Management of cultural diversity in Ukraine: needs, real achievements and debates

Lviv Regional Institute of Public AdministrationNational Academy of Public Administration

Under the President of Ukraine

Warsaw, KSAP, January 19, 2010

Antonina Kolodiiakolodii@gmail.com

http://political-studies.com

Importance of a national unity for a society in transition

“The [transitional] model starts with a single background condition: national unity…

It simply means that the vast majority of citizens in a democracy-to-be must have no doubt or mental reservations as to which political community they belong to”.

Dunkwart Rustow

Quadruple transition

Building and preserving of the state

Privatization,market reforms

Political liberalizationand democratization

National consolidation

Political liberalizationand democratization

2

Renewing of a nation-state

Privatization,return to market

relations

Political liberalizationand democratization

Privatization,market reforms Political liberalization

and democratization

1

4

3

-5-

-1- -2-

-3-

WESTERN (MODER-NIZED) SOCIETIES

TRADITIONAL (PRE-MODERN) SOCIETIES

-1- COMMUNIST TOTALITARIAN AND AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES

-2- TRANSITIONAL SOCIETIES WITH TEMPORARY (RESIDUAL) FEATURES OF AUTHORITARIAN RULE

-3- INSTITUTIONALIZED POSTCOMMUNIST AUTHORITARIANISMS

-4- NON-LINEAR TRANSITION AND HYBRID (MIXED) REGIME WITH FEATURES OF DEMOCRACY, OCHLOCRACY AND OF BISANTINE-TYPE BEHAVIORAL AUTHORITARIANISM

-5- CONSOLIDATED POSTCOMMUNIST DEMOCRACY

UKRAINE‘S TRANSITION(‘MUDDLING TROUGH”)

-4-

Nonlinear TRAJECTORY OF UKRAINIAN TRANSITION

What is national integration

Integration means achievement of such a level of socio-cultural unity of the population, which is regarded sufficient for the effective functioning of social and political institutions of a national state (in certain existing conditions)

Importance of national integration

In general – this is a traditional liberal value. Liberal theory states that integration is essential for generating solidarity and patriotism within every national democratic state

In a young state with a non-consolidated nation – this is the only means to avoid the doom of a “failed state” – through building up secondary, umbrella-like political (civic) identity, common for all groups

Modes of national integration

Assimilation (Liberal policies throughout XIX century and to of some countries – until now)

Amalgamation (“Melting pot” strategy, successful in Latin

America and to some extent – in the USA)Multiculturalism

(Post-modernist proposition that includes many trends and interpretations – from leftist radical to conservative; all of them recognize not only individual but group rights, though to a different degree)

Means of national integration

Fostering national feelings (with the help of myths, symbols, rituals, including holidays, historical education)

Resolving problems of minorities Developing societal culture and

officially protected languages as a pivot of general civic national identity

The scope of problems

Ethnic-cultural diversity in Ukraine

In ethnic aspect Ukraine is a moderately diverse society: two biggest ethnic groups in the country – Ukrainians and Russians – embrace over 95% of the whole population.

Almost all tensions in cultural sphere are connected with these two groups and their two languages.

Ethnic Ukrainians are divided in the proportion of 2/3 to 1/3 into Ukrainian and Russian speakers.

Most important cleavages in Ukraine are: regional, ethnic, linguistic, political/ideological, religious

Ethnic diversity in Ukraine, census 2001

Ethnic structure of Ukraine

(10 major groups with the population over 100,000; national census 2001)

Ethnic group Number of people Percent in 2001 Percent in 1989

Ukrainian 37,541,700 77.8 72.7

Russian 2 8,334,100 17.3 22.1

Belarusian 275,800 0.6 0.9

Moldavian 258,600 0.5 0.6

Crimean Tatar 248,200 0.5 0.0

Bulgarian 204,600 0.4 0.5

Hungarian 156,600 0.3 0.4

Romanian 151,000 0.3 0.3

Polish 144,100 0.3 0.4

Jewish 103,600 0.2 0.9

Dynamics of the ethnic composition of Ukrainian population

72

,7

77

,8

22

,1

17

,3

0,9

0,6 0,6

0,5 0 0

,5 0,5

0,4

0,4

0,3 0,3

0,3

0,4 0,3 0,9

0,2 1,2 1,8

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80u

krai

nia

ns

russ

ian

s

bie

loru

ssia

ns

mo

ldav

ian

s

krim

ean

tata

rs

bo

lgar

ian

s

rom

ania

ns

hu

ng

aria

ns

po

les

jew

s

oth

er

1989 2001

Repatriation if Crimean Tatars, 1991-2005 (134 967 persons in 2005)

