The Aspen Institute Kyiv held the seminar “Development of the Culture of Integrity: From Theory to Practice”
On July 26-27, the Aspen Institute Kyiv conducted the “Development of the Culture of Integrity: From Theory to Practice” seminar. The institute engaged leaders from various fields in dialogue, including public officials, members of the Ukrainian Parliament, judges, journalists and editors, public intellectuals, and representatives of law enforcement agencies.
According to Denis Poltavets, Director of Program Development at the Aspen Institute Kyiv, integrity is a key topic in the organization’s activities. The institute aims to establish a developed, open, and democratic society in Ukraine; integrity is one of the prerequisites for this.
Integrity as a Moral Choice
Participants explored the nature of integrity to understand better how to develop a culture of integrity in Ukraine. It was suggested that this concept is not limited to integrity, meaning internal consistency and coherence of one’s actions. Integrity should involve a moral choice and an orientation toward goodness.
Overall, integrity is an organic combination of a person’s morality and competence. However, this trait is not something defined once and for all and can vary depending on one’s role in relationships with others.
Fighting Corruption vs. Building Integrity
The way leaders understand a phenomenon shapes society’s overall attitude towards it. Therefore, during the seminar, special attention was given to the public perception of integrity. Participants felt that an excessive focus on dishonest behavior, essentially corruption, undermines trust in the state and its institutions. This concern extends not only to Ukrainian citizens but also to foreign partners, whose support is critically necessary.
Instances of dishonesty by public officials receive significant publicity, creating the impression that corruption is pervasive. However, the reality is different, with many unknown examples of conscientious service.
One solution might be to replace the accusatory discourse of “fighting corruption” with a positive-oriented discourse of “building integrity.” In this context, participants emphasized the importance of preventing corruption crimes.
Fostering a Culture of Integrity
Participants delved into the development of a culture of integrity. They concluded that learning integrity should be practiced by resolving ethical or moral dilemmas encountered in daily activities. For instance, students should address questions like “Is it right to let classmates cheat?” Detailed analysis of such questions creates a foundation for establishing integrity as a societal norm.
In the context of education, there was also discussion about the need to develop the market for educational services — increasing the number of NGOs, businesses, and other providers fostering integrity among established professionals.
During the “Ethical Dilemmas in Public Service” session, participants identified current ethical dilemmas, including reserving workers from militarization, participating in international events alongside Russian representatives, and ensuring quality and safe education. Viacheslav Rudnytskyi, Chief Executive Officer at Savvy, moderated the session on ethical dilemmas in public service.
Participants worked on proposals for developing integrity in public service, including initiatives to increase the openness of relevant institutions, media projects, systems to encourage honest behavior by public officials and more. They also emphasized the importance of the role of leaders and public intellectuals in establishing a culture of integrity.
Оlena Fomina, Policy Program Director at the Aspen Institute Kyiv, coordinated the event.
Denis Poltavets, Director of Program Development at the Aspen Institute Kyiv, and Roman Kobets, Research Fellow at the H. S. Skovoroda Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, moderated the seminar.
The Aspen Institute Kyiv remains open to supporting initiatives to develop a culture of integrity in Ukraine and promote public service. The team sincerely thanks the partners for supporting the series of events.
The seminar is supported by the House of Integrity Project, which is implemented by RMTeam International with the support of the European Union and its member states, Germany, Poland, Denmark, and Slovenia, under the “U-LEAD with Europe” Program.
It is worth noting that on June 25, Aspen Institute Kyiv also conducted the seminar “Integrity and Governance.” The dialogue focused on the causes of dishonest behavior, effective communication of integrity, and the consideration of this concept as a legal and philosophical category.
