The government is required to include culture in the program of financing the reconstruction of Ukraine from the EU

[ad_1]

The Cabinet of Ministers is required to include the field of culture and creative industries in the three-year program of support for the recovery, reconstruction and modernization of Ukraine announced by the European Union. It was approved by the European Parliament on October 17.

The proposed EU Aid Fund for Ukraine provides for the implementation of a new instrument called Ukraine Facility. With its help, Ukraine will be allocated during 2024-2027 50 billion euros in the form of grants and loans for recovery

During July-October, the Ukrainian government is working on the concept Ukraine Plan. This is a plan that justifies where and for what purposes European funding will be directed.

Representatives of the sector of culture and creative industries have prepared an appeal to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, in which they demand to include recommendations for supporting the industry in the EU funding program. The letter states, in particular, that MKIP sent relevant proposals to the Ministry of Economy, but they were ignored.

Because of this, the Prime Minister is asked to instruct the Government to approve the composition of the working groups that will finalize the proposals and be able to submit them to the Ministry of Economy.

Among the priorities, the authors of the letter suggest the following:

• support of cultural heritage during the war;
• maintaining access to culture at the community level;
• access to modern Ukrainian-language cultural products (for war veterans, Ukrainian refugees);
• development of existing cultural institutions – the Ukrainian Cultural Fund, the Ukrainian Book Institute, the Ukrainian Institute;
• important reforms such as: reform of the system of management and protection of cultural heritage; reform of the system of cultural institutions at the national and local level; reform of funding of the system of providing the population with cultural services, etc.

Signatures under the appeal can be left on October 25-27, 2023. So far, among others, the document has already been signed by: cultural manager Yulia Fedivcultural anthropologist Mykola Skybacultural manager, ex-deputy minister of culture Halyna Hryhorenkochief director of the Kyiv Academic Theater of Drama and Comedy on the left bank of the Dnieper Tamara TrunovaUKF expert, doctor of philosophy Natalia Kryvda and other.

How is the development going? Ukraine Plan

Business consultant and executive director of the economic development agency PPV Knowledge Networks Volodymyr Vorobey in September emphasized that “the development of this Ukraine Plan is shrouded in darkness” and “there is no page with information about the process“. At the same time, he advised preparing proposals publicly.

At the beginning of October, the first deputy minister of economy was responsible for the development of the concept Oleksiy Sobolev announced that public organizations will also be able to join the discussion of the plan.

Oleksiy Sobolev at the presentation of the Plan of Ukraine

After that, representatives of the sector of culture and creative industries prepared proposals and developed a draft document, which takes into account the areas most in need of funding.

As the project participants said “Restoring Ukraine together”, who joined the process, on October 19, a meeting of representatives of the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, the cultural sector, as well as representatives of civil society took place. The concept of the plan was to be discussed at it.

“It became clear that the government does not see culture, art and creative industries in terms of the Ukrainian Fund, and the meeting itself was held, obviously, for the sake of simulating the involvement of all interested parties in the discussion“, Restoring Ukraine together are convinced.

Screenshot of the document with recommendations

“Those who drew up the mentioned version of the Plan of Ukraine in their understanding of culture are at best at the stage of behaviorism, and at worst are simply continuing the Bolshevik approach, society – it’s just “human material.”“, the cultural anthropologist, co-founder of the NGO “Agency of Cultural Strategies” wrote in his column on NV after the meeting with the Ministry of Economy Mykola Skyba.

[ad_2]

Original Source Link