IU has role in spreading democracy in Ukraine

Fifteen years ago, Charles Wise, a professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, answered a request from the Ukrainian government to teach it how democratic governments operate. That research led Wise to create a nation-building project for now-democratic Ukraine, a country of 49 million people.\nLast week, the Parliamentary Development Project at IU received a $500,000 cooperative agreement to further strengthen the Ukrainian government. The U.S. Agency for International Development awarded the grant, which follows a $4.98 million agreement from 2003.\nA staff of 25 IU graduate and doctorate students, professors, professional staff members and consultants are involved with the project, which works to strengthen Ukraine's developing democratic government. \nUkraine gained its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991 and adopted its constitution in 1996. During last year's Orange Revolution, Ukrainians protested against a corrupt government and expressed a desire to strengthen the parliament.\nThough Ukraine is shifting toward a more democratic government, the University became involved with the country when it was still part of the Soviet Union. \nIn 1990, the Republic of Ukraine was given permission to hold its first contested elections. Those elected opposed the communist rule and asked to visit the United States to learn about democratic governments, Wise said. \nWith the help of a grant from the U.S. Information Agency, Wise brought 13 of these Ukrainian delegates to Bloomington, Indianapolis and Washington. The parliament members talked with IU students and faculty, members of the Indiana General Assembly and members of the U.S. Congress, Wise said.\nUkraine's desire for help prompted Wise to apply to the Agency of International Development for support of the PDP, he said. The agency also finances projects for countries in the former Soviet Union, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.\nThe PDP officially began in 1994 and has gained support from Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar. The senator was unavailable for comment, but his deputy press secretary Mark Hayes said Lugar believes Ukraine's security and democracy is of interest to the United States.\nGraduate student and full-time PDP staff member Rob Christensen said Ukraine's new president Victor Yushchenko wants closer ties with the European Union. The country's large population would make it the fourth largest country in the European Union, meaning Ukraine has the potential to provide economic opportunities for the United States, Wise said.\n"This would open economic development and make Ukraine a more equal trade partner with European countries," Christensen said.\nThough the 2004 elections built a good foundation for democracy, Ukraine's future is not yet assured, Christensen said. \n"It's continually in question and dependent on the steps they take now," he said, noting that Ukraine still needs a stronger system of laws and better ways to fight crime and corruption effectively.\nThis isn't the first time IU has helped emerging democracies. The Russian and East European Institute has had research and teaching experience with the area for a long time, Wise said. \nWise brings his own set of expertise to the development project. Aside from writing a book about legislative procedure in Congress, he has also worked for the Office of Legislative Affairs of the U.S. Department of Justice as a special assistant for policy analysis. \nExperts from the United States and foreign countries have also aided with the project, Wise said.\nThe Bloomington staff teaches the Ukrainian parliament how other countries operate by writing analyses about the governments because Ukraine had to start from scratch once it became independent from the former Soviet Union. \nThe transition process from communism to democracy is difficult for the Ukrainians because communism is all they knew, said Jenny Montgomery, a SPEA graduate student and PDP staff member. \nPeople were always provided for under communist rule, but democracy makes people work for things. Many Ukrainians are in poverty, causing some of them to think communism wasn't so bad, she said. \nMontgomery has written an analysis comparing several democratic parliament press offices. Past analyses include civic engagement and law enforcement, she said.\nOnce completed, the analysis is sent to Kiev, where it's translated and given to Ukraine's parliament. The officials take bits and pieces from the different democratic countries' government structure and create their own, Montgomery said.\nThe staff also educates Ukrainians about their government by organizing public committee hearings and making the government's Web site more user-friendly, said assistant field director in Ukraine, Edward Rakhinkulov.\nRakhinkulov became involved with the PDP as a research assistant in 1997. At the time, he was a Master's student at IU from Ukraine who had worked with its parliament for two years.\nThroughout his time with the PDP, Rakhinkulov has seen Ukraine's economy become more liberal, which let people buy more with their salaries, he said. Rakhinkulov has also witnessed the freeing of the Ukrainian media and political change in last year's elections.\n"It's definitely exciting to think that what I'm working on will help a country democratize," Montgomery said.