29-30 August, the sixth European Days of Neighborliness took place near 835 border sign in the village of Krechiv and the city of Novovolynsk (Volyn Oblast) – Kryliv (Lublin Voivodeship). This year, they were held for the fist time on Ukraine’s western border, which lies through the Bug River. One bridge was specifically constructed for this event. It served as a temporary point for border-crossing by participants and guests of the celebration. The bridge, which united two banks of the Bug River, was constructed by military men from Demblin (Poland).
A number of events took place within the scope of the European Days of Neighborliness: Forum of Transborder Cooperation, Ecumenic Prayer, performances of Polish and Ukrainian creative groups, exhibitions and presentations of organizations, crafts fairs, master classes, a festival of sports culture and sports, a soccer match, knights tournaments, Transborder Fair, and integrational events for children and youth.
During the Forum of Transborder Cooperation, its participants (about 200 representatives of public organizations, entrepreneurs, bodies of local self-government, state authority, international institutions) discussed a present-day condition, difficulties and prospects for development of transborder cooperation, and shared their experience in conducting successful transborder projects. Special attention was drawn to the issue of implementation of the initiative of the Eastern Partnership in Ukraine, as well as to the importance of creation of new points for crossing the border and simplification of visa regime for Ukrainians.
The following persons participated in the Forum of Transborder Cooperation:
- Dirk Schuebel, Acting Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine
- Christian Kamill, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine in Poland, Deputy Head of Mission of Sweden in Ukraine
- Ambassadors of Sejm of the Republic of Poland
- Pavel Koval, Representative of the European Parliament
- Delegations from Lublin Voivodeship (voivode and marszalek), from Volyn Oblast (Deputy Head of Volyn Oblast State Administration and Volyn Oblast Council, delegations from the cities of Lutsk, Novovolynsk, Volodymyr-Volynskyi, Shatsk etc.), Lviv Oblast (Head of Administration of International Cooperation LODA, Lev Zakharchyshyn)
- Representatives of the diplomatic corps (Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Lviv, Grzegorz Opalinski; Consul General of Ukraine in Lublin, Oleh Horobenko; Consul of the Republic of Poland in Lutsk, Andrzej Kucharczyk; Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine, Bogdan Pankevich)
- Representatives of Internatial Foundations that supported the initiative of conducting of Days of Neighborliness (of the Renaissance Foundation and of Konrad Adenauer Foundation).
Kyryliv Declaration on Neighborliness was signed at the end of the Forum; the Declaration encourages for “uniting of efforts for the purpose of development of Ukrainian-Polish cooperation, in order to build open civil society on both sides of the border”.
The Ecumenic Prayer took place after lunch, with participation of hierarchs and clergy (Greek Catholics, Roman Catholics and Orthodox), as a strive for uniting, relieving people’s memory of the painful past, for the purpose of development of mutual understanding, neighborliness, unity, consent and well-being.
Obelisk with a message of Pope John Paul II was erected on the Kryliv Island. The message says the following: “It is necessary to destroy walls and overcome distrust, in order to jointly build harmonious and peaceful future.” The place, where this symbolic sign was erected, is located in the middle of the road between Pavlivka (Porytsk) in Ukraine (a place where Poles perished by the hands of Ukrainians) and Sagryn in Poland (a place where Ukrainians perished by the hands of Poles). According to the idea of father Stephan Batruch, the obelisk with the message of Pope John Paul II on the island in Kryliv “has to be an encouragement for overcoming distrust and for a search of that what unites us.”
At the end of the prayer, there took place a solemn ceremony of handing a statuette of Kapitula of Polish-Ukrainian uniting for two historians of young generation: Grzegorz Motyka and Ihor Illyushyn.
A concert “Border 835” became the culmination of the program of the European Days of Neighborliness. The following bands performed on the stage that was located directly near the border: Druga Rika, Orataniya, Out Cry, Zbih Obstavyn, and Ikebana. During the concert, within the scope of land art program – art on land – an installation, which was specifically prepared by Yaroslav Kozyara, was lighted on the Bug River. At the end, festive fireworks took place in the sky over Bug and the border.
“With the help of transborder events, communication and cooperation of a great number of different institutions become more active (bodies of local authority, entrepreneurs, public organizations, mass media, border and customs services, law-enforcement authorities etc.) and also possibilities for development of people-to-people contacts and for building long-term partnerships are being created. We hope that the model of running of the Days of Neighborliness will be adopted by local communities on both sides of the border. Since that, where exactly the European Days of Neighborliness-2010 will take place, depends to a great extent on that, where the will, belief and openness to practical implementation of the joint initiative is”, noted Olena Yaremko from the organizing committee.
Presidents of Poland and Ukraine sent their greeing letters to the participants of the European Days of Neighborliness on the Border 835. Lech Kaczynski wished for “the border between our peoples never to divide us anymore, but to unite us stronger and stronger”. While Viktor Yushchenko expressed his conviction that the European Days of Neighborliness are “an opportunity for better interactive learning and enhancement of partnership contacts between Ukraine and Poland.” The Head of the Committee of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on European Integration also sent his greeting letter. Borys Tarasyuk noted that “these very events open Ukraine for the united Europe and united Europe — for Ukraine. They build bridges between peoples, make us closer and more understandable for each other, help to overcome stereotypes and biases, and nurture respect to culture, language and traditions of each other.”
According to data of border services, August 29, more than five thousand people crossed the border in Krechov-Kryliv at the border sign 835. In total, about 8,000 Poles and Ukrainians became the participants of this year’s Days of Neighborliness. During the last week of August, 5,093 Internet users from 26 countries visited the Web site www.kordony.net. 100 mass media representatives from Poland and Ukraine were accredited for the event.
Organizers of the event are the following: Youth Public Organization “Academy of the Ukrainian Youth” (Lviv) together with the Foundation of Spiritual Culture of Border Territories (Lublin), under cooperation with Volyn Oblast Youth Public Organization “Association of Young Reformers (АМоРе)”, Volyn Oblast Organization “National Alliance” (Lutsk) and under support of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, State Border and Customs Service, Volyn and Lviv Oblast State Administrations, Lublin Marszalek Administration, Lublin Voivoideship, Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Poland, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Ukraine, Polish Institute in Kyiv, Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Lutsk, Consulate of Ukraine in Lublin, Novovolynsk City Council, Ivanychivsk Regional State Administration, Lviv City Council, Lutsk City Council, Hrubeshiv County, Mirce Gmina and a number of partner organizations and institutions (Center of Public Youth Organizations of Volyn “Nasha Sprava”, Kapitula of Award of Polish-Ukrainian uniting, Volyn Oblast Youth Public Organization “Center of Effective Communication”, Youth Public Organization “Perspektyva”, Volyn Institute named after V. Lypynsky of the International Academy of Personnel Management, NSUO “Plast”, Public Organization “Zhinky Bat’kivshchyny”, Greek Catholic parish in Novovolynsk, Volyn Oblast Youth Public Organization “Spalakh-ART”, Volyn Oblast Excursion and Methodological Center and Public Organization “Volyn Prospects”).
The European Days of Neighborliness take place under the financial support of the European Program of the International Renaissance Foundation and the Representative Office of Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Ukraine.
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Daryna Nakonechna, European Program Project Coordinator tel: +380 (44) 461 9500 | fax: +380 (44) 486 0166 email: nakonechna@irf.kiev.ua office: Kyiv, Bekhterevsky Lane, 13-a, room 5 |
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