School of Municipal Governance." 2. Development and strengthening of student self-governance institutions: - in May 2004, a Meeting of the active members of student self-governance of higher education institutions of the city of Lutsk was held; - since 2005, AMoRe representatives have been participating in the activities of the All-Ukrainian Student Council under the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. 3. Conducting monitoring and observation of electoral processes: - in spring 2002, the program "Fair Elections" was implemented in Volyn; - in winter 2004, the project "Fair Elections" was implemented in Turiisk Raion; - in autumn 2004, AMoRe was the representative of the All-Ukrainian Civic Initiative "I KNOW!" in Volyn; - in spring 2006, AMoRe members worked as trainers on electoral legislation in Rivne and Lviv oblasts within the framework of the project "Training of Members of Election Commissions and Observers for the 2006 Elections", implemented by the "Elections and Political Processes" Project and the CEC. 4. Involving citizens in the decision-making process at the local level: - from January to April 2005, a Ukrainian-Polish project "I Know What I Should Know; I Know How to Find Out About It; I Know Where I Will Find Out About It" was implemented in the city of Lutsk, within the framework of which a Public Information Center (PIC) operated under the Lutsk City Executive Committee. - from November 2005 to March 2006, in partnership with another NGO, the project "Analysis of the Effectiveness of the Activities of the Deputy Corps of the Lutsk City Council in the Context of the 2006 Election Campaign" was implemented; - from June to July 2007, in partnership with other NGOs, the project "Analysis of Work with Voters by Deputies and Factions of the Lutsk City Council in the Period After the 2006 Elections" is being implemented. This is part of the events and projects that the "Association of Young Reformers" has implemented or is currently carrying out. And these are only the names of the initiatives, because about each of them one could tell many interesting things. Of course, the organization's activities are not ideal. But despite everything, we have something to be proud of and something to tell about. We do not claim the laurels of the best or other praise. We engage in public activity because we feel a civic duty to act, to improve our society. And we will continue to do so, regardless of who says or writes what about us. I will note personally that when it comes to "state youth programs," what is meant is not at all the activities of youth public organizations. It is important that everyone understands this correctly and does not distort the facts. Therefore, the answers of viewers of TRK "Avers" in the program mentioned by Mr. Dorosh cannot in any way be correlated with the work of public organizations in our oblast.

Mykhailo Shelep, Head of the Volyn Oblast Youth Public Organization "Association of Young Reformers (AMoRe)" Lutsk, Kovel Street, 2, room 6 (4th floor), tel. (0332) 78-82-89, e-mail: amore.volyn@gmail.com

a letter with a request to publish this article in response in the newspaper has been sent to the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Volyn-nova," Sachuk S.D. we await the result...