35019

28313

19864

108157842

2932 1637 33831652

9237

21871649212429535360

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Grouping (clustering) of regions by ethnic composition

Linguistic diversity of Ukraine (Ukrainian speakers by regions)

% of people who speak at home Ukrainian, 2000

80-100

60-80

40-60

20-40

0-20

‘SOCIS’ all-national survey, July 2000

Ukrainian language from West to East and South, 2000 “Socis” survey

Ukraine’s regional division (11 regions)

Oblasts, included in 11 Ukraine’s regions

Religious diversity of Ukraine

A.Yurash distinguishes 7 regions with different trends in the sphere of religion and in structure of denominations :

1.Transcarpathion region, where 40% of the population belong to different protestant denominations; among traditional churches dominates Russian Orthodox Church; big but 1,5 less than the former, is community of Greek Catholics, not subordinated to UGC Church;

2. Halychyna – 55 % of religious communities and 60% of the population are Greek Catholics;

3. Bukovyna – Russian Orthodox church has 70% of church communities; protestant denominations are also important;

Religious diversity of Ukraine

4. Volyn’ is a region with rising influence of Kyiv Orthodox Church (35% of communities) and important role of protestant and modern denominations;

5. Central and Eastern Ukraine, including Kyiv: domination of Orthodox Church with clear confrontation of Russian-centric and Kyiv-centric denominations;

Religious diversity of Ukraine

6.South and East of Ukraine is featured by clear domination of Russian Orthodox Church (among traditional churches) and big and rising influence of protestant and modern denominations;

7. Crimea. Here again dominates Russian Orthodox Church, but 10 times smaller Muslim community managed to organized almost the same number of parishes (48% of the whole number)

Romanian Catholics have 1070 organizations, numbering near 1% of believers

Political-ideological division of Ukraine: support of national-democratic and leftist political forces,

according to the results of the proportional part of the parliamentary election 2002

Peculiarities of ethno-cultural diversity in Ukraine

The titular ethnic nation (Ukrainian) is not sufficiently consolidated in linguistic, religious, ideological aspects and did not get rid if its former minoritarian features

The biggest ethnic minority (Russians) represents formerly dominating group, which is not ready as yet to compromise concerning the issues of cultural core and official language in the country

The major cultural / linguistic cleavage (again Ukrainian / Russian) coincides with regional and political cleavages

Peculiarities of ethno-cultural diversity in Ukraine

This entails the threat of institutional fixation of that cleavage, which may turn Ukraine into a “divided” society, incapable to reach consensus by democratic means

Political culture of regions with heavy soviet legacy is rather different from that of the rest of the country and changes very slowly due to foreign influence

Political elite lacks any consistency in the ethnic and cultural policy and further divides society. At present this coincides with low level of government ‘s legitimacy.

Domestic laws for management of cultural diversity in Ukraine:

There are about 30 legal documents that regulate national minorities rights in Ukraine,

Law “On Citizenship of Ukraine” and Declaration of Rights of Nationalities of Ukraine, 1991

Law “On Education”, 1991 Law “On National Minorities in Ukraine”,1992 Several articles of the Constitution of

Ukraine, 1996 Law “On ratification of the European Charter

on Regional and Minority Languages (2000)

International charts and agreements, signed by Ukraine (about 15)

International Pact on Civil and Political Rights,

International Pact on Economical, Social and Cultural Rights,

European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (September 11, 1997),

Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities (May 1, 1998)

European Charter on Regional and Minority Languages…

The Ukrainian Constitution

Exactly, the Constitution of Ukraine sets forth the principle of equality of all citizens before the law and non-discrimination.

