(RE)INTERPRETATION OF THE SOCIAL CONTRACT OF UKRAINE

08/12 2023

The Ukrainian non-party public union “Aspen Institute Kyiv” is a member of the international network of Aspen Institutes. The union supports the formation of value-oriented leadership, promotes the development of a culture of dialogue and creates opportunities for the exchange of ideas, engages business leaders, public administration, representatives of the academic community, media, cultural projects and civil society in the dialogue.

On November 25, “Aspen Institute Kyiv” held a seminar “(Re)interpretation of the social contract of Ukraine”. People’s deputies of Ukraine, representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the judiciary, business, charitable foundations, scientific institutions, military personnel, civil servants took part in the seminar.

Issues related to current problems of today were discussed. During the seminar, we discussed:

  • The need for education at all levels: training, formal and informal education.
  • Questions of morality and ethics in times of challenges; their influence on the institution of reputation, the ability to take responsibility.
  • Consolidation of society and (de)centralization and their provision/support.
  • Implementation of the security request with respect for all fundamental human rights.
  • The economic component of the social contract in the context of ensuring economic freedoms, tax policy and support of the private sector.
  • Investments in the development of human capital.
  • Strengthening the prestige of the public service and attracting new personnel to it through decent wages and respect for public servants.
  • The role of the state and interaction with society with an emphasis on the service state model with a people-centered system.

Nataliya Kononenko among the participants of the seminar

Candidate of political sciences, leading researcher of the Department of Political Institutes and Processes of the Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnic Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Nataliya Kononenko. In particular, she emphasized that one of the focuses of the social agreement should be the preservation and improvement of democracy in Ukraine. In addition, the scientist drew the attention of those present to the fact that even under the current conditions – a full-scale Russian military invasion of Ukraine – the creation of a social agreement cannot replace the process of improving the state and its institutions.