Some of the recent developments, above all the recurrent attempts of the government to use violence against peaceful demonstrators, raise a serious concern.

We, representatives of the international academic community, are especially troubled by the fact that violence and related harassment quite often is targeted at youth, very often journalists, university students and young faculty. Such conduct by the Ukrainian government is destructive both for the government itself and for the future of the country it represents.

In contrast to the government, Ukrainian society has displayed admirable civic maturity. Its determination to keep its protest within the realm of legality and its unwavering rejection of violence are a model for the defence of civil rights.

 Today, the Ukrainian Maidan represents Europe at its best — what many thinkers in the past and the present assume to be fundamental European values.

 We are calling on our governments and international organizations to support Ukrainians in their efforts to put an end to a corrupt and brutal regime and to the geopolitical vulnerability of their country. Ukraine needs to have a European Marshall-like plan that would ensure its transformation into a full democracy and society with guaranteed civil rights. In elaboration of a new policy towards Ukraine, we propose to draw a distinction between the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian society.  While the former must be treated with a maximum of strictures, the latter deserves a maximum of support.

 Let us help Ukrainians to build a new Ukraine – and then they surely will help us build a new Europe and a new fairer world!

 

When signing this petition, please indicate your full name and academic position.

 

Giovanna Brogi Bercoff, professor, University of Milan, Italy

 

Omer Bartov, John P. Birkelund Distinguished Professor of European History and Professor of History and Professor of German Studies at Brown University

Ulrich Beck, Professor, Munich University/London School of Economics and Political Science

  

Boris Buden, writer and philosopher (Berlin)

 

Craig Calhoun, Director, London School of Economics and Political Science

 

Velvl Chernin, Dr., poet and literary scholar, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

 

Istvan Deak, Seth Low Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia University

 

Semion Goldin, Dr., historian, Nevzlin Research Center for Russian and East European Jewry, Hebrew University

 

Andrea Graziosi, historian, University of Naples Federico II

Mark von Hagen, Arizona State University, Past President of International Association of Ukrainian Studies, Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, past Director of the Harriman Institute, Columbia University

Jose Ignacio-Torreblanca, political scientist, columnist of El Pais

Zenon Kohut, historian, Professor, Director of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta

Ivan Krastev, Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies (Sofia)

Mark Leonard, Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations

Alexander Motyl, writer and political scientist, Professor, Rutgers University (Newark)

Norman Naimark, Robert and Florence McDonnell Professor of Eastern European Studies, Stanford University; CISAC Affiliated Faculty Member; Europe Center Affiliated Faculty and FSI Senior Fellow by courtesy

Claus Offe, political scientist, Hertie School of Governance (Berlin)

Andrés Ortega, director, the Research Department of the Spanish Prime Minister, editorial writer for El Pais

Serhii Plokhii, Mykhailo Hrushevskyi Professor of Ukrainian history at Harvard University

Antony Polonsky, Albert Abramson Professor of Holocaust Studies at Brandeis University

Jacques Rupnik, Professor, College of Europe in Bruges; director of research, Centre for International Studies and Research at Sciences-Po, Paris

Michael Sandel, political philosopher, Professor, Harvard University

Slawomir Sierakowski, director, Institute for Advanced Study in Warsaw, Harvard University Visiting Fellow

Aleksander Smolar, president, Stefan Batory Foundation (Warsaw), member, European Council on Foreign Relations

Frank Sysyn, historian, Professor, Director, Peter Jacyk Centre for Ukrainian Research Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta

Charles Taylor, philosopher, Professor Emeritus, McGill University

Jordi Vaquer, Director, Open Society Initiative for Europe political scientist (Barcelona), columnist of El Pais

Michael Walzer, Professor Emeritus, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ

Jeffrey Wills, Classical Studies Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Larry Wolff, Silver Professor of History, Director, Center for European & Mediterranean Studies, New York University

Artur Żmijewski, film director (Warsaw)

Slavoj Žižek, Professor, Institute for Sociology and Philosophy, University of Ljubljana, director, Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities, University of London

 

Mykhailo Minakov, Associate Professor, University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Fellow at Krupp Wissenschaftskolleg

 

 

Maria Grazia Bartolini, Assistant Professor, University of Milan, Italy