6-9 April, 5th Assembly of World Movement for Democracy took place in Ukraine.

This project has been existed for 9 years and actively steps forward for strengthening of democratic principles all over the world. The previous convention of Assembly passed in India, Brazil, South Africa and Turkey.

The latest political events in Ukraine are of big interest from international society including many democratic organizations and institutes. For such short period Ukraine made a huge step from declaration of democratic values to its real application. That’s why Kiev was chosen as the place for the next gathering of the Assembly not accidently. Such big occurrence is the first one not only for Ukraine but for the whole post-Soviet region.

During three days of working meeting Assembly’s participants, among which were famous politicians, journalists, leaders of democratic centers and business associations, young activities for right human defense have been discussed important questions of democratic reforms. More than 40 international organizations took part in the work of Assembly, including

the American Center for International Labor Solidarity (ACILS)
the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
the International Republican Institute (IRI)
the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI).

The main goals which were raised on this-year Assembly are:
to support and strength democratic reforms in developing countries, activate citizens in discussion, social and political making-decision in their countries, work out practical recommendations on democratic developing and defense; improve the role of democratic institutions such as independent judging, effective legislature, creation free access to information channels, consider the near-future perspectives of World Movement for democracy.

“We strive for people to understand the importance of democracy in all regions of the world. And we are going to convene it here to raise self-descriptiveness and its perception in this country, in this region. First of all it deals with huge democratic achievement in your country”, said Art Kaufman, Director World Movement for Democracy.

The opening ceremony on April, 6 was visited by Ekaterina Yuchshenko, first lady of Ukraine who briefly spoke about the history of Ukrainian democracy and political situation in the country nowadays. 
The special invited guests on Assembly were William Teylor, Ambassador of the USA in Ukraine,  Maina Kiai, Head of the National Commission on Human Rights in Kenya, Alejandro Toledo, ex-president of Peru, Miroslava Gongadze, journalist, correspondent of the Washingtonian bureau of “Freedom Radio”, Inna Pidlus'ka, president of public organization «Fund Europe of XXI», Ukrainian local partner of Assembly.

Plenary chair of April, 7 was opened by Victor Yushchenko. He declared that basic foreign-policy and economic priority remained unchanging: «EU-Atlantic integration and introduction in Ukraine the system of the European democratic values». Also President acquainted participants with draft of agreement «Ukraine-EU», its basic issues.

Closing of Assembly was crowned handing of World Movement rewards «For a democratic courage» to Pakistan activists, journalists of Somali and monks from Burma, which showed an extraordinary courage in a fight for freedom and democracy. The democratic spirit of Assembly was supported during closing dinner by live music of the famous Ukrainian band Madheads.

Our company, Arena Conferences and Seminars, began working on specific project draft long before its holding. Successful realization of such scale event, certainly, requires the special preparation, experience and creative skills of conference-managers of the company. Being the logistic link of the event and taking responsibilities for all organizational moments,  company’s work on the holding of Assembly consisted of the followings stages:

I – clear definitions of the aims and tasks:

1. finding out all essential goals
2. building clear structure of tasks
3. planning the budget
4. working out scenario of the event

II – precise describing the tasks and their preparation:

1. searching appropriate conference space to hold event
2. technical equipping
3. venue decoration
4. producing presentation materials
5. involving additional staff (project assistants, interpreters, engineers and others)
6. catering services
7. insurance
8. transportation
9. airport “meet&greet”
10. hotel accommodations
11. insensitive and other business meeting
12. excursion and entertainment

III – tasks realization:

1. coordination of the event
2. analysis of every stage and event in general

One of the most important moments in preparation was persevering work with the sub-contractors of the event. It was necessary to be sure whether services offered on words respond to actual matter of facts and that it’s exactly what we need.

Here some specific features can be emphasized in preparation and holding 5th Assembly of World Movement for Democracy.

First of all, the large scale of project. The quantity of participants was 600 persons. Yes, someone can say – not so many. But Assemblies’ participant came from all continents. About 150 countries of the World were presented at the conference. In airport Borispol was set 24h «manager on duty» on meet&greet of guests. Plenty of trips, its delay or cancellation at all, problems with luggage… all these points made us to be patient and attentive to every guest and any request. Besides, many participants had no visa support because of absence in their country of Ukrainian representative office and they had to go transit state before Ukraine. Therefore all of them had a trip to Ukraine lasted not a one day.

One more detail of the conference deserves a special emphasis – its technical complication. The key hallmark in  searching the conference venue was not so visual appeal and functionality, but the carrying capacity of hall - to house such enormous quantity of people with possibility of working on the plenary meetings and separate workshops simultaneously. The ideal place served Ukrainian House (one of the biggest exhibition center in Kyiv). Its four floors allowed us to clear lay out: who?  where? when?

There were collected numerous technical facilities for the Assembly: plenty of presentation facilities for visual and verbal introduction of information, equipment for simultaneous translation, because of the 6 working languages during the conference, additional devices for effective and trouble-free work. The total quantity of interpreters in general was up to 50 persons (!!!). The Ukrainian House was provided by high-speed WI-FI–access to the global network and high-tech technologies especially during the work of Assembly, it gave the opportunity to all participants to realize their presentations on-line.

The large hall of the plenary meeting (housed 500 persons), 7 separated conference halls for workshops; democracy fair with presented materials and reports of more than 30 regional democratic organizations; the room where participants could present their documentary works; internet-cafe with 10 stationary computers for the free use, educational computer class for those people whose level of computer knowledge is not enough – everything worked during the Assembly.

All these Assemblies’ discussions were accompanied by providing food and beverage for participants: coffee-breaks separately for each all workings halls, lunches and dinners every day and also closing banquet for 600 persons.

However in spite of all possible difficulties, Assembly was held successfully, and its organization was executed professionally. During the following days we were proudly receiving gratitude from participants for the work well-done.

Iryna Burun,
Project Manager