Interregional Academy of Personnel Management

December 18 in the hall of the Academic Council of IAPM Discussion Club held a meeting on the theme "Decommunization: challenge for the past or for the future?"

At the beginning of the meeting the Acting Rector of IAPM and Vice-rector for educational and methodical work, General Director of the Presidential University Nikolai Kurkov greeted everybody:

"Today, the topic is decommunisation. After all, the Ukrainian society in different age groups related to this issue varies considerably. I wish you all a fruitful work!"

The meeting was attended by leading Ukrainian scientists and specialists from various disciplines. During the meeting people heard a number of interesting questions: "What does Decommunization?", "What is it for?", "Three waves of decommunisation in Ukraine: what has been done?", "How was going Decommunization in Central Europe?", "What is the restitution?", "Decommunization - the real deal or a distraction from it?", "What is more important - external or internal changes?", "Education of European values ​​- will replace of names on the map help the society?", "How can we change society?".

An interesting discussion and debates got performances of scholars: General Counsel of National Institute of memory Serhiy Ryabenko, Vice-rector for scientific and educational work ofIAPM, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor Nikolai Holovaty, Director of Aliev Ukrainian-Azerbaijan institute of social sciences and self-governance, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor Ivan Bidzyura, Doctor of Social Sciences, Professor Yuri Surmin and others.

In report Ivan Bidzyura characterized question of decommunisation goals in Ukraine, new ​​waves of decommunisation. During the discussion, Sergey Ryabenko stressed that the best definition of concept of "decommunization" is the definition given by the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in 1996:

"Decommunization - a process of overcoming the legacy of former totalitarian regimes, elimination of totalitarian legislation, management practices and policies of the new mentality".

Also, the chief lawyer of National Institute of Memory of Ukraine noted that in the process of decommunization the most important stage is the ultimate objective - namely, the change of consciousness of state citizens.

Professor Mykola Holovaty said in his report on the main issue of discussion "Decommunization: call for the past or for the future?", that it is a challenge both past and future:

"The past - in terms of implementation of the social practice of communist ideas not only in Ukraine and Russia, but also in many countries around the world. And the future - in terms of strategy formation of large community of society. Each ideology as a system of ideas has a right to exist. Even if one person believes - it is his right. If you just pass a law and ban the Communist Party, it will be only the law, which should all abide by, but in the minds of millions of people, it will not be long".

Nikolai Fedorovich also noted that there is an ideological pluralism in Ukraine - no single ideology. In his opinion, the best ideology for the Ukrainian society was the "Ukrainian national conservative", which is in the interests of society and mentality of the Ukrainian people.

At the end of meeting, Ivan Bidzyura announced following the meeting of IAPM Discussion Club about decommunisation:

• II-meeting with participation of IAPM students in February 2016;
• III-meeting with participation of local authorities in March 2016.
• As a result of 3 Discussion Club meeting will be published book with abstracts.

Olga Korobiy