#47_1-8

More documents

Recommendations

Info

2 No.47 SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 DAY AFTER DAY WWW.DAY.KIEV.UA What the Book Forum-2018 will be like, and what are the plans of the Ukrainian Book Institute By Maria CHADIUK, The Day Lviv became a magnet for all book lovers, as the international Book Forum started here on September 18. Traditionally, this is not only an event where the most interesting books are launched (including this newspaper’s Ave...), but also a platform for the exchange of ideas and discussions of important social issues. Den/The Day met with president of the Publishers’ Forum Oleksandra Koval to find out what meanings were to be actualized at this year’s Forum. Also, we wanted to determine the priority issues in the literary sphere and learn which of them Koval planned to resolve as director of the Ukrainian Book Institute, the latter being an institution which many are hopeful about, but sometimes not fully aware of all the difficulties facing its head. Therefore, the following interview is also an attempt to analyze the situation and find ways to effectively solve the emerging problems. ● FREEDOM AS (IR)RESPONSIBILITY The focus theme of this year’s Forum is the Freedom Market. The choice of the theme is due, among other things, to the anniversary of the 1968 revolution wave. What meanings you would like to actualize and what you would like to highlight with the Forum’s events? “We proceeded from the 1968 revolution wave to remind us of freedom in general. But when we began to ponder this topic, it became clear that with the recent spread of social networks, fake news, posttruth and all these negative phenomena (which are associated with the allegedly positive technology developments) the very attitude to many very basic values had changed. And even such a value as freedom has become negotiable. It probably has always been one, but now it is especially noticeable and clear. We would like intellectuals to express their views on this and our society to reflect on the fragile time we live in: it may turn out that anything can actually be bought and sold, while it seems to us that some things remain fundamental, and no one dares to touch them. So it seems to me that these should be some very interesting discussions.” Is this connected with the fact that after the Revolution of Dignity, there has been a deeper understanding emerging that we, as citizens, have to assume more responsibility, and we are capable of it, and so, we are actually freer and enjoy more freedom? “It is good to see such an interpretation, because most people usually think that freedom is complete anarchy. ‘My freedom’ seems to mean ‘I do what I want, for example, I want to park on the sidewalk, although it inconveniences everyone else.’ However, freedom is responsibility. “Incidentally, the Forum will host an interesting book launch of the 1st December Initiative Group, the intellectuals brought together by His Beatitude Lubomyr Husar. They are publishing a book which is called just that – Freedom and Responsibility. Overall, there will be many books dedicated to freedom there. By the way, the Forum will also launch a book by our splendid Photo by Artem SLIPACHUK, The Day Oleksandra Koval speaks about “climate creation” philosopher Myroslav Popovych, entitled A Philosophy of Freedom. I have even noticed (and I think that it is not only me): once you start to think about something extremely necessary to you, it immediately appears before you and leads you further and further. I am very excited about this.” ● “THE PEOPLE OF CULTURE SHOULD SUPPORT EACH OTHER” The Night of Poetry and Music is one of the most successful events of the festival. Could you tell us how this idea came about? What is the secret to its success? “I do not know the secrets of how something becomes popular. Obviously, people always love poetry, and if it is combined with music, then they enjoy it even more. I came up with this format a long time ago, back in 1997. This night then lasted two hours, from 9 to 11 p.m. It has been held under its current title since 1999. All in all, we will host the 20th Night of Poetry and Music this year.” And to what extent, in your opinion, is such a combination of several art forms a promising idea? “From the very beginning, when the Forum was just being created (not as a onetime event, but as an event to be repeated), we aimed to get different art forms combined. We wanted the musicians to communicate with poets, artists with architects and so on, to create new valuable things. We did not really succeed then. I know that now the interaction between artists from different fields has improved. There is visual poetry, there is music of architecture, and so on. And all this is experimental in character and very interesting. I believe that it will become more common at some point, because the people of culture should support each other. In addition, the Ukrainians like something new: for instance, not just books, but books