Fifth Assembly
Welcoming Remarks

Steering Committee member (Nigeria) and Chair, Ms. Ayo Obe, opened the Assembly by welcoming participants and explaining that the Steering Committee chose Ukraine for this Assembly “to send a strong message that much of what has been accomplished in this country over the past several years can serve as an inspiration for those seeking to bring about transitions to democracy” in their own countries.

Inna Pidluska, Steering Committee member from Ukraine and President of the Kyiv-based Europe XXI Foundation, which served as the local partner organization for the Assembly, welcomed participants to Ukraine. She remarked that democracy “can’t just be the work of politicians and professional NGO workers; it must be the responsibility of every citizen, and they must be involved to make democracy deliver.”

• Special Address: Victor Yushchenko
• Opening Address: Kateryna Yushchenko
• Keynote Addresses: The Honorable Alejandro Toledo
• Keynote Addresses: Maina Kiai
• Keynote Addresses: Myroslava Gongadze