Ukrainian update from Linda Knudsen McAusland

Read Linda's latest installment from her Peace Corps posting in the Ukraine. The OSR-12 graduate is working on the first ever community-based planning process implemented in L’viv and in Ukraine.

Where am I?

I live in L’viv – a very old, European-style city of 1 million people in western Ukraine. Like the rest of the country, L’viv suffers from serious inflation (25%), limited job opportunities (and these are fewer since the economy imploded) and serious ‘brain drain.’

Even though this part of Ukraine was Russian/Soviet for only a relatively short period of time (1930s–1991), the impact of that era is profound. Not unusual for post-soviet societies, there is profound, pervasive distrust of everything and everybody. Collaboration and cooperation just aren’t done — in fact people don’t even talk with one another (outside the family) about political or social issues impacting them. There is a sense of disempowerment and apathy and little appreciation for working towards the common good. For as yet unidentified reasons (thought there are lots of speculations), Ukraine seems to be having a greater difficulty shedding this baggage than other members of the Soviet system.

Why am I here?

The quick answer is because I joined the Peace Corps looking for the opportunity to live and work overseas. I was willing to go just about anywhere, and Peace Corps offered me this country and this place.

What am I doing?

Primarily, cultural planning — the first ever community-based planning process implemented in L’viv and in Ukraine. In reality, we find ourselves engaged in Civil Society Development 101 — our work just happens to be in the realm of culture. Because of the recent history of this community, we are confronted with a population that, with good reason, has developed the habit of reliance on centralized planning and the accompanying abrogation of individual responsibility. Resistance to changing this is very strong, especially in the ‘over 35’ age group — primarily because those folks learned how to successfully survive in a Soviet system — don’t ask, don’t talk, don’t get involved, don’t expect to have any impact, don’t expect to have a role in the development of your future…

With the advent of independence expectations have changed; however, methods for realizing those expectations have not. Add to this a healthy dose of public corruption (L’viv is considered the most corrupt city in the country) and the presence of Ukraine’s own version of the Russian mafia, and I find myself in a very interesting environment — not unlike the one I grew up in — Chicago in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

The key factors informing the design of our work are 1) the pervasive, profound environment of fear/distrust and 2) the power of what has, in a 60-year span of time, become a cultural norm — disengagement. On the bright side, there is interest locally, nationally and internationally in what we are doing. So, I will be extending my stay here until the Summer of 2010 — to finish the second phase of our work and assess next steps. Learn more about our first year (L’viv Cultural Map) and our next steps.