Lugansk regional NGO «Postup» was registered in November 2000 though initiative group, which later founded NGO «Postup», had been working since 1998 and fulfilling local initiatives directed on rendering help to children at risk.
In September 2001 NGO «Postup» founded daily rehabilitation center for children at risk (neglected children and children from crisis families) in Lugansk. During 4 years of the Center’s work more than 200 children at risk had got social and legal help there.
Since summer 2003 till nowadays NGO «Postup» has been taking part in the project «Summer home» carried out by partner organization «M.ART.IN-club». During the project clients of «M.ART.IN-club», «Postup» (since 2009 also clients of human rights consultation centers) and pupils of state boarding schools get social and psychological rehabilitation at the summer camps.
In 2004 - 2005 «Postup» was a regional partner of a number of research projects «May everyone find the way home» (All-Ukrainian research on homeless people life conditions carried out by the charitable foundation «The way home», Odessa, Ukraine), «Worm home» (research on neglected children life conditions in Donetsk and Lugansk regions, NGO «M.ART.IN-club», Makeevka, Donetsk region, Ukraine), participated in realization of the All-Ukrainian monitoring research of human rights observance of availability of official information »Rights for true» (Kharkiv Human Rights Group, NGO «Roots of grass», Kyiv, Ukraine).
In 2007 yearthe Organization was re-registered under the name «Human rights center «Postup».
In 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011 years the Organization was a regional representative of the festival «Days of documentary films on human rights» in Lugansk and Lugansk region. Total audience of the festival was over four thousands visitors.
In 2008-2009 yearsHuman Rights Center «Postup» together with 12 other public organizations participated in the All-Ukrainian project of composing an alternative report to Committee of UNO on human rights of children (an administrator of the project was NGO «Ukrainian woman consortium»).
Since 2008 year our Organization has been actively participating in realization of the plan of actions of All-Ukrainian educational program «Understanding human rights» (Ukrainian Helsinki Union on Human Rights, NGO «М'АRТ») rendering expert help to the program and administering a part of the program actions. Within the framework of the program «Understanding human rights» in 2010-2012 years HRC «Postup» has been coordinating work of creation communicational platform for the activists of human rights movement - social network site «Human rights activists in action». Since 2008 the Organization has been administrating an internet site of the program «Understanding Human Rights» and has been conducting informational support of the Program.
Since 2009 year HRC «Postup» has been participating in the project «Children Rights protection network of Donbass», has been coordinating work of three rights protection consultation centers for children at risk in Luhansk and Lugansk region (the administrator of the project was NGO «M.ART.IN-club», Makeevka, Donetsk region, Ukraine; EC financial support). During 2 years the consultation centre had rendered aid to more than 1500 clients. Since July 2011 the consultation centre has been working on a voluntary basis. Besides legal activity in the framework of this direction HRC «Postup» had conducted a number of consultations with social community and local authorities, some public actions and informational educational events directed on system improvements of the situation of orphans in the region.
In 2009 year the Organization was a national co-coordinator of pentalateral transboundary educational project the «Summer international youth academy of human rights and democratic initiatives», within the framework of which 25 young activists from Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany passed the specialized studies on human rights in Polish city Wieluń (the administrator of the project was Helsinki Foundation of Human Rights, Warsaw, Poland).
In 2010 year HRC «Postup» coordinated a trilateral project «Actions for protection of children at risk: experience of Poland, Germany and Ukraine» in the framework of which the experts of public organizations and militia (politia) departments of Ukraine, Poland and Germany worked out recommendations for Ukrainian government for improving the situation with observance rights of children at risk in Ukraine. Analytical information prepared by the experts of the project was a part of Alternative Report for U.N.O. Committee of Children Rights. On the basis of given information Committee stated recommendations directed on overcoming tortures and cruel treatment of militia towards children at risk. During 2010-2011 the Organization was applying to government with demand to implement recommended changes.
In October 2012Human Rights Centre «Postup” was a partner of the educational project«The system of childcare for those who are in danger of demoralization: Polish experience». In the framework of the project 12 representatives of Ukrainian human rights and care organizations, which help children at risk, had educational visit to Warsaw to study Polish model of rendering help to children at risk. The project was administrated by Helsinki Human Rights Foundation (Warsaw) with financial support of the program RITA.
In 2010 and 2011the Organization together with International Migration Agency worked actively with regional educational institutions , conducting educational events on tolerance and
Non-discriminatory treatment towards minorities (1,2, 3). The organization opposed actively the escalation of xenophobia in the region and participated in consultation with local authorities on measures against racism and xenophobia.
Since autumn 2009 the organization has been actively participating into the Campaign against the establishment of censorship in the media and art in Ukraine. The Organization with technical assistance of a web-studio «Zina-Design» has been created and has been administrating an informational resource of the Campaign. In 2011, in the framework of the Campaign was conducted a number of informational and mobilizational actions (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), published a number of interviews with famous writers, the analysis of current legislation in the regulation of public morality in compliance to human rights standards and norms of the Constitution of Ukraine was done. The draft constitutional appeal was prepared and also the campaign of appeals to the President, to the Ombudsman and the leaders of parliamentary factions was conducted with the requirement to send the requirement to the Constitutional Court of Ukraine for consideration on regarding the discrepancy of the Law «On Protection of Public Morality» to norms of the Constitution. Also, the campaign had initiated the collective request for accelerated examination of «the bill by Andrei Shevchenko»,which provided for abolition of the NEC, and an appeal to the president, parliament and government with the requirement to submit to an examination of the Venice Commission new draft law «On protection of public morals». In 2011 the Organization published and distributed a booklet «Arguments against», which contains expert analysis and commentary on the current law «On protection of public morals» and on the activity of NEC.