The principle is reaffirmed in Article 1 in the Law on the National Minorities of Ukraine, which states, “All citizens of Ukraine enjoy state protection on an equal basis.”

The Law on the National Minorities sets forth:

the right to participate in political life through consultative bodies established on a national and local level (Art. 5);

the right to celebrate national holidays and use national symbols (Art. 6);

the right to freedom of religion (Art. 6); the right to use the language of minority

in official communication (Art. 8); the right to choose freely the nationality

(Art. 11); the right to a name in accordance with

the national tradition (Art. 12).

The Law on the National Minorities also provides…

… a number of cultural rights (Art. 6): the right to education in the national

language, the right to study their national language; the right to develop their national and

cultural tradition; the right to create national cultural and

educational institutions ; the right to preserve their living

environment in the areas of their historical and contemporary setting (Art. 10).

Positive obligations of Ukrainian state

The Ukrainian state has a positive obligation to facilitate the enjoyment of these rights by means of providing training and support (Art. 7).

What are the problems?

Declarative character of the laws Lack of finance directed on cultural

and societal ends Lack of political will to seriously

accept diversity issues Use of diversity problems as an

instruments in political contestation Instrumental approach to establishing

and reforming institutions responsible for diversity management

Institutional aspect

Constant reorganization and, at last, dismissing of the only direct governmental institution for management of cultural diversity – State Committee on nationalities and religion (formerly – and migration) with transferring its functions to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

It was dissolved by the President’s order of Dec.9 on the Optimization of Administrative apparatus of Ukraine.

Major unresolved problems in the relationships of culturally diverse groups

Ukrainian-Russian tensions with regard to ‘hegemony’ in state-building and national consolidation process, historical memory and education

Status of languages (especially, of Russian as a second language which the supporters of this thesis actually try to convert into the first and may be – the only (the singular) one.

Educational rights of minorities and political speculations on them

Crimean autonomy and status of Crimean Tatars New migrants: their official status and attitude to

them Absence of generally accepted Conceptual basis for

Ethno-national Policy

Theoretical and political discussions

What should be the legal definition of an ethnic/national minority

Should it embrace the new immigrants What is a ‘native people’ and what groups

in Ukraine could pretend to this status What does it mean and how should we

allow for the minoritarian features in the position of numerically dominant group of ethnic Ukrainians

Should ethno-national policy be based on the principle of individual or group rights

Factors that could support national integration in

Ukraine

In my view, elaboration of consistent and understandable policy in the sphere of inter-ethnic and inter-regional relations, should be based on 2 concepts:

(1) mild, liberal integrative multiculturalism that provide for equal treatment and support of majority and minority ethnic / cultural groups, resolving their problems and meeting historically caused grievances;

(2) Steps in the direction of civic national consolidation, including radical decrease of regional confrontation.

Integrative

‘Weak’, ‘mild’, ‘liberal’, ‘reconciling’ preserving ethnic cultures

in parallel with expanding umbrella-like political national identity

Mosaic ‘strong’, ‘hard’, 'radical', 'particularistic', defending ethnic

cultures, ignoring interests of a larger community and denying integration as such

Two Types of Multiculturalism(Integration VS accommodation)

Liberal multiculturalism and integration

Instead of cultural homogenization by means of assimilation, contemporary state may effectively use integrative multiculturalism as a means of achieving unity without homogenization.

The aim – national unity and stability – remains; the way of its attainment changes.

A new features of integrative multiculturalism in Ukraine

Taking into account Ukraine’s specific conditions (see peculiar features of its diversity), as well as new trends in the multiculturalism interpretation by scholars, the stress on minority protection in the concept of multiculturalism should be changed for equal government protection for all cultural groups and civic national consolidation

Major challenges that confront Ukrainian society today

Raising level of government’s legitimacy in all regions and consolidating Ukraine’s political community

Excluding immoral practice of politicians’ speculation on ethnic-regional-cultural problems

Elaboration of policy acceptable for different groups in the sphere of minority rights protection

Achieving consensus in the language sphere Formulation and spreading social and political

values, which may be recognized important and common for the whole nation (the so called ‘Ukrainian civic national idea’)

“Constructing” umbrella-like Ukrainian national identity, common for all citizens,