Electoral fraud, media censorship and administrative pressure were common in the 2002 parliamentary elections. Recognising that they were likely to feature even more heavily in the presidential elections, WFD supported a series of activities to help build the capacity of democratic youth organisations to campaign for a free and fair electoral process. The project also sought to create synergies between the various organisations campaigning for democratic reform in Ukraine.
The aim of the project was to encourage people to use their civic and political rights to bring about change in their region, and in Ukraine as a whole. Three sets of seminars took place, involving student activists, NGO leaders and independent journalists. The project finished with a follow-up training session on advanced campaign management topics for regional team leaders with exceptional organisational abilities.
An important contribution was made to ensuring free and fair elections by preparing activists with the skills to educate voters on their rights in preparation for the 2004 presidential election.
For more information on our work in Ukraine, please contact Alex.Romaniuc@wfd.org