The Law of Ukraine "On Prevention and Combating Domestic Violence" provides protection for victims of economic, physical, and psychological abuse. Victims have the right to seek help from law enforcement agencies, which are obligated to ensure their safety and provide support. But what happens when victims of economic, physical, and psychological abuse have neither the economic, physical, nor psychological means to reach out to law enforcement? Here is a distressing case our Humanitarian Aid Center encountered. Judge for yourself—what prevails here: law or betrayal? Oleksii Petrovych is an elderly man. His life passed in hard work and care for his only son. He believed he had earned peace and respect within his family circle—or so it seemed to him. However, even before the war, life had not been easy, and the war only sent it further downhill. For several years, the man had been unwell and needed care, with his son being his only support. Oleksii Petrovych believed that a loved one would never abandon him. But as the front line approached, the son packed his things and vanished into thin air, leaving his poor father in a semi-ruined house. Occasionally, neighbors brought him food, but he was unlikely to last long like that. When the evacuation team of NGO “CNGD ‘Volunteer-68’” arrived in the village, they found him hungry and exhausted. After evacuation, Oleksii Petrovych was housed in our shelter “Bez Mezh” (“Without Limits”). There, he received the necessary care, medical assistance, and—most importantly—human warmth. He gradually adapted to a new life, noticeably recovered, and began making plans for the future. We found him a decent shelter in Europe where he could feel comfortable. However, during the paperwork process, it turned out that Oleksii Petrovych was listed in the Debtors' Register. This was a real shock for him—he had never taken any loans. The investigation revealed that his son, taking advantage of his father's helplessness, had taken out a large loan in his name and disappeared. Betrayed, the father was left not only abandoned but also burdened with debts he had no way of repaying. Due to financial restrictions, going abroad became impossible. At that point, we had no choice but to stand by him. Our organization began looking for other solutions. Eventually, we managed to find him a good geriatric facility in Ukraine, where he received all the necessary care, safety, and support. Meanwhile, we handed the case over to a legal organization that took on the case of fraud committed by the son. This brought hope for justice and the restoration of Oleksii Petrovych's good name. Today, our beneficiary is safe in a facility that guarantees him respectful and compassionate treatment.

Domestic or, as it is also known, family violence is a type of criminal act that is among the hardest to expose and its victims the most difficult to rehabilitate. As a rule, this form of human rights abuse is gender-based. Here is one of the many instances of such affliction that our team, unfortunately, encounters far too often. However, this story is different from many others – because it has a hopeful ending. On the outskirts of Kharkiv lives Hanna Stepanivna – a modest, hardworking woman who spent her whole life working as a cleaner. When the heavy Russian shelling began, she had to hide in the basement of a nearby school together with her family and neighbors. This experience of senseless violence appeared to her as yet another manifestation of endless, reasonless evil that a helpless person cannot escape. Hanna Stepanivna is a sincere and humble woman who barely made ends meet, yet life’s hardships never broke her kind nature, and her heart was always full of love for her only daughter and granddaughter. Hanna Stepanivna had no idea what gender-based violence meant, even though she faced it almost daily. Her daughter Oksana had been living for years with an abusive husband who humiliated her, controlled her every step, took out his anger on her, and did not hesitate to raise his hand. But each time, the daughter believed that maybe next time it would pass – she just had to endure a little more. Hanna Stepanivna also endured, watching her daughter lose herself. She saw the fear in her daughter’s eyes but didn’t know how to help. When Oksana came home with bruises and at the same time tried to justify her husband, the mother’s heart broke with pain. One day, some women she knew advised Hanna Stepanivna to attend the activities of the “60+ACTIVE” project, organized by the NGO “CNGD Volonter-68.” These were meetings for women of her age where unfamiliar topics were discussed – women’s rights, gender-based violence, and ways to counter this evil. With each meeting, she listened more attentively. After a few months, Hanna Stepanivna found the courage to speak about her daughter who endured abuse, about her granddaughter who was growing up in an atmosphere of fear, and about her own helplessness. For the first time, she realized that silence is also part of the problem. During these meetings, she learned that violence is not normal, that there are organizations that can help, that her daughter has the right to a safe life. Armed with new knowledge, she began to talk to Oksana. At first, her daughter didn’t want to listen. She was used to suffering, convinced there was no way out. But Hanna Stepanivna did not give up, explaining that love is not fear, that bruises are not "signs of passion" but evidence of violence. Slowly but surely, her mother’s words took root in Oksana’s consciousness, and eventually, the woman came to the realization that she was not a prisoner and that her fate was not a life sentence. Oksana filed for divorce, received legal support, found a job, and rented a small apartment. Together with her daughter, they began a new life – free of abuse and pain. And peace finally settled in Hanna Stepanivna’s heart, because on her beloved daughter’s face she no longer reads sorrow or fear.

