4th Ecumenical Social Week: End of Discussion, Start of Action

08.10.2011, 14:46
During the fourth Ecumenical Social Week (September 27-October 2, 2011) participants were able to not only participate in conference discussions but also work practically in thematic roundtables. Representatives of regional councils from western Ukrainian oblasts took part in the discussion “Community Councils and Executive Bodies: An Effective Partnership.”

During the fourth Ecumenical Social Week (September 27-October 2, 2011) participants were able to not only participate in conference discussions but also work practically in thematic roundtables. Representatives of regional councils from western Ukrainian oblasts took part in the discussion “Community Councils and Executive Bodies: An Effective Partnership.”

In her opening remarks, Eleanora Valentine, a representative of the Program for Assisting the Parliament of Ukraine II, said: “Today it is very important that the community councils participate in the legislative process, including the discussion of future bills.”

Representatives of regional administrations responsible for relations with the community councils were invited for a discussion of topical issues. Representatives from the Volyn, Rivne, Ternopil and Chernivtsi Regional State Administrations spoke about the successful activities of community councils on these territories. Problems faced by all public councils were highlighted: the lack of a space and inadequate funding of community councils. The main conclusion expressed throughout the duration of the roundtable was that community councils should work strategically in all areas.

The roundtable “Reforms as a Factor for Stimulating the Civil Society” was the richest with ideas. During the event, participants of the discussion shared initiatives in reform through trust in the areas of leadership, political conjuncture, and health.

Lionel J. Kvinel, Ph.D., director of the corporation HQS Consulting Services, Winnipeg, Canada, began the discussion. He focused on the concept of leadership. It should be noted that Kvinel began discussing his vision of the Academic Conference on the eve of the roundtable. The speaker stressed that it is important to pay attention to the two stages of the implementation of leadership in society: first, the difficult stage of development of society, and second, the risks in introducing reforms.

He clearly stated that “leadership is something that needs to be done in order to move the process of evolution. The process should be all-encompassing. Reform is just a change, the task of the leader is to find a model for reform. I am convinced that this process can be a process of managing reform.”

According to the speaker, the leader must ask and answer the following questions: What’s the problem? What caused the problem? How can it be solved? Why does this strategy make sense? Why is it a strategy that will be accepted by all people? Therefore, the work of the leader is the construction of a kind of social architecture, where there are ideas, relationships, thoughts, and respect. Lionel J. Kvinel quoted George Collins: “If you believe that you have an answer to a question, then you are part of the problem.” According to Kvinel, “We must act, although we are in the state of ‘risk managers.’ The process of leadership must be based on the following levels: thought, intellectual discourse, disagreement (the people who follow ‘the principle of the devil’ will be the losers),” emphasized Kvinel.

In general, in the discussion the following positions were determined: leaders may propose moving forward, they are the driving force of society and the uniting factor. Kvinel finished his report with these words: “The essence of leadership is to have fear but believe it a pleasure.”

Viktor Yelenskyi, Ph.D., president of the Ukrainian Association of Religious Freedom, joined the discussion. The speaker pointed out that the idea of ​​the state is not realized primarily due to the lack of public discussion of issues. He briefly noted: “The aim of our reforms is stability. Most of the reforms turn into profanity: education reform ─ reduction of learning time, distribution of time of orders; administrative ─ merging ministries; pension ─ increasing age, which creates the complete lack of confidence in such reforms. With this in mind, Yelenskyi suggested ways to overcome social obstacles: first, to recognize the failure of reforms, second, to assemble “reformers” at a roundtable (end to political repression), and third, to define the concept of reform with an emphasis on trust, to redistribute the budget to other areas. The speaker assured the audience that the young generation can begin to implement these projects today.

Lilia Klos, doctor of sociology and Social work at the Lviv Polytechnic National University, talked about the importance of providing the society credible reform through the prism of the health system. Klos started the discussion by pointing out the gradation of civil society, in which the national health system is the fundamental reform. She clearly says: “In addition to many types of crises, Ukraine is experiencing a deep social crisis through the ‘supermortality’ of representatives of both genders.” Therefore, Klos presented the general state of health of the Ukrainian population, emphasizing the extremely high levels of TB, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and AIDS. A number of initiatives were suggested in the discussion: first to raise the social culture of the population, in particular by looking at bio-socio-spiritual models of care, which are based on the following components:

  1. Biological basis;
  2. Social basis;
  3. Spiritual basis;
  4. Reconsidering values ​​and values ​​regarding the structure of personality.

The roundtable participants also heard a report by Ivanna Synytska ─ a representative of the Holy Ehidiya Community, who suggested reforms draw attention to the poor segment of the population. The speaker described the history of the community, which was founded in 1986 by volunteers to ensure people’s financial security. In the discussion, Synytska recalled the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “How can we not to be friends of those who belong to God.” An example of such a tolerant attitude toward the poor is giving gifts at Christmas, which symbolizes the importance of everyone. Synytska said: “I ​​think that an indicator for society is the treatment of upper strata of power to the poor, so here it is appropriate to cite the words of John Chrysostom: ‘The rich exist for the sake of the poor, but the poor exist for the salvation of the rich.’”

Professor Iryna Kurlyak, head of the Department of General and Social Pedagogy of UCU, briefed the roundtable on problems in interpersonal relations, including the phenomenon of mobbing. She noted the factors of mobbing in society – namely, unemployment, legal reasons, institutional and psychological factors. Mobbing can create psychological isolation in society, lead to attacks on the social dialogue, and deteriorate working conditions and accommodation. The speaker also presented different types people engaged in mobbing: sport, imbecile, economic, a type with a mission. Leveling the concept mobbing is accompanied by the reduction of “attacks on the destiny of man,” reduction of the impact on human psychological stability.

Thus the speaker outlined the importance of interpersonal valuable relationships in inner social interactions, which certainly enhances confidence in societal reform.

In general, the roundtable participants worked out some ideas and initiatives for implementing reforms through the intensification of social dialogue.

After working in the roundtables, participants summarized their ideas in a list of initiatives and proposals voiced by speakers.

This “working” list focuses on the following ideas:

• establishment of a comprehensive concept of leadership in society;
• implementation of new projects through an alternative leader;
• decentralization of management;
• principle holism of the bio-socio-spiritual vision of personality, which has the right to self-actualization;
• initiation and creation of dialogues;
• compliance with the gradation of civil society;

• strengthening national values ​​at the level of European interstate communication;
• providing opportunities of employment for people with disabilities;
• improve the health culture of the population and increased public attention to health care;
• accountability and transparency;
• redistribution of the state budget to areas that need investment;

• considering the experience of the church in dealing with offshore zones and areas of energy, organizing local movements;
• priority is the creation of new forms of enterprises, which, in addition to economic ties, foster social ties;
• increase confidence in building civil society;
• dissemination of experience in conducting Ecumenical Social Weeks at the level of nationwide significance.

Through communication, different opinions, we note that members of the 4th Ecumenical Social Week developed a basic concept for reform through trust, using the experience of their countries for these models. It should be noted that the work of the Ecumenical Week still needs to be elaborated, but the proposed initiatives today are a good start for further action.

Yuliana Lavrysh