and fashion. The Forum, in turn, is totally open to all. When it comes to artists, we have created the Ukrainian Visual Book cluster, which is very successfully run by Pavlo Hudimov. We tried to create a music cluster as well, but failed at it, however, I have not lost hope. We have creative industries and urbanism represented, that is, we are already involving architects in it.” ● A YEAR AND A HALF OF COMFORTABLE SITUATION FOR PUBLISHERS This, moreover, is a way to look at a certain art form from a new perspective. But you have repeatedly mentioned in interviews that the impetus for creating the Forum was a crisis that prompted a search for new forms of cooperation. How, in your opinion, has the situation in the literary sphere changed after the Revolution of Dignity and the beginning of the war in the east of Ukraine? “There are two possible responses to each crisis situation – you either freeze or start to run quickly. And in our case, the second option was chosen, so we have had a major recovery. Obviously, this is due to the Revolution of Dignity and the Maidan, but one has also to take into account the ban on the import of Russian literature to Ukraine. This gave our publishers a year and a half of a very comfortable situation, since bookstores now had room for our products. Meanwhile, consumers, prompted by a wave of enthusiasm and patriotism, began to read Ukrainian, even those who did not do it before. Continued on page 8 ➤ By Mykola SIRUK, The Day Inna Steinbuka, European Studies masters’ program director at the University of Latvia, recently visited Ukraine. Ms. Steinbuka has the huge experience of holding top EU offices and directly participated in preparations for Latvia’s entry into Euro-Atlantic institutions. We began our conversation with the history of relations with Ukraine and the way she, a mathematical economist, became a European Commission official. “The history of relations with Ukraine carries me back to the Soviet era. I started my career in research and worked at the Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Economics. I maintained very good contacts in various republics, including Ukraine, for example, with Professor Valerii Heiets. Like Prof. Heiets, I focused on economic modeling and forecasting. As a mathematical economist, I dealt with mathematical models. I visited Kyiv many times. Those were, as a rule, business trips and conferences, but very warm memories about people, hospitality, and, naturally, an amazingly beautiful city have remained etched on my mind since then. “After a long pause, I came to Kyiv in a new capacity, when I worked at the European Commission as a department director at Eurostat. This was in 2006-07. My impressions were different, we discussed the problems of Ukraine-EU rapprochement, but people had not changed and remained as hospitable as before.” ● “I APPLIED, QUITE SUCCESSFULLY, FOR FOUR OFFICES AND BEGAN TO WORK AT THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION” Ms. Steinbuka, how come you became later a European Commission official? “At the very beginning of Latvia’s independence, I transferred from the Academy of Sciences to the Ministry of Finance, and then represented Latvia in the IMF. That was my first experience of working at an international organization. In May 2014 I took part in a competition, announced in 10 countries, for the office of a top-level executive. I applied, quite successfully, for four offices and finally began to work at the European Commission. On the other hand, I did not represent Latvia in the EC – I just won the competition as citizen with a certain qualification. The competition for one of the four positions was at least 70 and 250 at most. “I began to work at the EC in November 2005. I was a department director at Luxemburg-based Eurostat for six years. Then I moved to Latvia and held a quasi-diplomatic office. I headed the European Union’s representation in Latvia. It was mandatory for us, representation members, to know the Latvian language and, of course, to be citizens of an EU member state. “I have excellent command of the Latvian language, but I did not use it professionally in the Soviet era. I dealt with econometrics at the time. It was a narrow specialization, and this kind of specialists could be counted on the fingers of one hand. So there was no use publishing articles in Latvian. And I defended my PhD and higher doctorate dissertations in Saint Petersburg and Moscow, respectively. This is why all of my publications were in the Russian language. “My mother was born in Latvia, finished a Latvian high school, and knew the Latvian language perfectly. I went to a Russian school, and, although I studied the Latvian language as part of the school curriculum and sometimes spoke it to mother, my knowledge of it left much to be desired in the early 1990s. But I have made progress and no longer used Russian since the 1990s in my work.” ● “I CONTRIBUTED TO LATVIA’S ADMISSION TO THE EU” I read in your resume that you were