The Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies will host Viktor Yushchenko, president of Ukraine from 2005-10, for the lecture, “Shades of Orange: A Decade of Ukrainian Democracy,” at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Rackham Amphitheatre.
Yushchenko came to office as the result of the 2004 Orange Revolution, which brought millions of Ukrainians to the streets for weeks to demand freedom, justice and rule of law. His presidential term saw free, transparent and fair elections; media freedom; reduced government debt; growth in foreign investment; and consistent efforts to integrate Ukraine into global economic institutions and the Euro-Atlantic community.
A decade after, there is an ongoing struggle for Ukraine to remain on the path to democracy amid difficult political conflicts. “The Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies focuses on the conditions under which democracies can flourish — and as a critical player in the Orange Revolution and beyond, President Yushchenko will offer a unique perspective on the challenges of building democratic governments, ” says Anna Grzymala-Busse, Weiser Center director.
Yushchenko’s lecture is the feature event marking the fifth anniversary of the WCEE and WCED. The event is sponsored by the WCED; Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies; Slavic Languages and Literatures; LSA; International Institute; Rackham Graduate School; and the Ukrainian Future Credit Union.
