Spiritual development of the individual is an important priority of the Constitution

There is no future for the people who are not focused on their own improvement, who do not care about the new generation
The current turbulent time in the world community is characterized not only by economic instability, but also by a spiritual crisis. According to scientists, it manifests itself in the fact that the set of values inherent in the mass consciousness, including children's and youth, is largely destructive and destructive from the point of view of the development of the individual, family and state. 
The crisis of the family, the low level of spiritual and moral culture of many modern parents. Incompetence in matters of spiritual formation and upbringing of a child, loss of the family function of transferring significant cultural and life values to children. These trends are spreading in almost all States.
Undoubtedly, at the new stage of reforms, the priority for Uzbekistan is not only the solution of political, economic, social issues, but also, above all, problems related to the upbringing of a person, the formation of his moral qualities. The ongoing constitutional reform will make it possible to determine which political, legal, socio-economic, spiritual and moral principles, values and interests will be the main ones for us. 
The issue of spiritual and moral education is far from simple, it requires serious attention and continuous work from every person, from every family, society and the state. The words of the great educator Abdullah Avloni are extremely relevant: "Education for us is a matter of life or death, salvation or death, happiness or misfortune."
The force protecting the nation
Central Asia, along with the world's oldest civilizations, has made a significant contribution to the formation of the cultural image of modern humanity and enduring values. At one time, different religions were spread in our region: Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. 
A global mutual enrichment of cultures has been taking place in Uzbekistan for centuries. Nomadic peoples got along with the sedentary, Persians — with the Turks, Muslims — with Christians and Jews. All this
has created a mosaic ethnic composition of the region, hence the ethnic, cultural and religious tolerance of our people.
The cultural heritage of Uzbekistan accumulates social and cultural ties, life experience, millennial achievements that our people have achieved in science, art and production. It focuses on morality, law, customs and traditions, literature and art, history lessons. Thanks to the reforms carried out in the country, powerful layers of spiritual culture have opened up, clearly changing the national psychology towards patriotism, national pride, openness to the whole world.
Since ancient times, such criteria as the respect of the younger generation for their country, love for the Motherland and loyalty to the Fatherland have been the focus of attention of scientists and thinkers. It is impossible not to note the great importance in the upbringing of the younger generation of historical roots, rich intellectual heritage left to us by great ancestors — Ahmad Yassawi, Bahauddin Naqshband, Abu Rayhan Beruni, Abu Nasr Farabi, Abu Ali Ibn Sina, Imam al-Bukhari, Imam Termizi, Amir Temur, Mirzo Ulugbek, Alisher Navoi, Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur and others. As Ahmad Yassawi wrote: "The existence of humanity is unthinkable without spiritual impulses, and a person who has no goals, who does not know worries, is like animals."
One can endlessly enumerate the components of Uzbekistan's spiritual heritage, but the main thing is that it immensely broadens people's horizons, enriches their lives intellectually and emotionally, and serves as an inexhaustible source of knowledge. At the same time, it is dangerous to forget the experience and heritage of the ancestors or abandon them. As the saying goes, "if you shoot the past with a pistol, the future will shoot you with a cannon." It is important to understand that spirituality protects the nation, national culture, way of life, it is the potential of self-preservation and self-development of the people.
Culture and youth — comprehensive support
The construction of a new Uzbekistan is a continuation of national development at a new stage, with an even deeper study of our ancient history, unique cultural heritage. A lot of work is being done to develop culture, cinematography, literature, music, crafts, dance and other types of art. For an objective and comprehensive study of the national history, there is a Center for research of cultural values of Uzbekistan located abroad, a Coordination and Methodological Center for the Modern History of Uzbekistan at the Academy of Sciences, the Uzbekiston Tarikhi TV channel.
To increase the role and importance of creative unions in the life of the country, to strengthen their material and technical base, a public fund for the support of creative figures of Uzbekistan "Ilkhom" was created, as well as together with large companies and banks - "friends clubs", patronizing cultural institutions. In Tashkent, an Alley of Writers has been created on the territory of the National Park, a new building of the Writers' Union has been built, creative schools bearing the names of outstanding writers and poets have been built in a number of regions. Kokand City, Khorezm, Jizzakh and other regional drama theaters have also been reconstructed, and the Fergana branch of the Uzbek State Institute of Arts and Culture has been organized.
In order to study and popularize the scientific and spiritual heritage of great theologians and thinkers who have made an invaluable contribution to the development of Islamic civilization, the international research centers of Imam Bukhari in Samarkand, Imam Termizi in Surkhandarya and Imam Maturidi in Tashkent, as well as the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan, are operating. They help to develop an idea of what great deeds our glorious ancestors devoted themselves to, which allows us to form a sense of pride in our rich history and culture.
The Center of Islamic Civilization under construction in the capital is intended to play an important role in the in-depth study and international promotion of the rich spiritual heritage of our people, as well as in educating the younger generation on the basis of national and universal values. 
Indeed, we place the greatest hopes on the youth — the decisive and creative force that owns the future of the country. The country has created the necessary conditions for the realization of the life goals of young people, and their problems are being solved at the level of state policy.
In recent years, about 80 legislative and regulatory acts have been adopted on these issues, including the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On State Youth Policy" of September 14, 2016. At the suggestion of the President, June 30 was declared Youth Day. A concept for the development of the state youth policy in Uzbekistan until 2025, a concept for the development of physical culture and mass sports for 2019-2023, a National program for the development and support of reading culture for 2020-2025 have been developed.
Institutional structures have been created to encourage young people to become comprehensively developed, highly educated citizens and patriots. These are the Committee of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis on Youth, Culture and Sports, the Youth Affairs Commission under the Legislative Chamber, youth parliaments under both chambers, the Youth Affairs Agency, the Institute for the Study of Youth Problems and the Training of Promising Personnel, the Youth Academy under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, and others.
At the initiative of the President, the "youth notebook" was introduced — an absolutely new system of support and employment of unemployed boys and girls. Since 2020, a micro-credit system for youth entrepreneurship has been introduced, and the practice of providing loans to young people without collateral for starting their own business has been introduced. Established in September 2018, the El-Yurt Umidi Foundation provides grants to talented young people who are eager to do science and study at leading foreign universities. In the country, special attention is paid to the work on training highly qualified personnel in the field of information technology. Within the framework of the strategy "Digital Uzbekistan-2030", 89 projects have been implemented in the regions and more than 200 in industries, the project "One million programmers" and others are being implemented.
At the same time, it is important to remember that the foundation of our future is laid in the family, in kindergartens, schools, and tomorrow depends on what kind of education and upbringing our children will receive. Now the country is reforming all levels of education — from preschool to higher education. It is necessary to instill spiritual and moral principles in children from preschool age so that they become the foundation of a creative, thinking, creative personality. At all educational stages, highly qualified personnel are needed who will be able to contribute to the development of abilities and the identification of talents among children and young people.
 

