About Ukrainian education reforms and things which really unites and divides the people of one country
Miroslav Marinović, Ukrainian human rights activist and scholar of religion, founding member of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group and organizer amnisterskogo movement in Ukraine, vice-rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv. A man whose opinions heard. Probably, most of the democratic parties of Ukraine would like to see Miroslav Francovich on their lists, but for the most Marynovych success is not measured by the steps of the career ladder. One of the most influential Ukrainians told Politeka of Ukrainian education reforms and that really unites and divides the people of a country.
Miroslav Francovich first met with the KGB in the university years – for criticizing the Soviet policy. In 27 years, Miroslav Marinović has become a founding member of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group, and since then has come under constant surveillance. And then – the charges of anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda, imprisonment and exile, 150 days in a punishment cell, and hunger strikes.
This time Miroslav Francovich refers to one of the brightest periods of his life, because that is the conclusion made, according to a human rights activist, as “the man with the backbone.” Regularly refusing all offers to enter parliament, according to its mission involvement in changing the mentality of people and speech to parliament prefers to communicate with young people.
Politeka: Independence, volunteering, united opposition of the enemy Ukrainians, but can we say that we really become one? whether society needs, in your opinion, in the transformations, or the path to unity can be considered passed?
M. Marinovic: We discussed a lot about this in Nestorovskoy group, and came to the conclusion that a nation has already been created, and now it needs to be upgraded. This problem was I could be formulated differently. On the Independence, and especially during the war with Russia, a nation united common problem and a common desire to protect themselves from the enemy. It is a powerful unifying force. But the war end sooner or later – and then what? In other words, we need to rapidly develop a positive concept of a single state, so that the people united around shared values, which are so powerfully voiced Maidan: human dignity, national and religious freedom, the rule of law, public morality and social justice. Public demand for these values is – do not have enough faith in what we can for them to become successful.
Politeka: Ukraine is now going through a very difficult time, which was the legacy of a paternalistic state, in which we have lived for so long. You travel a lot, and, in your opinion, if there is Ukrainians – on both sides of the Dnieper River – a desire to return to a usable form of life as paternalism?
M. Marinovic: Actually, we are from a paternalistic state has not yet emerged. Of course, society has changed significantly compared with Soviet times, but a chronic state management system is not dismantled. We still make the “hole course” repair the old Soviet way. Oligarchic system abuses paternalistic instincts of the population does not develop small and medium-sized businesses – that is, precisely those who overcame a paternalistic stereotypes. Therefore, Ukraine has not yet sounded the march “Farewell of Slav”, but the truth and that we are already very close to this. But regional differences are insignificant, and sometimes in Dnepropetrovsk can be found a more dynamic business elite than in Galicia.
Politeka: In his publications and interviews You’re saying that the Ukrainians are united East and West, they have the same expectations and aspirations. But why, in that case, there is a conflict where the line that divides people?
M. Marinovic: The border does exist, but it is mobile. In the early 1990s, it was held on Zbruch. While in Galicia were intensive processes of ideological and religious restructuring – then point the finger at Galicia as a region with an expressive “inflammation”. Presidential and parliamentary elections later times indicated that this boundary initially approached the Dnieper, then spread through him and to “win” the north of Ukraine. Then he stopped, having fenced off a so-called South East. Today, “inflammation” is precisely in this part of the country. Gone was the homogeneity of the local political orientations, once a single monolith disintegrated into fragments, which are active – in pain and agony – looking for a new identity. Technically, one could say that the occupied territories of the Crimea, Donetsk and Lugansk regions just passed a new frontier, but this conclusion may be premature. Nobody spent here independent surveys, and the consequences of the occupation for many may be unexpected. Therefore, we will not jump to conclusions, let us instead build a free and democratic Ukraine – and let God do the rest.
