ISER acted as a partner of the presentation of the public initiative #SOSfuture to foreign diplomats

On April 5, representatives of ISER took part in the diplomatic breakfast "Humanitarian default as a threat to the national security of Ukraine", where the public initiative and platform #SOSfuture was presented. Within the framework of the new cultural initiative, residents of Kyiv and regions are photographed against the background of the objects of sociocultural infrastructure that are under threat of extinction. The initiator of the event was the public organisation Art Ukraine Foundation.

The project provides for the creation of an interactive map of Ukraine with all the objects, photos, and descriptions of which were sent by Ukrainians.

The event was attended by representatives of the embassies of Romania, Estonia, France, the Netherlands, Norway, the United States, as well as the British Council in Ukraine and the Austrian Cultural Forum. Representatives of the Council of Europe and the Lithuanian Seimas also took part in the breakfast.

As the member of the ISER Board Yurii Mironenko said, it is very important that not only such analytical centres as ISER but also regional institutions join the audit of objects of the socio-cultural heritage and their potential for the development of tourism in this or that region.

“We are ready to join the next stage of the project and help to ensure that every object on this interactive map is accompanied by economic calculations and justification: how many jobs will be created, if the facility is restored, what is its potential as part of the region's tourism infrastructure, how much can it bring to the local and the state budget, the international potential of the facility and the like. Experts from the regions must also be involved in this work. This project is interesting for us also because it is consonant with our research "The New Regional Policy for Renewed Ukraine", which our experts presented last week in Krakow at the III European Congress on Local Self-Government”, - says Yurii Mironenko.

The Board Member of ISER adds that the analysis of such a large amount of information is a big work, for the implementation of which it is necessary to involve donor organisations and international experience.

In turn, the Chairman of the Art Ukraine Foundation, Natalia Zabolotna noted that the restoration of cultural heritage sites would increase the number of tourists in this region, in which it is located.

“The interactive map that will appear as a result of the project is not just a list of problems, but first and foremost a map of opportunities for Ukraine. We will try to calculate what income will bring restoration of a castle, museum or centre, if, for example, invest UAH 50 million in its restoration. We would like to calculate how much money will be returned to the budget, due to the development of the tourist route, how many souvenirs can the local residents sell, how many educational programs and excursions will be launched, what will the reputational benefits for the region and the country be and to what extent will it stimulate the internal and external tourism”, - explains Natalia Zabolotna.

The importance of the initiative for the regional development of Ukraine was emphasised by the Director of the Kyiv Office of the Kennan Institute Kateryna Smagliy. In particular, she noted that uniting the efforts of communities and think tanks is a unique precedent that makes the project more viable.

“It is very important that this project is based on the initiative of people, communities, who themselves find objects and mark them on the map. These are primarily objects of socio-cultural infrastructure that require attention and are under threat of extinction. Such initiatives, which unite the efforts of people in the field and think tanks, have much greater potential and prospects. However, the support of international partners and the advice for such a successful experience in the world are very important”, - said Kateryna Smagliy.

The project #SOSfuture did not accidentally unite two analytical centres – the Institute for Social and Economic Research and the Kyiv Office of the Kennan Institute. In November 2016, both institutions already held a roundtable at the Parliament "Promoting the interests of Ukraine in the world through cultural diplomacy and information policy in 2017".

Learn more about the initiative here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/271102759989619/