awarded an Order of Three Stars, Latvia’s highest award, for economic and financial achievements. Could you explain more in detail what for? Is it perhaps about your contribution to Latvia’s admission to the EU? “I formed a fiscal policy department at the Ministry of Finance, managed Latvia’s “MydreamwastotraveltoParis” Inna Steinbuka: the story of a Soviet-era Latvian mathematical economist who became a top European Commission official first Regulator of Community Services, and contributed to Latvia’s admission to the EU. I’d like to emphasize that I am a Euro-optimist. “I have always wanted Latvia and me to be part of Europe. It was my dream. I must have been ‘blacklisted’ and was banned from traveling abroad in the Soviet era. My dream was to travel to Paris. And this dream was perhaps not only mine. This city was associated in me with the heroes of Hemingway and Remarque, and it seemed to me that traveling to Paris was the same as traveling to the Moon. “When we gained independence, I, of course, took part, within my competence, in the EU accession negotiations at the earliest stage. Latvia signed the EU Association Treaty in 1995 and joined the EU in 2004. “I’d like to draw a parallel with Ukraine: frankly speaking, if I had been asked in 1993 or 1994 whether I believed that Latvia would join the EU, I would have said that it would not happen in my lifetime but my children and grandchildren would live in the EU for sure. “But then things began to develop at a rapid pace. Therefore, it is always important to be at the right place in the right time. Both the international situation and successful domestic reforms promoted Latvia’s accession to the EU. So I’d like to wish Ukraine to cope with the homework and wait for a favorable situation, when these two factors coincide.” ● “COMBATING CORRUPTION WAS ONE OF THE IMPORTANT PRECONDITIONS FOR THE ACCESSION TO NATO” And another award from the Ministry of Defense… “My participation in the Latvia-NATO talks was confined to a purely economic expert examination. For, if a country is going to join NATO, it is important not only to observe certain legislative, legal, military, and strategic conditions and criteria. There should be certain objective guarantees that the country will go on developing steadily. For steady economic development is also, to some extent, a guarantee of political stability. “Besides, if a country develops steadily and GDP grows, we can expect the budget to be formed in a stable way, which will allow allocating funds for maintaining the army and for other military purposes. In addition, one of the preconditions for the entry was combating corruption, including money laundering. Stable economic development in turn contributes to the overall reduction of corruption risks.” Incidentally, did the Latvian government or society show any hesitation about joining the EU and NATO? “Indeed, there were hesitations, especially on the very eve of the entry. Latvia held a referendum, and pro-Russian forces spread vicious anti-European propaganda. “People faced ideological pressure, when the very idea of entry was called into question and people were intimidated with terrible consequences. I must say our government was giving a lot of explanations at the time. Public opinion leaders and politicians came out in support of EU membership. This positive opinion overpowered propaganda, and the people strongly supported the entry at the referendum.” ● “HUMANKIND HAS NOT YET DESIGNED A BETTER MODEL THAN THE EU” Ms. Steinbuka, I noticed on your Twitter page that you took part in the debate “Are European Values Universal?” on September 4. I wonder why such debates emerge in Europe. “It’s no secret that Europe has been subjected to biting criticism lately. Criticism can be positive. We ourselves can criticize Europe for not doing something the way we want. And we are doing so in an attempt to help improve Europe. On the other hand, there is such thing as propagandistic criticism, disinformation, and fake news. “Such fundamental values of Europe as freedom of speech, the right of man to life and self-expression, freedom of move- “ I’d like to wish Ukrainians not to lose optimism and faith. In principle, independence has its price. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian people have paid a very high price for their independence, and it will be very good if Ukrainians feel – if not in the next two or three years, then at least in the foreseeable future – that this price was not paid in vain, that they deserve the future they dreamed of, and that this future must come as soon as ” possible. ment, democracy, democratic elections, and rule of law are being called into question. I am naming fundamental things which some political forces in Europe and, first of all, aggressive propagandists in Russia are calling into question. “The EU is, above all, a peacekeeping project. My generation has not known war. But the sensation of war was handed down through the memory of parents. The younger