Nathan’s weekend edition is up, and PORA is tranforming itself into a permanent think-tank.

Vladyslav Kaskiv is one of the leaders of the Pora movement, whose demonstrations ???????? often laced with biting humor ???????? became a memorable feature of those exuberant winter days. Pora drew its inspiration from pro-democracy youth movements in Serbia and Georgia that also helped topple authoritarian regimes.

Kaskiv told RFE/RL he and his colleagues planned to institutionalize their experience by setting up an international center in Kyiv to offer assistance and practical advice to democracy advocates throughout the region.

???????We are now in a very active phase of establishing this center,??????? Kaskiv said. ???????Unfortunately, we have not yet come up with its official name, but the idea is that this center will function as an international organization, with its central office in Kyiv. The center????????s priority activities will be to support democratic movements in the countries of the region ???????? above all, in the countries of the former Soviet Union.???????

This reminds me of something Discoshaman said the other day:

A LOT of Belorussians came to support us in Independence Square. To the extent that they can get across the border, PORA and other democracy activists will undoubtedly return the favor when Lukashenko comes up for “re-election” in 2006. An orange Belarus seems like a longshot now, but it did for us too. Here’s hoping.