The article considers the peculiarities of local government reform based on the examples of Ukraine, Poland, and Latvia. It is substantiated that the Ukrainian vector of European integration requires the implementation of the principles of deconcentration, decentralisation, and subsidiarity in the local governance systems. It is indicated that regional disproportions in the development of the territory of Ukraine, the inability to implement the reform on the ground in specific administrative-territorial units, the spread of corruption schemes – all these are the consequences of an ineffective model of local self-government and public administration of regional development, inherited from the Soviet system, which requires fundamental changes. Broad powers for sub-regional units characterise the Polish model of the administrative-territorial structure. However, this model is underpinned by a high level of political activity and community self-awareness. The Latvian experience of decentralisation of power emphasises the basic principle of success: the volunteer approach to the reform’s implementation. In conclusion, it is proved that for the successful implementation of the Ukrainian local self-government reform, the following factors are necessary: firstly, the victory of Ukrainian armed forces against the military aggression of Russia; secondly, the elaboration of a legal framework for the development of local self-government and the support of society; thirdly, qualified personnel capable of continuing the implementation of the local self-government reform.
The war initiated by the Russian Federation against Ukraine in 2022 can be seen as a drastic shock event with unpredictable long-term socio-political consequences at the national, regional and global levels. This study aims to identify the impact of war-related disturbances on the dynamics of social cleavages in Ukraine, in particular the possibility of deepening or diminishing such cleavages or promoting the occurrence of new ones. For decades, the internal partition of Ukraine into East and West has been attributed to national self-identification, linguistic and religious peculiarities and the geopolitical preferences of residents of different regions. Shortly before and after the outbreak of the Russian invasion, fundamental changes in Ukrainian society and domestic politics became evident, some of which can be interpreted as signs of the mitigation of social cleavages. Our findings revealed at least two significant shifts in these ‘old’, traditional cleavages: one occurred after the Revolution of Dignity and the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, and the second one is emerging now, due to the full-scale war on Ukrainian territory against the Ukrainian people. More broadly, this research aims to assess the resilience of social cleavages in the face of a shock event.
Na terenie województwa łódzkiego działają trzy ośrodki wsparcia ekonomii społecznej (stosowany skrót: OWES). Podstawową rolą takich ośrodków ekonomii społecznej są usługi doradztwa dla istniejących podmiotów ekonomii społecznej i szkolenie osób zainteresowanych założeniem przedsiębiorstwa społecznego. Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie działań ośrodków wsparcia ekonomii społecznej ukierunkowanych na wspomaganie przedsiębiorstw społecznych i rozwój ekonomii społecznej w regionie łódzkim. Ewaluacja ich działań i wynikające z tej analizy wnioski mogą mieć znaczenie praktyczne dla rozwoju ekonomii społecznej. Materiał badawczy opiera się na badaniach desk research projektów: „OWES – wsparcie ekonomii społecznej”, „Łódzki Ośrodek Wsparcia Ekonomii Społecznej”, „Ośrodek Wsparcia Ekonomii Społecznej Centrum KLUCZ”, „OWES – rozwój ekonomii społecznej”, realizowanych w latach 2016–2017, badaniach Regionalnego Centrum Pomocy Społecznej w Łodzi oraz wywiadach CATI przeprowadzonych z koordynatorami ośrodków wsparcia ekonomii społecznej działającymi na terenie województwa łódzkiego.
The accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant was one of the largest in human history. It is often referred to as a global event because its effects were felt not only by Ukrainians but also by the populations of Belarus, Russia, Central Europe, the Balkans and the Scandinavian Peninsula. 2022 marked the 36th anniversary of this terrible occurrence, when the history of Ukraine in the late twentieth century was divided into two parts: before the tragedy of 26 April 1986, and after it.
Today, it is important for Ukrainian society not only to recognise the significance of the catastrophe and remember its victims but also to find ways to overcome its grave consequences. This requires comprehensive research useful for developing new approaches to minimising the environmental and socio-demographic problems caused by the Chornobyl tragedy. Thus, this research has practical scientific, humanitarian and socio-political significance. The novelty of the obtained results lies in the study’s critical rethinking of the achievements of predecessors and its analysis of historical sources concerning the environmental and socio-demographic consequences of the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant as they manifested from 1986 to 2022.
