A special event organized by the International Renaissance Foundation in cooperation with the Resuscitation Package of Reforms and the School of Political Analytics took place in Lviv as part of the “Ukraine Unmuted” Culture Congress. The participants of the event were public experts and representatives of the authorities, who gathered for a constructive dialogue on the topic “Reforms and restoration of the humanitarian sphere of Ukraine: institutions of culture and national memory”.
The basis of the dialogue is the political document “Vision of Ukraine 2030: social and humanitarian sphere”, which presents the vision of reforming and restoring Ukraine in the social and humanitarian sphere. The document was created by the “Resuscitation Package of Reforms” Coalition together with the School of Political Analytics and 50 independent public experts.
The discussion was joined by: Alim Aliyev, Deputy General Director of the Ukrainian Institute; Evhen Bystrytskyi, editor-in-chief of “Vision 2030”; Oksana Zabolotna, analyst of the Center for Joint Actions; Roman Kabachii, publicist, historian, senior researcher of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War; Rostislav Karandeev, v. at. Minister of Culture and Information Policy; Mykola Knyazhytskyi, People’s Deputy, member of the Parliamentary Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy; Yurii Mykytyuk, head of regional programs, senior advocacy manager of the Coalition Reanimation Package of Reforms; Olesya Ostrovska-Lyuta, director of State Enterprise NKMMK “Mystetskyi Arsenal”; Acting Head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, Candidate of Sciences Volodymyr Tylishchak.
One of the results of the discussion was the promise of acting The Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, Rostyslav Karandeev, that the ICIP will expand cooperation with the public and involve society in decision-making at all levels, for this purpose an appropriate structure will be created in the near future.
“Reforms have always come from society. The state, on the other hand, should sense the public’s request in a timely manner and respond to it as quickly as possible through the available tools. The state is necessary where it is necessary to establish clear, high-quality and convenient for all rules in a competitive environment and for the fair distribution of state resources. The creative environment is also competitive. Today we have to strengthen the dialogue with the public. Everyone has the right to be heard. Already now, we will start the process of creating a public entity under the ministry and will involve society as much as possible in decision-making at all levels,” said Karandeev.
Radoslava Kabachii, manager of cultural projects of the International Renaissance Foundation, noted her vision of the importance of the event. “In this important and quite complex dialogue, probably the most important thesis was that positions can be different, even diametrically opposed, but it is extremely important to speak these positions. And to speak as equals. – Radoslava Kabachii noted. – This is exactly what we at the International Fund do” Revival” and we do – we create opportunities for dialogue on equal terms with representatives of the authorities, civil society, experts on specific topics, and all interested parties.”
Yaryna Yasynevich, head of the programs of the Liberation Movement Research Center and Chairman of the Board of the NGO “DemForum”, spoke about the policy of national memory. She is sure: “In a post-colonial and post-genocide society living in war, human rights principles must be clearly integrated into the politics of national memory. It is about the creation of public immunity to violations of human rights, the formation of readiness to defend both the independence of the country and the freedom of citizens.”
Congress of Culture UKRAINE! UNMUTED is organized by the Institute of Cultural Strategy and NGO “Armenian – Thirty Five” with the support of Lviv City Council, ZMIN Foundation, Ukrainian Cultural Fund, Lviv Polytechnic and the International Renaissance Foundation.
Photo: Vitaly Grabar
