INTRODUCTION

by CEO of YMCA Lviv Oleksandra Sorokopud

We as international community at this very moment are witnesses of the destruction process in the international laws system. On Decemer 5 1994 Ukraine signed the Budapest memorandum where volunteered to agree on its non – nuclear status and destroy all nuclear weapons. USA, Great Britain and ruzzia guaranteed safety and security together with protection to all the Ukrainians.

Ukraine showed itself as a country of real Christian values choosing to build the Piece by nonviolent methods. It was a move and a choice of trust and cooperation. In 2014 russia annexed Crimea and invaded Eastern regions of Ukraine. That was the time when russia presented its ultimatum on using nuclear weapon on Ukraine if Ukraine will strongly resist. Ukraine was not protected but attacked. 

Since the full scale invasion in 2022 russia manage fully destroy seven Ukrainian cities with terrorist attacks and bombing, invade the nuclear power station, destroy the water dumb and use numerous threads on useing nuclear weapon. Non of these actions were stoped by international community. Moreover, while violating the Budapest memorandum and a number of international treaties russia is still the member of UN Security council and representatives of its civil sector claim that international spaces should be “beyond politics”. We, Ukrainians, do not have access any more to such a privilege – get beyond politics. For Ukrainians today get beyond politics today means to die or get tortured and killed by russian soldier tomorrow. We hide kids in basements and bathrooms (no windows) from russian soldiers every day. And all international treaties and agreements are not working in a way that they may prevent or stop Ukrainian genocide that is happening this very moment. 

Writing this today I do not know if by the end of the day I will not lean that another Ukrainian family has been killed by a rocket or my that my firend or a relative has been killed on the front line. Our hearts turn into living necrologies full of untold words and uncried tears for those of us who pass away every day… Writing this today I am not sure that tomorrow the nuclear weapon will not be used at my home… Our hope and right to the justice and peace is still in the future and is more than fragile… 

What should a non-governmental organization do when your country is under threat of destruction? The Ukrainian third sector has found an answer to this question: to do everything possible to help the defenders, support the victims, and, despite fatigue and despair, continue their work.

The full-scale aggression of russia did not confuse the YMCA Lviv. Our organization was formed from activists who participated in the Revolution of Dignity, organized rehabilitation programs for IDPs from Crimea and Donbas, and worked with veterans’ families… However, the last two years have also become a challenge for us, which we could overcome only thanks to the tireless work of our entire team, the help of friends and partners from different countries, and the mutual support of Ukrainians, which rises up in our nation in the darkest times.

Now we, like most Ukrainian organizations, volunteer for our army and support people who have suffered more from the war than we have. We are looking for ways to prevent burnout among other volunteers. We understand that the times we live in and the feelings our compatriots experience need to be expressed through art. We work for our future by providing education and leisure for young people and children.

We do what we can with the belief that our efforts make the Victory closer.

 YMCA Lviv in 2023

For us, as well as for all Ukrainians, 2023 was the ninth year of the war and the second year of a full-scale invasion. We survived it thanks to the mutual support and help of our partners.

This year, YMCA Lviv was able to continue its activities and support communities in the frontline areas thanks to our friends KFUM og KFUK and Distrikt Aarhus and our partners the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) and UN Women in Ukraine. Also, our Danish partners, together with Y’s Men International, presented us with two helpers – the Big and the Little Buses – who collect humanitarian aid and bring it to the war-affected areas.

Thanks to the support of the YMCA Tokyo, we held summer camps for children from volunteer and veteran families where we taught robotics, drew comics, and conducted safety and self-defense classes.

Ukrainian youth had the opportunity to receive training on leadership, fundraising, and media literacy, and learn democratic decision-making procedures thanks to YMCA Europe.

Thanks to the support of the YMCA Calgary, we maintain our training rooms, and with the help of the YMCA Detroit, we equipped our space to expand training and create a youth anti-cafe.

In 2023, YMCA Lviv, with the financial support of the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) and UN Women in Ukraine, implemented the #FemaleVolunteersofLviv project. This large-scale project included diverse support to the most active Ukrainian women – volunteers. As part of it, we provided financial and legal advice, conducted workshops, training, seminars, and camps, carried out monitoring visits to volunteers in the frontline areas, organized musical events, photo exhibitions, and performances, made films, created comics about volunteers, and conducted many other activities.

In addition, we managed to present our Opera-Myth “Ukraine – Terra Incognita” in Romania, Denmark, and the United States, for which we are grateful to the YMCA Romania, YMCA of the USA, Greater Austin YMCA, YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit and our closest friends KFUM og KFUK and Distrikt Aarhus.

We are currently preparing a number of projects to support veteran families, continue to work with volunteers, develop summer camp programs for young people, and develop our space for various activities.

You can join our existing projects or work with us to create something completely new.

Difficult times help us understand the value of friendship. Ukrainians now feel the support of the world and this gives us the strength to fight for our independence and work for the future. Together we can do everything!