The methodological basis of the work is empirical cognition. The use of logical-analytical methods of grouping and typology allows us to classify homogeneous events and coherently present the material of the article. The study additionally uses comparative judgment, historical-statistical and problem-chronological methods. The principles of objectivity and impartiality also play an important role in the work.
The purpose of the study is to investigate the consequences of the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident on the environmental and socio-demographic aspects of the population of Ukraine from 1986 to 2022 based on the identified set of sources. From a historical perspective, the level of pollution in the territories of Ukraine is traced, the demographic situation is monitored, and parallels are drawn between the Chornobyl disaster and the increase in incurable diseases and mortality.
In conclusion, the authors note that although 36 years have passed, the echo of this catastrophe remains tangible for the population of Ukraine. Several issues still must be solved. The first is the return to life, namely, the safe living and management of areas that have been exposed to radiation contamination, as well as the continuation of work aimed at restoring agricultural soils. Second, purposeful work must be conducted by the state to minimise social and demographic problems resulting from the Chornobyl catastrophe. In our opinion, the government should increase expenditures aimed at providing quality medical services to the population of Ukraine, as well as conduct constant monitoring of the health of those people who are at high risk in order to better detect diseases in their early stages.
These groups of people include liquidators of the consequences of the accident and migrants. Such measures can stabilise the demographic situation by increasing birth rates and reducing mortality, as well as improve the health and living standards of the population of Ukraine.
Miasto jest obrazem zamieszkującego je społeczeństwa, dzieli wraz z nim jego los. Sytuacja Warszawy jest zatem pochodną sytuacji Polski – dużego, ale stosunkowo słabo rozwiniętego kraju położonego na peryferiach Europy. Ogólnokrajowe uwarunkowania sprawiają, że miasto to nie znajduje się w gronie najważniejszych europejskich metropolii. Jednocześnie duży napływ inwestycji zagranicznych i obecność w Warszawie filii międzynarodowych korporacji zapoczątkowały metropolizację miasta zrujnowanego przez wojnę i źle odbudowanego wg wzorów realnego socjalizmu. Zderzenie „starego” i „nowego” jest przyczyną kontrastów i braku nierównowagi. Podobne zjawiska obserwować można także w miastach Trzeciego Świata. Istotne jest jednak pytanie, czy te kontrasty zmniejszają się, czy przeciwnie – utrzymują, a nawet rosną? Tekst ten jest próbą odpowiedzi na to pytanie.
Wraz ze zmieniającymi się uwarunkowaniami migracji Polaków do Niemiec również przypisana im niewidzialność wykazuje znamienną ewolucję: od intencjonalnego ukrywania się do świadomego wtapiania się w lokalne struktury społeczno-przestrzenne. Szczególnym laboratorium różnorodności zachowań społecznych polskich migrantów jest Berlin, uchodzący za wielokulturową metropolię, przyciągający nowych obywateli, nie tylko w celach zarobkowych, ale coraz częściej – samorealizacji. O ile niewidzialność migrantów zarobkowych wynika raczej z wyobcowania w nowym kraju, o tyle przedstawiciele lifestyle migration świadomie wtapiają się i integrują z różnorodną kulturowo społecznością berlińską. Celem artykułu jest identyfikacja obecności i form codziennego funkcjonowania polskich migrantów w Berlinie w kontekście niewidzialności
Decentralisation in Ukraine is an important factor in the development of a democratic system of government. The reform of local self-government aims to create new relations between citizens, local authorities, and the state. The aim of the article is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the local government reform in Ukraine and other countries in order to identify its main advantages and disadvantages as well as indicate ways to overcome the existing shortcomings in this area. The study determined that decentralisation in the country leads to democratic transformations of society based on civic initiative and responsibility, as well as provides a decent standard of living and quality services at the local level. The introduction of decentralisation can be observed in almost all areas, including administrative, political, financial, and social. This significantly affects the potential of the population and increases the responsibility of public authorities to the population. There is an increase in the level of public services with regard to economic, legal, political, social, and ethnic issues. Finally, proposals were made to make changes in the field of local self-government in order to overcome the existing problems in this area.