"We are launching a platform for Strategic Architects, who will seek, develop, and consult on key systems in Ukraine through debates, meetings, and clubs. Today we have chosen the core system that will define what our country will be like in the future — the humanitarian dimension. You are powerful individuals, and I hope that your joint decisions and steps will influence our country, its strength, and development," said Helena Savruk, Deputy Dean of kmbs and Managing Partner of the Mohyla Strategic Agency, addressing the participants of the meeting "Humanitarian Power of Ukraine."

On December 13, the community of Strategic Architects met to discuss the features of Ukraine's humanitarian development, outline the dimensions that determine the quality of humanitarian policy formation, and develop a joint concept of Ukraine's humanitarian power, which would become a prerequisite for forming the appropriate policy.

Through the prism of various fields of activity, Volodymyr Borodyansky, Liliya Hrynevych, Serhiy Kasianchuk, Ihor Kozlovsky, Yosyp Zisels, Helena Savruk, and the event moderator Yuriy Makarov shared their visions.

Volodymyr Borodyansky, Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports of Ukraine, emphasized that despite the choice made in 2015 towards Western values, research shows that part of society remains in an uncertain state. We still cannot assert ourselves as an object or subject of global policy; we exhibit a blurred identity and an undeveloped value field. A significant portion of citizens is focused on their own problems and does not realize the interconnectedness with the rest of the world's communities.

"If we say that our citizens need common national values, which are the foundation of humanitarian policy, unfortunately, in our schools over the past decades, we have not built this value platform," highlighted the issue Liliya Hrynevych, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine from 2016 to 2019.

In her opinion, the educational dimension of humanitarian policy is crucial for forming the capabilities of future Ukrainians, as mentioned by Volodymyr Borodyansky. One of the steps to improve the quality of education, Hrynevych named the reform "New Ukrainian School," implemented in primary grades and aimed not only at reproducing knowledge but also at forming values and the ability to apply knowledge, as well as acquiring new competencies, including cultural competence. The results of the worldwide PISA study, in which 15-year-old Ukrainian students participated, indicate that education reformers still have a lot of work to do in the upper grades of school.

Continuing the topic of education, Yosyp Zisels, Co-President of the Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities of Ukraine, referred to Ukraine's history and noted that for centuries, the formation of a conscious citizen was mainly facilitated by humanitarian education, which was fundamental. However, after 1917, this educational focus was lost.

Zisels also emphasized that before planning anything strategically, especially when it comes to the fate of the state, one must understand the peculiarities of Ukrainian identity. Currently, our society is between two cultures — Western European and Eurasian, leading to a blurred identity. On one hand, we are not the only example of a state on the path to democratic values. On the other hand, Ukraine's path is unique, as, according to Yosyp Zisels, world history knows no challenge where a large Slavic Orthodox country emerged from the influence of an eastern brutal empire after 400 years of dependence and tried to join Western civilization.

Importantly, the transition to democratic values is an evolutionary path that cannot be artificially accelerated, so the government's task is to create favorable conditions for the development of Ukrainian identity.

Complementing the thesis on identity, Serhiy Kosianchuk, Director of the Ukrainian World Congress Representation, stated that the diaspora cares not only about preserving Ukrainian identity abroad but also about forming identity within Ukraine.

Kosianchuk believes that the diaspora from 64 countries worldwide is an additional resource for representing Ukraine's interests at the international level. He also called for the development of civil society within the country and for filling any actions in the humanitarian sphere with Ukrainian content.

The development of civil society is possible only if Ukrainians are aware of their own subjectivity. This idea was developed during the speech by Ihor Kozlovsky, President of the Center for Religious Studies and International Spiritual Relations: "Any subjectivity is impossible without a humanitarian space. Ukraine for me is not just a certain community of people; it is a hyper-personality with its own worldview, identity, and reactions. And the humanitarian space is like a neocortex that allows for self-reflective choices in various situations.

I can say that after two years in captivity, I concluded that total humanitarian ignorance is one of the basic reasons for the start of the war in Eastern Ukraine."

In the fight against humanitarian ignorance, the media plays a significant role. Yuriy Makarov, a Ukrainian journalist and writer, shared observations on the media crisis, which can be overcome if the problem is correctly formulated.

Quoting Michael Polanyi, Makarov emphasized that part of any message is the author's figure — information does not exist without the personal attitude of the one who creates it. Thus, acquiring subjectivity by Ukrainian media and their awareness of the responsibility for what and how to cover is another challenge we face.

This format of discussion for the community of Strategic Architects took place for the first time and marks the beginning of a series of community meetings on key issues for Ukrainian society.

kmbs, together with the Mohyla Strategic Agency, will continue to serve as a platform for meetings of transformational leaders and system architects, which will become a prerequisite for forming state humanitarian policy, where the focus is on the person, their comprehensive harmonious development, and the protection of their rights and freedoms.

Person in Focus: The Community of Strategic Architects Met to Develop the Concept of Ukraine's Humanitarian Power