As Euromaidan protests in Ukraine [1] enter their second month, Ukrainian social media users have started circulating a Digital Euromaidan Manifesto [2] [uk] drafted by their fellow netizens.
Below is the English translation of the full original statement:
Digital Euromaidan Manifesto
We, the Ukrainian Internet users united by Euromaidan principles of non-violent resistance state:
In the digital age, when Internet becomes the main source of information for millions of Ukrainian citizens and no one is able to limit the users with physical borders, the attempts of Ukrainian government to prevent the development of the society and force us to live in the age of television are bound to fail. The development of our society outruns the burnout of current government with its derogatory treatment of citizens. In a digital age it is impossible to hide one’s incompetence, fraud and corruption. In a digital age using brutal physical force becomes one’s condemnation. We will keep reminding about it. We will remember.
Our goals:
– To encourage citizens to participate in the protests demanding the prosecution of those responsible for the brutal crackdown on Nov. 30 rally and the resignation of the government;
– To continue providing comprehensive coverage of protests and acts of civil disobedience in Ukraine;
– To counter information attacks by the Ukrainian Presidential Administration and the Kremlin against the participants and ideas of Euromaidan done through media outlets controlled by the government;
– To stick to ethical principles and avoid publicizing unconfirmed, provocative and sensational information.We are convinced that:
– The future of Ukraine depends on the efforts of every one of us;
– Our strength lies in unity and openness to the world and innovations;
– Significant portion of Ukrainian Internet is in solidarity with the values of Euromaidan.We condemn:
– The attempts of the government to turn people’s attention away from Euromaidan’s demands to prosecute those guilty of using force on Euromaidan;
– Any attempts to manipulate public opinion;
– Biased coverage of Euromaidan by some Ukrainian and Russian media outlets.We respect different opinions and are ready to engage with our opponents by the way of facts and reason. We will continue taking part in the acts of civil disobedience both on Euromaidan itself and in the informational space.
Together till victory! Glory to Ukraine! #євромайдан
Kyiv. December 19, 2013