In the interview with the Chairman of Democratic Alliance Vasyl Gatsko you will learn about the process and the results of the civil campaign “Year WITHOUT Youth”, effectiveness of defending youth rights and cooperation between youth organizations and authorities.

-Not long ago during the protest action in Odesa Minister Pavlenko signed the Memorandum with youth. Does this fact mean that the campaign “Year WITHOUT Youth” is over?

The campaign had two goals. The first one - to make the state admit the failure of the “Year of Youth” in Ukraine and achieve transference of its obligations in the sphere of youth policy to the year 2010. The goal was achieved, because the Memorandum, signed by the Minister in Odesa, admitted the failure of the “Year of Youth” and President’s edict which was issued on January, 6 duplicated unrealized lines of the previous one. The second goal is implementation of all the obligations which were taken by the state in the context of realization “The Year of Youth” in Ukraine. We will work at it in 2010.

- How do you think, what influenced the Minister’s decision to support the protest campaign? Because he has been ignoring the activity of the coalition “Year WITHOUT Youth” for a long period of time.

Civil pressure, which was exerted on the Ministry for Family, Youth and Sports in the context of the campaign – thousands of letters, sent to the minister, protest actions all round the country, actualizations of demands in social networks and mass-media. These instruments will make any politician, who is planning his further public career, reckon with youth. Effective civil society can exist only when it supports its initiative with demands during the dialogue with authorities.

- Let’s return to the beginning. Year after year the situation with youth policy in Ukraine is not the best one. Why exactly during this economically crisis year Youth decided to struggle for its rights?

It should be mentioned that declaration of the “Year of youth” in Ukraine formed certain expectations in youth movement. We expected that authorities would conduct their obligations and realize a number of useful initiatives in the sphere of youth policy. But they failed their conduction. That is why, I think, the protest became the consequence of youth understanding that they were deceived. Social-economic factors didn’t play a vital part in campaign realization. For youth every year is crisis.

-The edict on conduction “The Year of Youth” was issued by the President. Why did you make your campaign against the Ministry for Family, Youth and Sports and not against the author of the edict?

The Ministry for Family, Youth and Sports is the main body in the system of central authorities of executive branch on ensuring the realization of state youth policy. The failure of “The Year of Youth” means that the Ministry didn’t work well. That is why the whole attention was turned to them. But, there is no doubt, the realization of campaign was failed also through other authorities’ fault.

- After 2004 youth activity in the sphere of rights defence has greatly decreased. Weren’t you afraid that the campaign “Year WITHOUT Youth” would fail because of the youth passivity?

Civil activity of Ukrainian youth is low now. And it is also a bright example of ineffective state youth policy. But protest is a form of activity which usually has temporary and non-system nature. That is why it has a potential of involving more quantity of people.  For example, it’s impossible that all the students of a particular University do some public work, but sometimes all the students of this University participate in protests.

In our case, for the realization of campaign aims we needed the consolidation of only certain functioning parts of youth sphere. But in case of long ignoring of our demands by the authorities we were ready to a bigger number of protest events all round the country.

-  Which problems of youth mobilization did you face during the campaigh realization?

In general, youth mobilization is complicated and problem process. For example, during the campaign we couldn’t efficiently mobilize young families which in the context of state programs couldn’t get percents compensation on accommodation credits for several months. They applied to us and were ready to help but because of absence of coordination center they couldn’t make a contribution into struggle for their rights. Though, thanks to this campaign their problem has been partly solved by the end of the year.