Nesterova M. Institutional factors of freedom of conscience and religion in the example of Kazakhstan and Ukraine.

The relevance of the problem under study is directly related to contemporary Ukraine, which is characterized by crisis conditions in many spheres of society. We are talking about the economic, political, religious, and cultural aspects of the modern life of the Ukrainian people. There have always been threats to the national security of the Ukrainian state. These include external aggression and border violations, crime, ineffective governance, etc. Today there are specific threats to Ukraine national security, religious security, and the very existence of our state. The modern world is characterized by two main trends: on the one hand, we can speak of the process of secularization; on the other hand, the process of the actualization of religiosity, a certain religious confrontation that we observe and trace in the twenty-first century. Today, inter-civilizational contradictions of a fundamental nature are becoming more pronounced due to the ethnic and confessional characteristics of countries and international communities. Factors of the religious life of Ukrainian society in general and of individuals, in particular, should be taken into account in the process of formulating both foreign and domestic policy. The fact is that there are many confessions in Ukraine, and the interests of all their representatives should be taken into account in the formulation of domestic policy. Moreover, in the twenty-first century, non-traditional religious movements are spreading in Ukraine, among which there is a sufficient number of destructive movements and sects. Taking into account the attitudes and activities of religious groups, more attention should be paid to ensuring institutional factors of freedom of conscience and religion, and by making some comparison with the Republic of Kazakhstan, this will help to better identify and implement recommendations to ensure support for freedom and freedom of religion. In addition to military, social, and environmental security, we believe that the creation and existence of such institutions should also include an institution of religious security.