On January 22, the Bohdan Hawrylyshyn Family Foundation (BHFF) held its “Responsibility Award 2023” ceremony, celebrating civil society organizations for their impactful and responsible partnerships that have significantly contributed to strengthening Ukraine amid the ongoing war. Among the award nominees were our partners Plato (Urban Garden Space “Rozsadnyk”) and EdCamp Ukraine (Social-Emotional Skills for Life in the 21st Century: The Community of Responsible Teaching). We spoke with Bohdan Mykhailchuk, the coordinator of the “Responsibility Award 2023,” to gain deeper insights into the award’s significance, highlighting the critical role of civil society during times of conflict.
Why is it particularly important to acknowledge the contribution of civil society during wartime?
Civil society organizations stand as crucial drivers of change, showcasing effective crisis response, active civic engagement, support for defense forces, and mitigation of the consequences of war. Sharing these experiences and practices is vital to encourage proactive involvement from more citizens and the international community. The “Responsibility Award” serves not just as a recognition but as a heartfelt expression of gratitude towards civil society organizations for their incredible work that sustains us all. This award provides a platform that fosters mutual reinforcement and unity.
Why did the Foundation change the format to acknowledge responsible partnerships of CSOs?
Since 2021, the Bohdan Hawrylyshyn Family Foundation has been recognizing civil society organizations that base their activities on the values embodied in the Declaration of Responsibility by Bohdan Hawrylyshyn, a prominent Ukrainian economist and public figure. In 2023, the CSO chose to highlight item 13 of the Declaration, “Help your country within your capabilities,” and made collaboration the overarching theme of the award.
Effective collaboration emerges as a driving force behind quick, high-quality decisions, fostering development, and offering mutual support. Cooperation stands out as one of the strong suits of Ukrainian society, where shared values unite us, allowing us to defend our country and come together through organizations or projects, even across seemingly different sectors and spheres of activity. In 2023, the Foundation aims to honor organizations whose stories of responsible partnership are built on cross-sectoral cooperation.
What is the goal and value of the Responsibility Award?
The goal of the Responsibility Award 2023 is to recognize the value of interaction and projects that embody collaboration for a common purpose, yield significant results, demonstrate the strength of unity within Ukrainian society, and help to inspire others with their stories.
These stories of responsible partnerships showcase how we interact and the tremendous power and impact of this collaboration. The award not only highlights the best stories of cross-sectoral collaboration but also seeks to spread them. It is crucial to broadcast unity to society now and showcase effective projects and initiatives that can be implemented and achieve significant results when we come together to collaborate.
In addition to financial rewards, organizations on the shortlist will participate in a special media project that will share their stories of responsible partnerships with a wider audience. This special project will be implemented in partnership with the Bohdan Hawrylyshyn Family Foundation, the ZMIN Foundation, and The Ukrainians.
This year, 168 applications were submitted for the award from organizations across Ukraine, with only 50 shortlisted. These 50 stories, each showcasing a unique example of responsible partnerships, demonstrate the diverse ways we can contribute to our country during wartime. The themes include support for the military, education, culture, and identity, support for veterans, environmental conservation, health and medicine, and human rights activities.
Organizations were honored in three categories: Responsible Partnership Story; Community, National Partnership Project; and Interaction Without Borders: Ukraine to the World. The distinguished laureates of the Responsibility Award 2023 are as follows:
- Zaloha Chornomortsi, an initiative of Maritime Plast, recognized for their project “Shelter TT” in the category “Story of Responsible Partnership: Community.”
- Ukrainer, acknowledged for their project “Brave Cities” in the category “National Partnership Project”.
- Docudays, honored for their project “War Archive / Ukraine War Archive” in the category “Interaction Without Borders: Ukraine to the World.”
