The civil power of Lithuania grew – Gargždai

Civic Power Index 2023 research data revealed that the civic power of Lithuanian society has grown over the past year. Although public preparedness for emergency situations is not sufficient, residents want to know their place in the national defense plan and are ready to learn.

Estimated 2023 The average value of the civic power index is 36.7 points out of 100 possible. It is higher than last year, the value of 2022, which was equal to 35.9 points, but slightly lower than the record high value of the first year of the pandemic, 2020 (41.3 points).

The greatest influence on the annual 2023 the change in the civic power index was caused by a decrease in the assessment of possible risks associated with civic activities. For example, from 58 percent in 2022 up to 48 percent the number of respondents who believe that the members of society who currently initiate or actively participate in civic actions could be publicly attacked, slandered, subjected to group bullying, attempts to undermine authority decreased. Similarly, from 47 percent in 2022 up to 40 percent in 2023 the number of respondents who associate the same civic activity with the risk of receiving threats of confrontation also decreased.

“This 2023 the trend shows that after a couple of previous years of public opposition, which was clearly seen in protests, demonstrations and reactions to them, relations between citizens are now normalizing in our society” – says Dr. Ieva Petronytė-Urbonavičienė.

Last year, the evaluation indicators of potential civic activity and civic influence also changed in a positive direction (increase in average values ​​by 1.6 and 1.3 points, respectively, compared to 2022).

in 2023 Lithuanian residents actively donated (52%), participated in environmental clean-up efforts (37%), boycotted or bought goods for moral or political reasons (25% and 23%, respectively), participated in local community activities (25%), signed petitions online (22%).

A separate representative survey of Lithuanian teachers in 2023. at the end, the civic power index of Lithuanian teachers was also evaluated. As in previous years, the results showed that Lithuanian teachers have significantly more civic power than society in general.

Average value of teachers’ civic power index in 2023. – 51.6 points out of 100 possible (14.9 points higher than the society as a whole). Mostly, teachers are ahead of the whole society in their civic activity, and they are also more interested in public affairs, a larger part of them than the whole society say that they would start organizing actions if there were a local, economic or political problem in the country (respectively 48%, 15% and 11 percent of teachers willing to take the initiative). The perception of teachers’ civic influence is also higher than that of all groups in society.

This year’s Civil Power Index study focused a lot of attention on residents’ preparedness for emergency situations and their understanding of their place in national defense. According to Ainė Ramonaitė, professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Sciences of Vilnius University, “the data revealed that the Lithuanian population’s preparedness for emergency situations is poor, but the population wants to know their place in the national defense plan and is ready to learn”.

The survey showed that only 24 percent residents say they have fully prepared water and food supplies for 72 hours (three days), as recommended. Another 31 percent stated that they had reserves, but not enough, and 42 percent replied that he did not have such stocks. 41 percent residents also claim that they do not have or do not know a place that can be reached quickly enough where they can hide relatively safely in the event of military aggression or other extreme situations. Only 10 percent indicated that they knew of a collective hiding place or shelter, others would hide in their own or relatives’ homes. When asked whether they would have somewhere to evacuate to a safer place if war threats or other extreme danger arose in their area of ​​residence, 38 percent. answered that they don’t have such a place, others indicated that they have other housing to which they could evacuate, or that they could shelter with relatives or friends. The possibilities for self-evacuation vary greatly according to people’s social status: the unemployed, pensioners and people with the lowest incomes are the most deprived of a place to evacuate themselves.

When asked if they have discussed the action plan, what to do in the event of an emergency, with their family or other household members, only 28 percent. answered “yes”, and 62 percent answered without discussing such a plan (the rest did not know or have no one to discuss with, as they are single). When asked about discussing the emergency plan at the workplace, only 14 percent. of people indicated that they had discussed such a plan at the workplace.

The survey asked whether people knew what role people like them had in national defense plans in the event of a threat of war. Only 9%, 59% answered positively to this question. answered that they did not know, and 31 percent said they didn’t know for sure, but had a guess. However, almost 70 percent in the next question, they indicated that they wanted to know their role, and 46% would personally like to participate in training or exercises to prepare for emergency situations, including the threat of war. When asked whether the whole society should participate in universal defense and civil resistance in the event of a threat of war, 58 percent. answered “definitely yes” or “rather yes”, 32 percent. chose the answers “rather not” or “definitely not”, and the rest did not know.

The results of the teachers’ survey show that compared to the entire society, teachers are more inclined to defend Lithuania. Although there are almost as many people who intend to defend the country with a weapon as in the entire population (12 percent of teachers compared to 15 percent of the general population), when evaluating this number, it is necessary to bear in mind that among the surveyed teachers, more than 85 percent. consists of women. Significantly more teachers (56 percent compared to 38 percent of the general population) are willing to defend the country by other means.

At that time, 27 percent members of public organizations participating in the study say that they would defend the country with a weapon if it were attacked. 55 percent claims to defend the country in other ways. Members of public organizations also know or assume their role in the event of war better than the general public (20 percentage points more such answers than the general public). The same difference compared to society as a whole exists when asking about the desire to participate in training and exercises in order to prepare for emergency situations. It is true that only 5% of members of public organizations participated in such trainings. In any case, the results of the study show that participation in the activities of public organizations is clearly related to the determination not to be left out in the event of military aggression.

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Lithuania’s civil power index according to scientists dr. Rūta Žiliukaitė, dr. Mindaugas Degutis and prof. Dr. The Civil Society Institute has been measuring the methodology developed by Ainė Ramonaitė since 2007. The index of civic power shows what the public’s interest in public affairs is and how it is changing, civic participation and its potential, the population’s attitude to the available civic powers, and the assessment of the social environment’s favorability for civic activities.

The studies of the civic power index are based on representative surveys of Lithuanian society. Such surveys in 2023. conducted by the public opinion and market research center “VILMORUS” in November 2023. on the 22nd – December. 2 d. after interviewing 1042 Lithuanian residents (18-75 years old) during the “face-to-face” interview, and in 2023 in November on the 24th – December. 11, filling out the questionnaire in the link sent – 409 Lithuanian teachers in all municipalities of Lithuania, forming a sample taking into account the location of the school, type, subject taught by the teachers, age and gender. In the analysis, the public survey data are additionally weighted according to gender and age.

in 2023 The civic power index study was financed by the Ministry of Social Security and Labor of the Republic of Lithuania.

Inf. of the Institute of Civic Power.

Vilias BUTKUVIENĖS photo.