“Democracy is not only your rights, but also your duty — to build, defend, and care for your country”. Oleksandra Romantsova at the First European Forum for Democracy in Italy
12–14 September, the “First European Forum for Democracy” took place on the island of Ventotene, with Oleksandra Romantsova, Executive Director of the Center for Civil Liberties, among the participants. Over several days, distinguished guests—including Nobel Peace and Sakharov Prize laureates, intellectuals, activists, and civil society leaders—engaged in dialogues, debates, and other constructive events, aiming not only to discuss issues of global significance but also to lay the foundations for collective and sustainable initiatives.
This year’s forum focused on uniting, reflecting, and finding solutions to establish peace and justice, at a time when Europe is experiencing unprecedented geopolitical tension
The choice of venue was no coincidence. It was on this very island that, in the 20th century, the Ventotene Manifesto was signed—a declaration that became the foundation for the movement toward a free and united Europe, based on democracy, solidarity, and peace. To this day, it is considered one of the seminal texts of the European Union. Oleksandra Romantsova had the honor of visiting this historic site and speaking as part of the forum’s discussions.
«For me, 2014 was completely unexpected. . Specifically, it was the way people in Ukraine responded to the utterly brutal and rather straightforward aggression of the Russian Federation. This is not a complex conflict like, for instance, in the Middle East, where for roughly 70 years people have inflicted terrible acts upon one another. Ukraine never did anything against Russia. We have always helped, always welcomed, and have always been open to friendship or good neighborly relations. Yet Russia brought war into our lives. And it began with the occupation of Donbas in 2014.»
Back then, we realized that we had the motivation and energy to fight, even without an army. At that time, we even had more internal strength. Today, we have a fully functional army staffed with talented individuals. Many of those now serving in the military were once teachers, tax officers, even ballet dancers. Now, they are professional soldiers with incredible motivation—because it is the motivation to protect their lives and the possibility of being with their people in the future. It is the strength to take responsibility for one’s own country and not surrender it to Putin and his system. We have seen what has happened to the Russian population. We do not want to be puppets. We want to be democratic forces building our own state,” emphasized Oleksandra Romantsova during her speech.
