Bohdan Hawrylyshyn, 86, is among those rare Ukrainians who has become a global citizen. For the last 50 years, he has lived between Geneva and Kyiv. He started his professional career as a woodcutter in Canada and ended up as an economy adviser to the Ukrainian government.
In 1988, he
helped start the International Management Institute, the first business
school in Ukraine. In this Kyiv Post interview, Bohdan Hawrylyshyn
shares his experience on how to solve some of Ukraine’s tough problems,
which he believes will only be solved by the nation’s young generation.
Four factors for success
Bohdan Hawrylyshyn: “I found some four points Ukraine may learn to
transform. The first is full political freedom.It should be also a
certain level of economic well-being and social justice. But the most
important factor for Ukrainian society is to live in symbiosis with the
biosphere rather than in ruination and pollution.
So Ukraine needs to
follow those countries with such characteristics. Sweden, Norway,
Switzerland, Austria and Germany have them all. Of course, it’s also
about Canada, even though that’s a little bit far.”
Studying abroad
BH: “In this case, it can be good for Ukrainians to study abroad and
come back to Ukraine. The problem is that at least 50 percent of
students aged 20-30 would go away from Ukraine. So the country would
have to go through transformation before these people understand they
can live and work here. The best choice is to study in Europe,
especially in Scandinavian countries, Germany or Switzerland. The
students may found there which model can be used in Ukraine.
On the
other hand, I found the U.S. can’t be the best model Ukraine should
follow. The legislative process in the U.S. is not reconciliation of
individual or group interests for public good, it’s about public
lobbies. Beyond the current economic system it has – human being has no
value there. People are treated as resources; they’re utilized and then
thrown into the social garbage after that.”
Ukraine on way to European Union
BH: “Ukraine’s image is terrible now. It can be improved only if
Ukraine manages to implement a range of reforms mentioned in the [trade
and political] association agenda. But I don’t think it will be done by
May. It’s not important for me that Ukraine should strictly become a
member of the EU, because it is in a bad shape itself. It has a poor
governmental system and too much concentration in Brussels. I remember
that [President Viktor] Yanukovych as a governor of Donetsk didn’t allow
a single Russian investment in Donetsk as he wanted to be a boss there.
He didn’t want to be under Russia’s pressure. Now he’s balancing between
East and West. On the other hand, Europe wants Ukraine actually. But the
process of Ukraine’s transformation is much more important than
membership itself. I think, Ukraine should become a federation or even
confederation, so the regions will have much autonomy. If you give
people more autonomy, the situation comes better. That’s why we have to
learn much from Switzerland.”
Bohdan Hawrylyshyn Charitable Foundation
BH: “Many young people want to improve the situation in Ukraine, but
they don’t know where to start. So, the [Bohdan Hawrylyshyn Charitable]
Foundation tries to hint them. They are free to create a group with at
least one lawyer, economist and ecologist – and then learn one of the
countries for one year (it can be Austria, Germany, Norway, Sweden and
Switzerland).
The most important task for them is to see what makes
these countries so effective. After analyzing how that countries work
these groups should go into the local councils to implement their
knowledge there. And in some years they will be able to go to the
Parliament with this critical mass. Ukraine needs total transformation
and it’s a challenge for the younger generation. Young people can be
effective, because they know languages (at least English), while
Ukraine’s prime minister knows little Ukrainian. They can use
contemporary methods of work as they have been abroad.
And they’re not
being warped by the Soviet experience. Also they don’t maintain some
good things it had – little bit of as social justice, for example.
People in power don’t know how to change it. Opposition is not likely to
do something – they aren’t united and don’t have clear ideologies. But I
believe that it’s possible to transform the country. We have such
situation during 1990’s elections in Ukraine, when at least 25 deputies
were from political prisoners; there were poets, writers and more over
dreamers – Ukraine’s intelligentsia. And they really wanted independent
and democratic Ukraine and have clear vision on it. That process has to
be repeated now.”
Ukraine’s way to change
BH: “All the top countries are not in search of national idea – they
already have it. But Ukraine still needs to find it as it can be
unifying thing. That’s a sad part of our history: we’re inferior – and
many people still feel it. Yet I spoke with students in Lviv, Kharkiv
and Donetsk.
They are concerned on how regional differences may endanger
Ukraine’s sovereignty. I noticed slight differences between the
students. The great difference is between those students and the old
people from the Party of Regions. Well, appropriate political system can
help here. For example, Switzerland is held by its political system.
It’s a stakeholder democracy – people decide about essential thing
themselves (in the communes) and it’s better than strong vertical
(power) Ukraine has. I‘ve never heard of one single person in western
Switzerland (French-speaking part of the country) wants to join France.
They have no slightest decision to join Austria, Germany or European
Union. Swiss would rather think of EU to join Switzerland. So, the
unifying can be in a vision – what country we should have. And it’s not
only about the language to unite people.”
Dreams
BH: “I want to inspire young people and show that everything starts as
a dream. In December 1988, we created the International Management
Institute. I need to admit that it wasn’t based on a huge business plan.
I had a two-hour discussion with Borys Paton (the president of National
Academy of Sciences of Ukraine).
It took some time to register so we
launched first MBA program in 1990. It was during the Soviet Union, but
I remember the reaction from Izvestia newspaper. “If you want to study
business come to Kyiv,” read the headline. So the thing is that – put a
lot of focus and energy into the dream and transform it into reality.”
Kyiv Post staff writer Olena Goncharova can be reached at
[email protected]
