“Inclusive identity is the way to build a strong Ukraine,” – Yuliya Tychkivska.
On the YouTube project “PALATA,” Andriy Tikhoniuk talked to Yulia Tychkivska, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Kyiv, about the social contract of Ukraine, possible challenges that Ukrainian society will face after the victory, future reconstruction, and the global Ukrainian community.
Andriy Tykhonyuk, a high school student and author of the YouTube channel “PALATA,” took an active part in the two-day philosophical seminar for teenagers, “Aspen Teens: Fight for UA dream,” where young people engage in dialogues about Ukraine, national and civic identities, and our future, getting the opportunity to understand themselves and the world around them better through moderated discussions of philosophical texts.
(Re)thinking the social contract of Ukraine: A vision for the future
The full-scale invasion has become a severe test for the entire Ukrainian people. The daily sacrifices require us to be even more responsible when talking about the country’s future, says Yuliya Tychkivska.
“It is important for us to think about our future after the victory, which I hope will happen soon. The Aspen Institute Kyiv, in line with its mission, intensifies the dialogue on the social contract between leaders of different spheres. In the framework of the dialogue, they talk about the future of our country, what we want to create it like, what we dream of”.
Yuliya Tychkivska reminded us that specifically for discussions of the social contract and reflection on the future of Ukraine, the Institute has compiled a collection of essays by leading Ukrainian intellectuals, in which they shared their vision of the future of our society, common principles, and values as the basis for national recovery.
“The Institute has launched a series of discussions for people who care about reflection, an intellectual process of comprehension so that we understand where we have breakdowns and where there is a lack of understanding in building our future. For example, should we include those who left Kyiv and went abroad during the full-scale invasion in the social contract? Or what about those defending the country on the front line and those in the Territorial Defence Forces? These questions do not have an exact answer. However, we motivate people to initiate this dialog in their communities and neighborhoods so that as many people as possible can consciously discuss the future of Ukraine. Through such dialogues, everyone has a broader perspective on many things”.
The various dialogue aim to develop a common denominator of the social contract.
The Institute engages in discussions with leaders from different fields who express different views, but this diversity reflects our society. However, in many respects, the participants of the dialogues almost unanimously agree with each other, says Yuliya Tychkivska.
“Among the values that resonate with Ukrainians, security plays a significant role. Also, the concept of justice, although there are several views on its realization. In addition, during dialogues, the idea is often voiced that entrepreneurs and business will play a major role in restoring social harmony and military personnel as a passionate part of society”.
There are two conceptual approaches to forming a social contract: inclusive and exclusive, says Yuliya Tychkivska. Regarding the exclusive approach, Ms. Yuliya notes that we must still answer painful questions. Amid fatigue, people become more definite about them, moving away from each other.
“Another approach is inclusive. Many factors are divisive in the historical context, but they were not so. In other words, people of different religions, faiths, and ethnic origins coexisted normally in Ukraine. Therefore, an inclusive identity is the way to have a strong Ukraine.
Also, one of the questions often raised in discussions is whether we should exclude those who left Ukraine from the social contract. This is not constructive. We have to perceive those who left as global Ukrainians. As a country, we need to ensure people do not disown Ukraine and that all their thoughts are about Ukraine and focused on post-war reconstruction”.