In 2010,with the active participation of the HRC «Postup» has created the Internet-resource «Social network of human rights activists’ movement».By combining the services of an informational site and the modern social network the resource has become a universal communication platform for professional communication of human rights activists. The project became a part of the second phase of the action plan of All-Ukrainian educational program «Understanding human rights». In 2011, Human Rights Centre «Postup» continued its work on the improvement and popularization of the resource. In the framework of this project in 2011 a number of training events for media activists, who works in the field of human rights and public interests defending, (1, 2, 3) were conducted. Also the Handbook of Ukrainian NGOs that acts on defense of human rights and public interests was published. The project received financial support of the program «The supremacy of Law» the International Renaissance Foundation. In 2012 the Organization continues its work on improvement of social networking tools.
In 2011Human Rights Centre «Postup» joined Observation Mission of Committee for international control over situation with human rights in Belarus. Representatives of the organization took an active part in the work of the International Observation Mission and became initiators of a number of appeals to the Ukrainian and Belarusian Governments with demands to stop repressions against the civil society and independent media in Belarus.
In spring 2011, the HRC «Postup» was admitted to All-Ukrainian Union of NGOs of «Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union». «Postup» became the 30th organization of UHHRU.
From June to August 2011 HRC «Postup» had made monitoring of the rights of children with disabilities in Lugansk region. In the framework of the project, which was supported by the Swedish non-governmental organization Adobtioncentrum, Human Rights Center «Postup» in partnership with the NGO «Mart» (Chernigov) and foundation «Public alternative» (Kharkiv) conducted training of monitoring group, carried out monitoring of the boarding schools for children with disabilities and participated in the preparation of recommendations for improving the situation with observance rights of children with disabilities in Ukraine.
In 2011HRC «Postup» coordinated the project «Role of journalism in the human rights assistance and defense: strengthening the influence of the journalistic community on the situation with human rights in Ukraine». The project, supported by the International Renaissance Foundation, became a part of the second phase of the action plan of All-Ukrainian educational program «Understanding human rights.» In the framework of the project 20 Ukrainian journalists, which represent regional and all-Ukrainian Mass Media, were trained on human rights (1, 2) and familiarized themselves with the European standards of journalism and experience of effective interaction of journalists, public activists and civil servants for human rights assistance and defense. The content of the training course can be found on the website of the educational program «Understanding human rights». Also in the framework of the project the Organization had prepared and published a guide for civic active journalists «Role of journalism in human rights assistance and defense», which included materials of Ukrainian and foreign experts on human rights issues related to journalistic activities.
In cooperation with the project «Children and women rights in Ukraine. The informational component» Human Rights Centre «Postup» conducted informational-educational actions for prevention of violence in families in the2010 and 2011.
In 2011 and 2012HRC «Postup» was a partner of the Ukrainian initiative «For peaceful protest!».Within the framework of the initiative a public action was conducted in Lugansk and the collecting of signatures under a collective appeal to the Ukrainian Government demanding amendments to the legislation in the sphere of freedom of peaceful meetings was started. Activists of the Organization carry out constant monitoring of the situation with observance of freedom of peaceful meetings in Lugansk region.
In 2010 and 2011activists of the organization coordinated All-Ukrainian informational and educational campaign «Yellow card for Ukrainian militia», during which about 10 thousand of students and pupils from 18 cities of Ukraine have received the knowledge of the powers of the militia and of human and citizen rights during the communication with militia.
As continuation of this campaign, from September 2011, the HRC «Postup» in cooperation with All-Ukrainian educational program «Understanding human rights» and Association UHRM with the financial support of NED began a Campaign of implementing student control of activity of the bodies of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. Within the framework of the Campaign a group of regional coordinators have already been formed, a seminar on monitoring activities of BIA (bodies of Internal Affairs) was conducted and the concept of monitoring militia bodies by youth was developed. In 2012 in 5 Eastern regions 100 informational-educational events for youth will be conducted, monitoring groups will be formed, also students will monitor observance of human rights by militia.
Also in 2012 within the framework of this campaign with the financial support of the Embassy of United States in Ukraine a number of educational materials (video-lectures and methodical recommendations) for use during human rights educational activities for youth will be developed and published.
In January 2012, head of the Human Rights Center «Postup» was elected to the board of All-Ukrainian Union of NGOs of «Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union».
In January 2012the HRC «Postup» entered the newly created coalition of NGOs, «Rights of children in Ukraine». One of the tasks of the Coalition is to promote rights observance of children in Ukraine, to monitor their violation and to promote their implementation.
Get more detailed information about the executed and current projects of the organization here: «projects».
Photoreports about the projects executed by the organization you can find here: «gallery»
