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Krzysztof Zanussi: «We need to learn to recognize our mistakes. Only by recognizing them, you get the opportunity to go forward»
One of the most awaited guests of the International PR-Festival of 2014 was the famous Polish film director and social activist Krzysztof Zanussi. Despite the fact that Mr. Zanussi’s speech was delivered distantly and not «alive», even such kind of participation helped to create a special creative atmosphere at the forum.
His attitude to events in Ukraine and notion of what ways it is necessary to go to build a civilized European society, pan Krzysztof expressed during the morning section «Designing the Future» within the second day of the festival.
Funny, but the main idea, which the famous director tried to convey to the audience, was contrary to the subject of forthcoming discussions devoted to finding of a national idea. According to Pan Krzysztof, the concept of the national idea was originally born in the Russian Empire, and into Ukraine it came as a kind of atavism. From his viewpoint such a way for a modern state – it’s a road to nowhere. Is actually much more important to build a new society on the principles of openness, trust, respect and forgiveness: «... The future of Ukraine is to develop, in my opinion, its modern way of behavior: as for the citizens and the state, and all the institutions of the state as well. So that they became so independent to be able to control themselves by preventing the concentration of power, because the concentration of power hinders development. I hope that now it will happen in Ukraine, that after the Maidan, and such a revolution people will realize their civil rights and civic responsibility.»
Pan Krzysztof noted that to consolidate their achievements Ukraine people must learn to listen to each other, to respect the opinion of opponents and, if necessary, to compromise. «It is important to work out the technique of compromise, positive compromise, creative compromise that will lead to the fact when due to it, the country will move forward. It’s necessary to recognize this, and not consider compromises as betrayal» – he stressed. Mr. Zanussi emphasized the fact that such a practice in Western countries has long become the norm.
Pan Krzysztof has focused in particular on the theme of past mistakes, and gave a number of examples on how national and state worldview in Poland varied at different times. «We have long considered ourselves victims. Now we recognize our guiltiness, because we hope that such errors we don’t do any more as a society, as a state. We recognize that lost our independence and primarily to blame ourselves, not our bad neighbors who have us. We also have recognized our mistakes and our sins against Ukraine and Ukrainians. To admit – it means to become free, and if not admit and to live with it, saying everything was OK – it just kills our dynamics.»
As for Ukrainians director advised to follow the example of Poland in this respect. And called on to discover the strength to abandon ambitions, resentments, and to find common ground in favor of a big goal. «I would say that the only one lesson is important: almost without bloodshed, despite the enormous hatred of one part of society to another, we came to a compromise and repentance, repentance without revenge. I think that's the most important thing. To realize that it is civil society and people should take responsibility and feel that they are masters of their land and even of a small surrounding. So that a man walking down the street, seeing the garbage picked it up and threw it into a dustbin instead of saying that this is a problem of services cleaning the city. So that he was thinking, «This is my problem. I do not want to pass the garbage.» These little things and big things, they coincide,» – highlighted Mr. Zanussi.