With the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian civil society was faced with the need to continue its work in the face of personal danger, responsibility and anxiety for loved ones, often having to evacuate from the areas of active hostilities.

The civil society of Ukraine has shown high resilience. The development of this resilience was, among other things, fostered by the support of international funds and government programs in the EU countries. The activists were able to unite, use the acquired qualifications and experience and, as a result, quickly respond to the challenges of the war, adapt their activities in accordance with the changing needs of society. Also, the war brought into the ranks of activists many of those who had not previously engaged in such work. In the situation of a global threat, the cohesion of Ukrainian society and its readiness for volunteer work have grown to new heights.

Under the current conditions, the civil societies of Ukraine and other countries play one of the key roles in supporting Ukraine in the rear and at the front, taking care of the delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid, help to the defenders of the country, refugees, documenting human rights violations and war crimes, advocating support for Ukraine abroad, strengthening Ukrainian subjectivity at the international level.

The stories of real people presented in this publication show civil society as an important actor in countering Russia’s aggression, lobbying for more active support for Ukraine by the international community and covering the topic of Ukraine in the media space, working with the consequences of the war and post-war reconstruction of the country. The stories of heroes and heroines demonstrate the range of social and political challenges, personal risks faced by active citizens in Ukraine and in other countries due to the war unleashed by the Kremlin.

With these stories, we want to motivate the international community to support Ukraine, and the societies of the countries of the world to be ready to sacrifice some of their personal comfort in order to help others.