Development of civil society in the context of implementation of the principle of democracy
Authors: Kleschenko Natalia 
Published: August 2023

Introduction. The full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation caused an unprecedented strengthening of the role of civil society in all areas of state activity. In particular, the activity of citizens in the country’s defense system and volunteer activities has increased. This could be traced in the context of the adoption and implementation of state decisions during the implementation of a number of reformsand in the fight against corruption, control over the actions of authorities, and so on.

The aim of the article. The purpose of the article is the scientific and theoretical substantiation of the development of civil society in the context of the implementation of the principle of democracy already in the post-war period.

Results. Speaking about the principle of democracy, which is realized through the participation of the people in the formation of state authorities, in the implementation of legal policy, in the creation and improvement of the legislative body, we inextricably link it with civil society as a form of development of democracy.

The historical origins of civil society are characterized. It is noted that the historical stages of the formation of the idea and institutions of civil society in Ukraine largely coincide with the periods of growth in the political activity of society and the periods of state formation and restoration of statehood. It is emphasized that, on the one hand, civil society is an important condition for the functioning of democracy, on the other hand, democracy constitutes a certain political foundation for the development of civil society, which contributes to its normal functioning. However, there are a number of problems in this direction that need to be solved. In particular, it is lobbying, strong alienation of citizens from the authorities, corruption, etc. And despite the significant steps taken to correct this situation (in particular, a number of anticorruption bodies have been created), one gets the impression that these are more formal steps needed to fulfill the conditions for European integration, while in practice nothing changes.

It is proposed to pay attention to the following directions in the concept of the development of civil society in the context of the implementation of the principle of democracy: 1) creation of civil organizations based on interests, charitable funds, societies, associations (for example, focused on solving the problems of victims of war, social and psychological rehabilitation of combatants) and development of various forms of public self-government and self-activity; 2) improvement of the political and legal culture of the population, formation of civic competences, creation of new opportunities for citizens’ participation in the management of state and public aff airs, adoption of foreign experience in this field; 3) raising the level of social consciousness, overcoming the phenomena of social passivity, since it is not only about the presence of democratic institutions and procedures and awareness of the population, but also about the ability of this population to live in the conditions of democracy, to use its benefits, in readiness for constant improvement of the political system in accordance with changes in specific historical conditions and social transformations;4) strengthening of freedom of information and publicity, openness of society with the involvement of the widest possible connections with the foreign world.

Conclusions. It was found that the greatest integration potential for the successful completion of democratic development in Ukraine after the end of the war is civil society, which is based on a high level of civic competences and civic responsibility. Civil society should become a reliable foundation of human rights and freedoms, contribute to the development of the democratic principle of unification and consolidation around the European civilizational choice of Ukraine.

Key words: civil society, democracy, power, state, civil responsibility, civilcompetences, political system.