Eleven years of independence

    Democratic, political, economic and legal reforms are closely connected and extremely significant for New Independent States. Democratic reform steps since the end of 80-s have initiated social transformations in our countries and become the base of the changes. But political stability is impossible without sufficient level of people's welfare and this one is due primarily to economic reform. That is why democratic and economic transformations are inseparable on the way to civil society. Moreover, they effect each other mutually. Therefore with the transformation of the economic and political systems in New Independent States there is a pressing need in the public sector to lead the process of change and restructuring in a new economic and political environment. Establishing of this new public sector is complex and demanding. It requires that decision-makers in the public sector understand and be able to apply the skills and concepts of management and policy.
    In Central-Eastern Europe democratic movements had in 80-s suggested "self-organizing" strategy, based first of all on changes "from roots". This strategy promoted reappraisal of social values and local organizations (experiencing a long-time pressure from the Party and state system) activity. 1989 events founded social bases for Central-Eastern Europe public structures origin and extension. Democratic governments began transition to free-market oriented economy and conditions for democracy building providing. But in time many people both on the West and on the East discover that free market and free elections are not sufficient for stable and healthy democratic society construction. While market economy may be effective for consumer goods and services production, it's naturally limited as mechanism corresponding to people's and social needs. On the contrary, people may not rely on the government for vital interests providing such as ecology, civil rights, social well being. So, it's clear, business and governmental sector should be added with effective 3rd sector, i.e. non-profit organizations, for 3-side balanced and social-oriented development.
    Recognized is civil society structure as a triangle with equal sides corresponding to state, private and public (nonprofit) sectors. These 3 sectors equalize society, make it effective and promote general welfare and personal development. The legal state existence is impossible without effective public sector. Many politicians affirms that become recently free from communist ideology countries progressive movement depends strongly on more flexible and effective deep-rooted organizations and institutions between citizen and state network creation. In Central-Eastern Europe non-profit sector is interpreted as integral part of born civil society. Eastern Europe non-profit organizations are important alternative or partner with state, securing public property against desolation. The communist past made high-centralized bureaucracy, very non-flexible, that didn't meet needs of whole society and its citizens particularly. Even now, after communism collapse, Central-Eastern and Eastern Europe citizens lose their hope on political parties, state or parliament are able to resolve their current problems. Many people mark: political leaders and parties seek to separate from small local groups, which need concrete broad connections for organizing and their interests defence. As they underline, a great gulf is now arising between political elite and society, it leads to broad public regards politics as obscure play and different parliament machinations.
    Right now, when our region have run into crash of illusions and expectations, the barest necessity for autonomous and non-profit organizations is evident. At this social transformations stage community has historic chance to establish primary democratic values and institutions. Many Central-Eastern Europe and Western observers notify, that this region states need from 10 to 20 years to become "stable democracies". But experience of Yugoslavia, Slovakia, Eastern Germany, Ukraine shows: public and non-governmental organizations must root as quickly as possible to bar crime and extremism growth, to soften transitional period economic complications.
    Reforms of the end of 80-es caused emerging public sector. Many people have comprehensively realized, that we face drastic and crucial changes. And our next future will depend only on our attempts. We decided to contribute to destroy Communists Party monopoly. Economic pluralism was followed by the political one. Since People's Movement for Reconstruction many new political parties came up: Republican Party, Democratic Party, Party of Democratic Revival of Ukraine ("New Ukraine" amalgamation). In 1992 new parties together with students collected signatures for Verkhovna Rada (Parliament of Ukraine) resignation. That first campaign resulted in resignation of our Government for more progressive one as well as the Parliament before the appointed term.
    Reformatory parties must from theoretical arguments come to unity and help people with real needs. This interaction and development may be also used as a strong factor for presidential, parliamentary or local elections. We called all democrats to unity in market reforms promotion. We called political parties to control privatization process. We have carried out practical social investigation on privatization processes monitoring, evaluating, direction and control, established so-called Buyer's Companies, that is, mass mutual privatization funds. We propagated and realized privatization ideas, explained to population its necessity and details of complex procedure, combining it with parliamentary and local elections. We have drawn many people in, tens of thousands passed through our offices and representations. Combining with elections was very effective.
    But our energetic attempts rested against complete privatization criminalization. As the analysis shows, the most of privatized enterprises are passed to employees collectives (i.e., administration) undivided possession. Ukrainian law gives them great privileges (primary face-value shares buying for certificates plus 50 % - for cash, for enterprise's profit, director's quotas etc.). By hook or by crook administration presses for employees collective ruling position among other shareholders, it leads to undivided directors ruling over enterprises reduction to their already legal property. For most enterprises ruling share assignation to employees collective is already provided by privatization plan.
    Many seminars for political parties and NGOs, organized by National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, International Republican Institute of the United States, US Embassy, many different foreign and Ukrainian foundations were held since that time. We can see how many efforts were taken by many international agencies, organizations and funds in order to foster Civil Society development in Ukraine.
    Despite the abundance of NGOs operating in Ukraine (about 30,000 as of mid 2001), their impact and influence on public policies remain rather limited if not negligible. Part of the problem is the lack of training and skill development provided to these CSOs, especially as compared to their counterparts in other East European countries. This is also due to the fact that Ukrainians are not fully aware of either the civil society role in promoting good governance or the power of the individual citizen in a democratic state. Besides, lack of information has created reluctance on the part of the public to participate in social structures. Coalition building may be one way of increasing influence the civil society may have on the process of reforming policy development. While each CSO coalition uniquely contributes to the development of civil society, coalitions build a collective voice in proposing policy alternatives for solving specific problems with authorities.