Principles and Values

Identity and Responsibility

As the Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Germany (AUOG), we bear responsibility for preserving Ukrainian identity: language, culture, historical memory, the tradition of statehood, the intellectual and spiritual foundations of the Ukrainian nation, and its dignity.

To be Ukrainian is not simply a matter of holding a passport. A Ukrainian is someone who identifies with Ukraine, acts in the interests of the Ukrainian community, shares its values, and strives to speak the Ukrainian language, even when this is not always easy. Identity reveals itself through conscious choice, through words, through actions, and through one’s attitude toward one’s people and one’s land.

Struggle and Statehood

Ukrainian identity is the result of a centuries‑long struggle for freedom, dignity, and self‑determination. We honor the generations who suffered or lost their lives through terror, wars, persecution, humiliation, imprisonment, death camps, the Holodomor genocide, and the denial of Ukrainian identity, and who nevertheless did not give up. They not only endured but also achieved victories, military as well as intellectual and cultural achievements: on the battlefield and in science, culture, education, and in the restoration of Ukrainian statehood.

The present war is the continuation of the centuries‑long struggle of the Ukrainian people for the right to be Ukrainian, openly, with dignity, and without fear on their own Ukrainian land. It demands strength, dignity, and determination. Even in the most difficult times, Ukraine demonstrates endurance, willpower, and the capacity for victory, military, moral, cultural, and diplomatic.

For us, Ukrainian statehood is not merely a political shell that can be filled with any content depending on political circumstances or the interests of particular groups. It is the expression of historical justice, of dignity, and of the realization of the Ukrainian people’s right to self‑determination, and we are committed to preserving, defending, and developing it.

Memory and Historical Experience

We hold a fundamentally positive view of the Ukrainian liberation movement, both historical and contemporary, including the freedom struggles of the twentieth century and today’s resistance against Russian aggression. We recognize that historical relations with some of our neighbors were painful and complex, particularly where their state structures emerged in territories with predominantly Ukrainian populations. For long periods, Ukrainians had no political self‑determination in their own land, possessed no equal rights, and were often subjected to repression, discrimination, and violent suppression.

We call for the difficult chapters of the past to be understood within the context of Ukraine’s colonial experience, not outside of it. Against this background, the brutal conflicts that we remember today with pain often emerged as a response to systematic humiliation, lack of rights, and violence. In this spirit, we believe in the power of the formula: “We ask for forgiveness and we forgive ourselves” as the foundation for an honest and dignified dialogue about a difficult past.

We respect all those who rose up in the struggle for Ukrainian statehood: for the Ukrainian People’s Republic (UNR), the West Ukrainian People’s Republic (ZUNR), and for the restoration of an independent Ukrainian state in all periods of its history.

We believe that even the most painful pages of the past can and should become the foundation for a better future. In this spirit we are inspired by the motto: “Freedom for nations, freedom for the individual”, not only as a memory of liberation movements of the past, but as a living moral orientation.

Likewise, the call “Slava Ukraini – Heroiam Slava!” (“Glory to Ukraine – Glory to the Heroes!”) is not a mere formality for us. It is an expression of national dignity, gratitude, and solidarity, and a call to responsible action today.

The Ukrainian Community in Germany

We support the development of the Ukrainian diaspora and community in Germany. At the same time, we do not wish to weaken Ukraine through a drain of its human and intellectual potential. Our work spans education, integration, and culture, and also addresses political questions: we represent the interests of the Ukrainian community, advocate for support for Ukraine, and maintain dialogue with German institutions and political parties.

In this context we also engage with questions of integration and schooling, always on the basis of preserving Ukrainian identity, language, and connection to the homeland. For us, integration does not mean assimilation but rather a dignified presence and visibility of the Ukrainian community within the democratic space of Germany and Europe. The development of Ukraine remains for us both a priority and a moral responsibility.

The Global Ukrainian Community

We are the central representation of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) in Germany and a member of the European Congress of Ukrainians (ECU). We see ourselves as an inseparable and active part of the global Ukrainian community.

Principles of Action

Our principles are fundamental and non‑negotiable. We are not an executive arm of any state institution of Ukraine and act independently, guided by conscience and responsibility toward the Ukrainian people.

At the same time, we remain open to cooperation with all those who sincerely wish the good, the victory, and the development of Ukraine and the global Ukrainian community and who share the motto: Freedom for nations, freedom for the individual.