generation cannot always be aware of the ravages of war and the EU’s contribution to the cause of peace. Besides, we have the experience of living in the Soviet Union, where there was no democracy or freedoms. And the next generation does not know what the absence of freedoms and the existence of borders mean in practice, when you can’t travel freely to a foreign country. And when they read some crowd-pleasing or propagandistic statements, many of them believe these. “Alain Lamassoure said at the abovementioned debate that the European Union is a peace project. For there have been no wars on the EU territory since the union’s inception. It is important that the EU is a peace project.” ● “EVEN A WEAK DEMOCRACY IS MUCH BETTER THAN A STRONG DICTATORSHIP” But you can also see different tendencies in Europe and even the US, when some voters want to have a strong leader who will address their problems. What will you say to this? “This shows that people doubt the efficiency of the system and begin to seek an alternative. Not all remember, know, or take interest in history. Meanwhile, the historical examples of some strong personalities vividly show what this can lead to – to Stalinism, Hitler, or even Ivan the Terrible. “For this reason, humankind can invent nothing new. There is either a democracy or a dictatorship – without any alternative. In my opinion, even a weak democracy is much better than a strong dictatorship. Read more on our websit
WWW.DAY.KIEV.UA DAY AFTER DAY No.47 SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 3 ■ EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW By Mykola SIRUK, The Day The international conference themed “The Building Integrity Initiative Day for Top-Level Leaders: Building Integrity as a Vector for Change” was held in Kyiv recently. Let us recall that the Building Integrity Initiative came into being as the result of a 2007 conference organized by the NATO Economic Committee during a meeting of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC). The conference dealt, among other issues, with the connection between reducing corruption and increasing the efficiency of defense resources management. Within the framework of the EAPC, the building integrity project is carried out in accordance with the Action Plan which envisages activities in 10 different directions. It sets out main areas of these activities as follows: the development of an education module under the guidance of the UK, the development of a Self-Assessment Questionnaire under the guidance of Poland, and the Swissguided preparation of a Compendium of Best Practices. Meanwhile, the 2008 NATO summit, held in Bucharest, officially approved the Building Integrity project. In particular, the final declaration of the summit states that the heads of state and government give priority to “several new practical initiatives, which include building integrity in defense institutions.” The participants of the aforementioned conference in Kyiv included a representative of Colombia, which became NATO’s global partner, the first in Latin America, this May, namely director of the Colombian War College Major-General Francisco Javier Cruz Ricci. The Day started conversation with him by asking why Cruz Ricci chose a military career and whether he regretted making such a choice now. “I was very young when I decided to choose a military career. At that time, I was only 14 and our country was plunged in a war with terror. I have served in the armed forces for 35 years, and I grew up as a professional and as a citizen there. And today I am pleased to have devoted almost all of my life to serving my country.” ● “CORRUPTION HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT BY PRODUCING AND STRENGTHENING SOCIAL INEQUALITY” Why do you see integrity and the fight against corruption as the most important issues, and why have these topics become so urgent now and in particular in the security and defense sector? “I think that the lack of integrity and corruption are linked. When we consider the lack of integrity, we think of an individual who does not have the qualities such as responsibility, discipline, loyalty. Therefore, he or she is a person who can easily be bribed and will commit acts of corruption since he or she does not adhere to the legal norms or ethical principles that a person must follow. “This is very important, since corruption has a negative impact by producing and strengthening social inequality. It also protects the network of complicity between elites where the corruption process is generated. To counter this problem, it is necessary to introduce a holistic governance approach involving all ministries and agencies where the creation and implementation of an anti-corruption strategy involves everyone. However, the fight against corruption must be carried out jointly and in the same way, based on the values and principles that are reflected in the activities of all those who are involved with the government. “These issues have indeed become