UKRAINIAN PLATFORM MEMORANDUM
OF INTERCULTURAL CITIES
Representatives of the Ukrainian cities of Melitopol, Yuzhny, Lutsk, Zhytomyr, Pryluky, Nizhyn, Khmelnytsky, Vinnytsya, Kherson gathered in Kyiv, signed the Memorandum of the Ukrainian Platform of Intercultural Cities and, thus, gave an official start to the Ukrainian network, to which Ivano-Frankivsk and Pavlograd already joined today.
Memorandum — the document is declarative, which testifies to the desire and the city’s intention to contribute to the implementation of the EU and Council of Europe “Intercultural Cities” program. The memorandum of the Ukrainian platform for intercultural cities is based on the fact that:
а) The world processes of deepening the cultural diversity of cities and countries do not bypass Ukraine, demanding new approaches to solving social, economic and cultural problems.;
б) the vast majority of cities in Ukraine are historically not monocultural, but as a result of the interaction and coexistence of different cultures during their development;
в) the traditional non-conflict and respectful existence of different national cultures in the local communities of Ukraine can become a reliable point of support for the formation of a policy of intercultural interaction of a new level;
г) An intercultural strategy for developing cities, tested and developed within the framework of the EU / Council of Europe program “Intercultural Cities”, allows cities to introduce new methods of governance, public participation, cross-sectoral interaction, project approaches, etc. for a successful future development.;
д) cooperation with existing networks and associations of intercultural cities in Europe, Italy opens opportunities for successful cooperation, exchange of experiences and ideas;
е) Ukraine actively supports the principle of intercultural dialogue offered by Europe and makes it a priority of its policy, drawing on such important documents as the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the Council of Europe’s White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue, 21st Century for Culture “and others.
The Ukrainian cities that signed this Memorandum agree:
а) promote the creation of a platform for Ukrainian intercultural cities, translating the ideas of the EU / Council of Europe program “Intercultural Cities”, guided by the principles and approaches of this program, using the methodology, tools and expert resources of the program to promote the successful development of Ukrainian cities and their active interaction with European networks;
б) to develop and agree on a joint action plan for the next three years and a plan for international cooperation with networks of intercultural and creative cities in Europe;
в) to invite the Ukrainian government to consider the platform of intercultural cities of Ukraine as a state target program for 2012-2015.
г) develop ideas for creative projects in selected cities, joint projects within the platform and international projects with European cities;
д) encourage new cities to join the platform;
е) promote the creation and maintenance of a special website of the platform of Ukrainian intercultural cities and the dissemination / exchange of information and knowledge between cities in Ukraine and Europe;
є) determine the mechanisms of project implementation at the international, national and individual level.
The aim of the Ukrainian platform for intercultural cities is to: study and apply the best practices of European cities in the development of successful local communities, using cultural diversity resources; the introduction of new forms of good governance at the local level, which will take into account the interests of different groups represented in the local community, unite the efforts of different sectors, mobilize internal resources and achieve results that affect the quality of life of the community; to establish close creative and partnership links between local communities in Ukraine and Europe, which will promote the development of individual industries or local industries; to make priority partners and participants in the education, culture, economy and media process.
In order to ensure the implementation of this Memorandum, the parties shall establish a Working Group to meet at least twice a year in one of the participating city platforms, inviting to these meetings the partners and experts from the Council of Europe and the EU. The Center for the Development of Democracy through Culture is coordinator of the implementation of this Memorandum.