Politeka: Besides the fact that different regions of Ukraine are carriers of different ideologies, they speak at least two languages. Periodically there talk of “non-discrimination of the Russian language.” A striking example – “language law” Kolesnichenko-Kivalov, which could exacerbate the division of society. Euromaidan virtually removed this item from the agenda, but the problem remained. Which can reduce the degree of confrontation and, if possible, remove the language issue? And whether it is necessary Ukraine approved at the state level bilingualism?
M. Marinovic: Model of two state languages in Ukraine is bad, and therefore unacceptable. It is not conducive to the public understanding, but on the contrary, it would be complicating. It’s like that line up on the stadium runners on long distances on the same starting line, ignoring the fact that they then have to run different distances. This ostentatious justice that turns into a lie. Because of the long period Russification Ukrainian language has to “run” at a much greater range and therefore legal handicap should be mandatory for it. But the language problem actually is an instrument of the evil policies when for “bilingualism” the idea of hiding the idea of Russian monolingualism in the already non-Ukrainian state. Moses Fishbein well remarked, saying: “The danger is not in the fact that Russian will become the second state, and that the state would become the second Russian. ” Independence has twice confirmed that when people are equally defend the Ukrainian statehood and dignity, the voltage of the language problem simply disappears.
Politeka: There is much talk about the fact that reforms and promises are not met, does not change anything at all. People are starting to get tired. Do you think that’s what the Ukrainians can cause disappointment in what is happening in the country?
M. Marinovic: The other day I had an interesting conversation with an American who knows the Ukraine. It is not surprising slowness of reforms and maximalism of Ukrainians who want at a time “to jump to Heaven” and not able to see those real changes that are already transforming their lives. Here it harms not just the desire for more and utopian hope that everything can change quickly, and psychological fatigue, if everything does not happen immediately. But the Anglo-Saxons, according to my companion, well aware that the long journey can be overcome only small but successful steps. Therefore, we must believe in the Ukraine, and keep in mind that these steps do not have to “someone in Kiev”, but we ourselves.
Politeka: One way or another, but quite most of the news and conversations are now feykovye. Staged events, rumors, subjectivity (subjectivity especially influential persons), the emotions and the absence of a critical attitude to the news – all these factors affect the information field and, accordingly, those who follow him. We are all aware of the propaganda machine of the Russian Federation, but why produce false Ukrainian opinion leaders, consciously designed it? How to resist the lies?
M. Marinovic: Lie there for as long as humanity exists. This utopia – to think that you can get rid of it. But the feature of present-day time becomes a man’s inability to distinguish between truth and lies – and this is a great danger. Previously, the Soviet regime was forced to put the jammers, because people had enough to hear the voice of the free world – and they recognize the truth. Today, Putin’s regime jammers are not necessary – people already zombified so that it is not able to distinguish truth from falsehood. It is because our goal – to restore to the people the proper value basis, which is able to save the situation.
Politeka: How do you assess the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Bureau? Do I need to lyustrirovat officials stole millions from the budget, or whether they need to be immediately judged?
M. Marinovic: Ukraine must act the rule of law. This means that the abuse of power crime must be punished. The question is how it is, depends on the seriousness of the crime: someone needed lyustrirovat, and someone – a judge. Justice must also be sensitive to genuine repentance and be able to distinguish it from evil justifications “Kolyadniki-judges.”
Politeka: A very important question of education in Ukraine. How do you see Ukrainian higher education in five years? Which universities will remain, which will be closed due to reforms and conscious choice of students? What, in your opinion, should be changed in the system of higher education?
M. Marinovic: This question can not be answered in one sentence. The Soviet system of higher education also powerfully acted paternalism: universities have been selected freedom, instead of the state, “spoon-feed”. With this must be dealt with. Universities should receive tangible autonomy, thus becoming responsible for their status and level of education. You have to be prepared for the fact that to find a new balanced system of European education in Ukraine will not be easy – it takes time and proactive educators. But this way we must go.
Interviewed by Alla Bakr
Sourse, 18/05/2015