An exclusivist worldview gives rise to an ideology that opposes any non-stereotypical perception of reality, and communication based on such perception is filled with negativity toward various differences and innovations. Exclusivist, in this sense, means conservative, traditional, established—rejecting changes in language use, behaviour, or way of life. The ideal example of an aggressive exclusivist ideology was Hitler’s Nazism, which excluded from the national community anyone who could not prove the purity of their “Aryan” identity or was deemed inferior in any other way—such as having a disability, a non-heteronormative sexual orientation, or beliefs deemed “wrong” by the Nazis. A more contemporary example of ideological exclusivity is Moscow’s rashism. To be unlike them is both a crime and a disease. To hold different beliefs is considered a contagious perversion. Resistance to the “Russian order” must be punished severely. “Why, oh why are you so un-Russian?” asks the Russian in despair—and it sounds extremely, extremely exclusivist. Is Inclusivity a Political Technology? Supporters of exclusivism answer this question affirmatively. They are even convinced that inclusivity is a subversive ideology and an unscrupulous manipulation. Conservative traditionalists believe that the aim of inclusive propaganda is to ideologically disarm them, leading to the elevation of all sorts of minorities they have grown accustomed to despising—and through whom they have defined their own sense of superiority. On one hand, this is a pitiful form of egotism seeking self-justification and a basic xenophobia of a disoriented being in unfamiliar conditions. On the other, it is a cultural legacy—centuries of stigmatizing those who differed from the dominant majority, scapegoating them for misfortunes or unexplained evil. However, beyond cultural and psychological overlays, the essential distinction between the inclusive and exclusive paradigms of the pronoun “we” lies in this: the inclusive we  means “me, you, and perhaps somebody else too,” while the exclusive we  means “me, maybe somebody else, but definitely not you.” Thus, inclusivity embraces and draws into a shared circle all forms and expressions of humanity that do not threaten the expressions of humanity in others—or life itself. From this, for example, arises the ecological agenda, animal rights advocacy, the so-called political “pirate” movement, and many similar human rights initiatives. Those who support such ideas see inclusivity as the only approach capable of reducing societal conflict and protecting the dignity of historically marginalized social groups and life forms. However, implementing this approach in social relations primarily meets resistance in the form of rejection of inclusive rhetoric, especially through unfamiliar linguistic innovations. It is perceived as a targeted attack on traditionalist vocabulary that reflects discriminatory or abusive narratives once entrenched toward certain groups. People are disturbed primarily by the imposed language, not the meaning behind it, which they often refuse to see. After all, most reasonable people wouldn’t openly oppose respectful treatment of minorities and various personal differences. At least, such a trend existed from the second half of the 20th century until the early 2010s within the Eurocentric world. Demands for politically correct communication that denounce historical discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation are perceived by exclusivist proponents as an attack on language, cultural heritage, and nature itself. The paradox is that the desperate struggle of human rights advocates against discrimination and violence appears to even moderately conservative audiences as discrimination, violence, and subversion of the world order. Of course, it’s not only about rhetoric and unusual terminology. There is fear of the collapse of the patriarchal matrix, of educational and legal innovations, of tolerance toward immigration and multiculturalism—the gradual replacement of the traditionalist paradigm by liberal pluralism. It has now become clear that this process occurred too rapidly in historical terms and was not adopted by everyone, even within the relatively limited territory of Eurocentric civilization. Some nation-states or even separate communities were better prepared to accept the values of an inclusive worldview, others less so, and some not at all. It is also undeniable that right-wing populists have exploited the frustration caused by the spectre of total emancipation. Exclusivist Ideology on the March For the political agenda of right-wing populists, "dancing on human rights" has become a propaganda goldmine. They portray human rights as a sinister conspiracy, searing pitch from hell about to descend on people with conservative worldviews. Thirty years ago, right-wing populists were a fringe minority, but today they are a formidable force steamrolling political competitors. “There are no such things as ‘human rights,’” declare far-right extremists. “There are the inalienable rights of lineage, corporations, and the nation—of something unified and necessarily homogeneous. There are traditional values bequeathed by Adam and Eve, and no modification of these ancient values is acceptable. Your leaders will protect you from outsiders with an iron hand and punish outcasts. Your patriarchs won’t let you stray into spiritual ruin. Your men will give you everything you truly need. No perversions, no misunderstandings—everything is as clear and simple as daylight.” But is it really that clear and simple? And are these truly sincere beliefs? It recalls how late-Soviet ideologues of the stagnation era denounced “human rights” from the “rotten capitalist West” using similar arguments—and that was supposedly communist rhetoric. Today, the fight against “human rights” is led by a developer-president alongside a KGB-president, and nothing prevents them from promoting this worn-out narrative. To many, it sounds like a modern, optimistic, revolutionary program. This circle of such people is now wider than the circle of inclusive liberalism’s supporters, which is why the world is trembling again, as it did during the rise of Bolshevism, Nazism, and similar heresies. At present, it appears that the influence of exclusivist ideology is becoming global. How will this affect the social climate—including in Ukraine? The most obvious outcome may be that inclusive rhetoric will be rolled back in the public sphere. Attention to barrier-free policy will fade into the background. Human rights issues will also be de-prioritized—at least, efforts will be made to strip them of their universal character by excluding aspects such as gender and sexual orientation. Much will certainly be done to promote “traditional Ukrainian” values. Feminist and anti-colonial studies, which have greatly enriched Ukrainian social science, may also be side-lined in favour of a pseudo-patriotic discourse. And without doubt, the consequences of war and the country’s post-conflict state will contribute to the decline of liberal values in social development. One can always hope that the reactionary wave will subside along with the reign of immoral populist dictators who are riding it. But it is impossible to imagine the extent to which humanitarian values might collapse during a global crisis. Yet, drawing on the historical experience of emerging from the darkness of World War II, we may predict that the next phase of humanization and progress will be more far-reaching, philosophically deeper, and politically more resilient.