Not a distant goal, but a real program
All of the above does not mean that there are no problems. They are there, and they need to be solved. The processes of globalization and technologization are increasingly deforming human consciousness, replacing the traditional moral psychology of thoughtful perception with consumer psychology. That is why, in the context of the ongoing constitutional reform, we must realize the existing problems and consolidate in the Basic Law the extraordinary importance of the spiritual and moral education of the younger generation. In this regard, it is particularly important to consolidate in the Constitution the norm that the state and society take care of the formation of children and youth commitment to national and universal values, pride in the rich cultural and spiritual heritage of the people, a sense of patriotism.
The adoption of this constitutional norm will make it possible to cover the entire system of education and upbringing — from kindergarten to university with large-scale work on the upbringing of harmoniously developed youth. Only the joint and systematic work of the state and the whole society will allow us to educate young people who are capable of creating new, creative, thinking, emotionally sensitive, ideologically and morally formed. The spiritual development of the individual should not be a distant goal, but a real program of education. One of the most important stages of its implementation is the formation of love for your country, your native land. Patriotic education consolidates society. 
Love for the Motherland does not allow the worst qualities in people to manifest themselves — indifference, selfishness, cynicism, unmotivated aggression. Therefore, now our youth need heroic examples not only from history, but also real people with real deeds worthy of respect and imitation. We also hope that the constitutional provisions and norms will contribute to increasing the role of schools and educational institutions in the ideological preparation of young people for life in a changed society. After all, the implementation of the program for the spiritual formation of the individual is the most important condition for the progressive and successful development of Uzbekistan in the future.

Karine Javakova,
Doctor of Philosophy, Professor.