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Course

" Civil society in resolving modern conflicts "

Academic year 2024-2025

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Jean Monnet Module Erasmus+

"Civil society in conflict resolution process:

the EU experience for Ukraine"

101084973 — EURoCoRP — ERASMUS-JMO-2022-HEI-TCH-RSCH

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CIVIL SOCIETY IN RESOLVING MODERN CONFLICTS

Course Content (1)

Topic 1: Theoretical foundations of civil society.

Topic 2: Civil society as an integral attribute of modern democracy.

Topic 3: Collective and individual participation in the partnership model of interaction between civil society and state institutions.

Topic 4: Legislative principles for ensuring the functioning and development of civil society.

Topic 5: Political parties as an instrument of civil society participation in government.

Topic 6: Public sentiment, government and civil society.

Topic 7: Modern practices of public activity and self-organization.

Topic 8: Public associations are the basic institution of civil society functioning.

Topic 9: Anti-corruption activities of civil society organizations.

Topic 10: Features of the functioning of civil society in the economic sphere.

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Topic 11: Mass media as a control and information resource of civil society.

Topic 12: Volunteer movement in Ukraine.

Topic 13: The main trends of youth activity and self-organization.

Topic 14: Effective responses to threats to national security: opportunities for civil society.

Topic 15: The Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity as manifestations of the maturity of civil society in Ukraine.

Topic 16: Exercise of the right to civil protest and peaceful assembly.

Topic 17: Identity: the cause or precondition of conflict.

Topic 18: International standards for implementing the right to peaceful assembly and the problems of their provision in Ukraine.

Topic 19: EU engagement with civil society.

Topic 20: Civil society in the Eastern Partnership countries.

CIVIL SOCIETY IN RESOLVING MODERN CONFLICTS

Course Content (2)

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Topic 7: Modern practices of public activity and self-organization

  • Public organizations and movements in the structure of civil society.
  • Concept of public organizations and movements.
  • Public organizations and movements in EU countries.
  • Public organizations and movements in Ukraine.

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Public organizations and movements in the structure of civil society (1)

Civil society includes institutional forms of labor organization, production, distribution, exchange, family relations, relations with nature, standards of rationality, progress, and civil discourse.

Civil society has the following basic elements:

  • voluntary associations of citizens or non-governmental (non-) governmental organizations;
  • local governments; common values, which are the basis of national identity;
  • social movements and political parties that are not at any level of power;
  • independent mass media;
  • public opinion;
  • transparent and publicly controlled elections and referenda;
  • forms of judicial and human rights bodies formed on the basis of citizens (jury panels, municipal police);
  • relevant discursive practices in the field of culture, education, political and public activity, everyday norms of communication and behavior.

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Public organizations and movements in the structure of civil society (2)

According to the Law of Ukraine dated March 22 , 2012 № 4572-VI “On Public Associations”:

  • A Public Association is a voluntary association of individuals and/or legal entities under private law for the exercise and protection of rights and freedoms, satisfaction of public, in particular economic, social, cultural, environmental, and other interests.
  • A Public Association is formed as a public organization or a public union.
  • A Public Organization is a public association whose founders and members (participants) are natural persons.
  • A Public Union is a public association, the founders of which are legal entities under private law, and members (participants) can be legal entities under private law and natural persons.
  • A Public Association can carry out activities with or without the status of a legal entity . A public association with the status of a legal entity is a non-entrepreneurial society, the main purpose of which is not to make a profit.

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Concept of public organizations and movements (1)

Concept of “Public Organizations and Movements” in modern political science arose on the basis of the broader concept of “social associations“ as closer to modern social and political realities. going out from the specifics of the activities of public organizations and movements, they should be considered differentiated.

Public organizations are mass associations of citizens that arise on their initiative to realize long-term goals, have their own charter and are characterized by a clear structure.

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The most common types of public organizations in the modern world are: trade unions, organizations of the disabled, veterans', women's, youth, children's organizations, scientific, technical, cultural and educational, physical culture and sports and other voluntary societies, creative unions, various communities, foundations, associations, societies, and others. Their characteristic feature is the documentation of goals and tasks, organizational and structural support, which, in fact, distinguishes them from social movements.

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Concept of public organizations and movements (2)

What is characteristic of public movements?

  • revealed the diversity of people's attitudes toward the solution of certain social problems. They are no longer dominated by tasks, various restrictions and official regulations. A real opportunity has been created to realize one's goals, unite one's kind and fight for survival in this changing world;
  • the new public movements entered into a fairly tough confrontation with the old established structures, and they largely demonstrated their fighting qualities, loyalty to the idea and, what is especially important, the effectiveness of their work, the ability to lead people;
  • among some of the public formations, organizations or risk groups appeared characterized not only by positive goals, but also by antisocial, criminogenic aspirations. This includes organizations of a pro-fascist, nationalist spirit, which, of course, does not contribute to the establishment of a favorable social atmosphere.