urgent and periodic. Recently, the public has realized that power is concentrated in the hands of a few, while the general population suffers from inequality and lacks opportunities for progress. Finally, I think this issue is relevant in the military sphere, On the connection between legitimacy and integrity Colombian Major-General Francisco Javier CRUZ RICCI: “The Ukrainian army has earned its authority...” since we must restore the public’s faith in an institution where a transparent and responsible army is consolidating. Military legitimacy must be strengthened in other ways as well, always working for the common interest, and not for interests of certain groups.” ● “THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION MAY BRING ABOUT A NATIONAL MOBILIZATION” And how, in your opinion, can one measure overall integrity in certain areas? “Integrity, if viewed from the standpoint of anti-corruption, is associated with a totally holistic approach to the problem, which means that we must consider structure, doctrine, culture, analysis, and implementation. This should be understood as approaching excellence in terms of legitimacy and transparency in order to counteract corruption.” And what impact does your country’s culture have on integrity? “Looking at the positive side, the fight against corruption within the framework of a country’s culture can lead to a national mobilization, that is, a consolidation of the national government in its entirety. It is about attempts to attack or destroy a threat that is detrimental to national security (in this case, corruption). Such national mobilization can be supported by those who seek to secure a better future for our country and encourage such values as transparency and fundamentals of the fight against corruption.” ● “I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT PROFESSIONALISM AND INTEGRITY DISPLAYED BY THE UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES” What do you think about Ukraine in this regard, in particular, about integrity in its defense and security sphere? “I had the opportunity to learn about professionalism and integrity displayed by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Just like in our country, we are duty-bound to the civilian authorities to be like that, and we respect the faith in democracy and the domestic order of the nation. The Ukrainian army has earned its authority and recognition through invaluable work it has done, always protecting the integrity and sovereignty of your country. The fact that security and defense professionals are present here today demonstrates their interest in the NA- TO Building Integrity Program and reflects an interest in continuing to achieve high standards in terms of legitimacy and transparency.” What recommendations, in your opinion, should be given to Ukraine for increasing or strengthening integrity in the defense and security sector? “I think that it is necessary to do the following for this purpose: - To strengthen the organizational culture. - To strengthen military capabilities. - To enhance the technological transformation. - To create a military organization that would be reliable, modern, simple, flexible, fast, and deadly. - To strengthen the standardization procedures. - To establish a model of military education. - To use human talent and competence. - To promote the development of the nation.” ● “COLOMBIAN INTERESTS AS A GLOBAL PARTNER OF NATO ARE FOCUSED ON ACHIEVING THREE MAJOR GOALS” Major-General, why was it important for Colombia to become NA- TO’s global partner, its first in Latin America? “Currently, geopolitical competition encourages nations to interact with each other and find potential partners to create alliances that reflect a new strategic orientation and aim to contain threats that affect the integrity of the nation. Since its foundation, NATO has become a multilateral global security organization, a security space, so Colombia used this advantageous opportunity to become a global partner in Latin America and one of the key players on issues such as security, defense, and democracy. Colombian interests as a global partner of NATO are focused on achieving three major goals: 1. Facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience in combating traditional and non-traditional threats, based on close cooperation with NATO member states. 2. Participating in NATO programs such as the Building Integrity one to increase our legitimacy. 