“Volunteers, civil activists, deputies and everybody who donated small amounts of money – all those people inspire us for further efforts,” Bartosz Kramek, the Head of Council of the Foundation commented.
“We wouldn’t have gathered this million without those who supported us. Numbers prove that our activities are important,” added Natalia Panchenko, the Head of Euromaidan in Warsaw.
During the last year, 1 003 092, 69 Zloty (around $300 000) had been gathered with the help of public fundraising, money transfers and donations from firms and institutions. Thanks to that, the Foundation has sent 1902 personal protective equipment items (bulletproof vests, helmets, thermographic cameras, etc.)and 35 tons of humanitarian aid. 23 members of families of the wounded soldiers were invited to Poland. Up to 500 psychological consultations have been given to immigrants and refugees.
The Open Dialog Foundation has been sending observatory missions to Maidan and to the regions. Information gathered there is distributed in the foreign media. Concerts, meetings and exhibitions dedicated to Ukraine were held in the center for Ukrainians, Ukrainski Swiat. The biggest concert gathered the audience up to 500 000 people. The cooperation with MFA of 9 European countries and the US has been established. Recommendations of the ODF experts was considered in 5 resolutions of the European Parliament.
“From the very beginning, The Open Dialog Foundation has been helping us understand the European experience of lustration. They have been a great inspiration to us on the road to changes. You can’t even imagine how well the Poles are treated in Ukraine now. If you put on a white and red Polish flag on our Maidan, it will be considered as if you wore a t-shirt that says ‘Friend,'” commented Natali Panchenko.
[hr]Note. The Open Dialog Foundation was established on the initiative of Lyudmyla Kozlovska (currently the President of the Foundation) in Poland in 2009. The Foundation was set up on the basis of experiences gained and contacts developed during the period of the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004 and thereafter, through international activities and cooperation with Ukrainian student organisations and citizens’ movements.