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Concept of public organizations and movements (3)

In order to understand the wide spectrum of public associations and movements, which most often arise outside official state structures and are not included in any schemes, it is necessary to focus separately on their typology:

  • by field of activity – constructively oriented, cognitive, oppositional, amateur, national, etc.;
  • according to the set goals - socially valuable and antisocial, politicized and non-politicized;
  • by interests - economic, professional, socio-political, etc.;
  • by legal status – legal and illegal;
  • according to socio-class characteristics - for example, labor and farming movements;
  • by the level of mass and degree of influence - trade unions, anti-war and feminist movements, on the one hand, and farm movements in the USA or the movement of English dockers - on the other;
  • according to the motivating motives of the emergence - socially aware (unions of veterans, student youth, cooperators); value-oriented ("green" movement, "Chernobyl" union); traditionally determined (religious, national associations);
  • by scope of activity – international, domestic, local;
  • according to the attitude to the existing system - conservative, reformist, revolutionary, counter-revolutionary;
  • according to the degree and form of organization - spontaneous and organized, weak and highly organized.

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Concept of public organizations and movements (4)

Social movements also have a mass character and are created with a specific purpose. However, in contrast to public organizations, these are structurally informal mass associations of citizens and organizations of various socio-political orientations, the activities of which, as a rule, are temporary in nature and most often aimed at the performance of certain tactical tasks, after which they either disintegrate or consolidate into new political ones

parties or public organizations.

The main types of social movements could be classified as follows:

  • political movements (the People's Movement of Ukraine at the initial stage);
  • mass democratic (movements for democratic transformations aimed at protecting human rights and freedoms, anti-fascist and anti-dictatorship, against racial and national discrimination, etc.);
  • social (local) movements ;
  • "new social movements" (anti-war, environmental, neofeminist, etc.).

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Public organizations and movements in EU countries (1)

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) have become essential actors in the social field, particularly in the fight against poverty and social exclusion. They engage in regular dialogue with public authorities with a view to ensuring better implementation of EU initiatives and policies in the EU countries.

The Europe 2020 Strategy for Smart, Sustainable, and Inclusive Growth sets up a new partnership between the EU institutions, national and regional governments, and European stakeholders. The Commission has made it a priority to strengthen these partnerships at the European level.

The EU Stakeholder Dialogue taking place in the framework of the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion is vital to this partnership as it brings together:

  • EU-level NGOs and social partners in the fields of employment, social affairs, and inclusion;
  • representatives of EU Institutions and other international organizations;
  • representatives of national, regional and local authorities;
  • think-tanks and foundations for issues relating to social inclusion.

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Public organizations and movements in EU countries (2)

Through the PROGRESS program , the Commission helps to increase the involvement of several European umbrella NGO networks in the following fields:

Promoting gender equality:

  • European Women's Lobby

Representing and defending the rights of people exposed to discrimination:

The Commission also financially supports smaller networks on the social integration of disabled people.

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Public organizations and movements in EU countries (3)

Promoting social inclusion:

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Public organizations and movements in Ukraine

The activities of public organizations as subjects of public policy are:

  • in the articulation and aggregation of the interests of social groups and strata of the population;
  • in the orientation of the authorities to the solution of socially significant social problems;
  • in the formation of public opinion on current aspects of public life;
  • in mediation between citizens and the authorities.

For this purpose, public organizations can interact with the authorities using:

  • legislative and executive authorities, courts, civil servants, mass media, international institutions, as well as social chambers, tripartite commissions for the regulation of social and labor relations;
  • public hearings, public forums;
  • advisory councils under authorities;
  • public examination, public control, lobbying, organization of public actions (pickets, actions, forums, seminars).

At the same time, the level of influence of this or that public organization is directly dependent on what “entrances” to the corridors of power they have, as in society

distributed power as a whole.

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Sources

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Jean Monnet Actions

Useful links

EURoCoRP

Ostroh Academy, NU

European Commission

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�Thank you for your attention!

Prof. in charge – Sergii Ishchuk , Doc. Sci.

Co-Lecturer - Dmytro Shevchuk , Doc. Sci.

Co-Lecturer - Tetiana Sydoruk , Doc. Sci.

Co-Lecturer - Kateryna Yakunina , PhD

Co-Lecturer - Olena Shershnova, PhD

The National University of Ostroh Academy

https://www.oa.edu.ua/

https://eurocorp.oa.edu.ua/