3. Increasing Colombia’s ability to influence the international system through multilateral channels and military cooperation systems (alliances). “As a global partner of NATO, we can implement strategies to deter new threats. This program provides us with the opportunity to put in place appropriate military practice that benefits the defense system and make resource management much more effective, as well as to safeguard human rights. Through this engagement, Colombia can seize strategic advantage in promoting national interests (welfare of the society) and strengthening its armed forces, getting our integrity recognized and confirmed. Finally, the accession of Colombia to a partnership with NATO presents high-level opportunities for the development of national security and defense.” ● “WE, THE SOLDIERS, HAVE DEFEATED THE OLDEST TERRORIST GROUP IN THE WORLD” How easy is it to implement integrity in the defense sector of Colombia, given its decades-long struggle with the FARC? “Of course, it was not easy to achieve recognized transparency through the NATO Building Integrity program while our armed forces were 100 percent committed to defeating terrorism and bringing peace to Colombia. But we did it, even though it cost a lot of effort to the men and women of the Colombian Armed Forces. Today, we can show the world that we, the soldiers, have defeated the oldest terrorist group in the world that has agreed to join the peace process and that our processes that tax public resources are carried out transparently, giving the people of Colombia the legitimate armed forces they deserve. “Finally, security and defense are two key elements of a nation. It motivates us to work with other countries to limit risks, dangers or external and internal threats, in order to promote international peace and stability. The participation of Colombia in the NA- TO Integrity Program has enabled us to exchange good practice knowledge that we used to strengthen our integrity and transparency and focus on minimizing corruption in our military institutions. “To do this, we have created an organization that is subordinated to the highest level command. This organization is called the DANTE. This Spanish-language acronym stands for the Office of the Application of Norms of Transparency in the Army. The DANTE provides a preventive approach and is involved with all processes in our armed forces. “Colombia was plunged into the conflict for over 56 years. Thanks to the capabilities of our armed forces, we were able to overcome the existing threats. Colombia has become an example for the international system; our country has a great deal of experience which it can share, and especially with you, with whom we share the principles and values, with whom we are interoperable outside collectives and in our ways of thinking and acting. The Colombian Armed Forces, just like armed forces of all NATO member countries and partners, are institutions that are constantly learning and improving.” Den’s 20th International Photo Contest Submission deadline extended until September 30 Some 1,800 photos have been received from 120 contestants. The Editors, aware of the photographers’ scrupulous approach and tight schedule (no weekends without the camera), have decided to give them another two weeks. This year’s 20th Photo Contest is entitled “Front Page Photo” – the best pictures will be on Den/The Day’s front pages, followed by the traditional photo exhibit at the Ukrainian Home in Kyiv toward the end of October. The jury will select photos with emphasis on public moods and the most important events in 2018. A total of 129 photo exhibits have been held over the past 19 years and 809 contestants have received awards. Last year, 240 photographers from Ukraine and abroad submitted 3,500 pictures and 300 were put on display. Den’s photography editor Mykola TYMCHENKO, winner of the 16th Photo Contest’s Grand Prix: “Last year’s trend has continued this year; the photos we receive are increasingly less political and more on the positive daily life side. There are lots of photos about the rehabilitation of men wounded in action. The war [in the east of Ukraine – Ed.] is there, of course, but an increasing number of photos show men in position, rather than hostilities.” He adds that submissions are traditionally from across Ukraine, with Kyiv topping the list, followed by the front-line city of Mariupol, except that in 2014-15 its photographers submitted mostly pictures with war scenes and now most are about life in peacetime. This year we want to alter the front page stereotype. We are sure that there will be quite a few “unconventional” photos. Please note that if you don’t see your picture on page one, this doesn’t mean that it won’t be part of the final display. As usual, the contest standings/classifications are “Politics,” “The Ukrainian World,” “Photo with History,” and “The World through Children’s Eyes” (for contestants aged under 18 only). Make up your mind and vie in our contest. It’s very easy: ■ https://day.kyiv.ua /en/ content/international-photocontest-day-newspaper, ■ pay UAH 100 entry fee to help us with the organization and other costs, ■ fill in the online questionnaire, ■ email your photo(s) and a copy of the entry fee receipt. Help us upgrade Ukraine’s number one front page!
Page 1: SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 ISSUE No. 47 (11
Page 5 and 6: WWW.DAY.KIEV.UA CLOSE UP No.47 SEPT
Page 7 and 8: WWW.DAY.KIEV.UA CULT URE No.47 SEPT

#47_1-8

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?