The Democracy Study Centre project began with the official opening of the multipurpose playground, which was built with the financial support of Prince Stefan of Liechtenstein. The playground was opened by Prince Stefan of Liechtenstein and Igor Zhdanov, Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine.
The Democracy Study Centre is a project of the German-Polish-Ukrainian Society – a famous organisation in Ukraine. To serve children and youth and to protect their lawful rights the German-Polish-Ukrainian Society designs, implements and manages innovative public-private partnership projects aimed to raise living standards in Ukraine to a European level. Today the organisation implements eight projects in Ukraine, the largest of which is the Centre for Children in Need “Our Kids”, successfully operating since 2007 and serving as a model pilot project for other non-governmental organisations, public-private partnership and energy efficiency projects in all countries of the Eastern Partnership.
The participants of the first DSC meeting were:
- Barbara-Maria Monheim, founder & chair of the German-Polish-Ukrainian Society,
- Mykola Kniazhytsky, Ukrainian deputy,
- Igor Zhdanov, Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine,
- Pr. Marek Belka, rector of the Democracy Study Centre, former PM and Governor of the Polish National Bank,
- Prince Stefan of Liechtenstein, Ambassador of the Principality of Liechtenstein in Germany,
- Ivan Mikloš, National Reform Council of Ukraine, former Vice PM & Minister of Finance of Slovakia,
- Olena Koszarny, Founding Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Capital,
- Daniela Schwarzer, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP),
- Mykola Kuleba, Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Children’s Rights,
- Oleksandr Yarema, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine,
- Mykola Movchan, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine for European Integration,
- Irina Belyaeva, Director of Department of Youth Policy of Ministry of Youth and Sports,
- Prof. Stanislawa Golinowska, member of the German-Polish-Ukrainian Society, Jagiellonian University,
- Prof. Marie Bountrogianni, Ryerson University, Toronto,
- Prof. Wolfgang F. Danspeckgruber, Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination,
- Prof. Anders Aslund, Oxford University,
- Ivan Vejvoda, German Marshall Fund of the United States,
- Alla Zagorodna, Deputy Head of State administration of Dniprovskiy District in Kyiv and other.