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VOLUNTEER - 68 Thousands of people have lost their homes, health, loved ones and the opportunity to live a normal life. In these difficult conditions, we strive to be a support for those who need it most. Our team works every day to support people with limited mobility, people with disabilities, the elderly and everyone who finds themselves in a difficult situation. Learn more 10000+ rescued from the front lines 2000+ patronage transportation 2500+ social support was provided 102000+ humanitarian aid kits 51000+ processed requests for assistance Evacuation Learn more Cartridge transportation Learn more Social support Learn more Targeted assistance Learn more Shelter “Without Borders” Learn more Help for women Learn more Be part of the change. Make your contribution! Donate Latest news Law Without Order 7 days ago There Is a Way Out Apr 21 Orientation Toward Disorientation Apr 14 All news Our partners and donors All partners and donors

ГО «ЦНГД «Волонтер-68» активно допомагає людям, які опинилися в складних життєвих обставинах. Наші проєкти, евакуації, гуманітарна допомога та співпраця з міжнародними організаціями неодноразово висвітлювалися в українських та закордонних медіа. Тут ви можете ознайомитися з матеріалами, які розповідають про нашу роботу, відданість справі та реальні історії допомоги. Наша діяльність у фокусі уваги ЗМІ ГО «ЦНГД «Волонтер-68» активно допомагає людям, які опинилися в складних життєвих обставинах. Наші проєкти, евакуації, гуманітарна допомога та співпраця з міжнародними організаціями неодноразово висвітлювалися в українських та закордонних медіа. Тут ви можете ознайомитися з матеріалами, які розповідають про нашу роботу, відданість справі та реальні історії допомоги. Evacuation of residents of frontline settlements continues in Kupyansk region Today, on November 18, rescuers helped 7 people evacuate from the danger zone. These are residents of Kivsharivka and Kupyansk. Most of... Nov 18, 2024 Dashboard: humanitarian response in Ukraine, 2024 Key figures and funding Nov 6, 2024 Anniversary of the opening of the first transit shelter in Kharkiv “Bez Boundaries” for people with limited mobility and people with disabilities A year ago, the Vostok SOS Charitable Foundation, in partnership with the Volunteer-68 Humanitarian Aid Center, opened the first transit... Aug 2, 2024 A challenge for organizations and individual volunteering: the rules for importing "humanitarian aid" are changing in Ukraine From December 1, changes to the rules for the import and accounting of humanitarian aid come into force in Ukraine. The state is... Dec 1, 2023 Get them out of the fire. How Slobozhanshchyna volunteers save the lives of people with limited mobility A year ago, thanks to a lightning-fast operation, Ukrainian troops liberated most of the Kharkiv region from the Moscow invaders. In some... Oct 2, 2023 Training from the NGO “Volunteer - 68” for students of the Pechenizkyi Lyceum named after H. Semyradskyi On October 2, representatives of our lyceum together with the NGO Volunteer 68 conducted an on-site practical training on first aid for... Oct 2, 2023 NGO “Volunteer-68”: First aid training for children - knowledge that saves lives On September 15, specialists of the Volunteer-68 NGO held a workshop on “First Aid” for students in grades 9-11 and on September 18 for... Sep 15, 2023 Temporary shelter for people with limited mobility from frontline communities opened in Kharkiv The first evacuees were settled in a shelter for people with limited mobility in Kharkiv by volunteers. These are residents of frontline... Jul 30, 2023 Care without Boundaries: a shelter for people with limited mobility and disabilities opened in Kharkiv. On July 26, 2023, the Vostok SOS Charitable Foundation, in partnership with the Volunteer-68 Humanitarian Aid Center, opened the first... Jul 26, 2023 Free shelter for evacuated people with limited mobility set up in Kharkiv In Kharkiv, one of the office premises was converted into a shelter for people with limited mobility and disabilities. It cost... Jul 26, 2023 NGO “Volunteer-68” united the community to address issues of support for people with disabilities Representatives of the Department of Social Protection of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration took part in a roundtable... Jul 24, 2023 Shelter for evacuated people with limited mobility is being prepared in Kharkiv One of Kharkiv's dormitories is preparing a room to temporarily accommodate people with limited mobility from Kharkiv, Donetsk and... Jul 24, 2023 1 2