A “Shelter Against Intolerance” in the Center of Kyiv

In June, NDI partner Rizni.Rivni (Different.Equal), a platform of civic initiatives operated by LGBTQ+ organizations, launched their "Shelter Against Intolerance" art installation to bring attention to the lack of protections against hate-motivated violence in Ukraine. This project, as well as the ongoing work of Rizni.Rivni, has been supported by NDI, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO).

The "Shelter against Intolerance" art installation was placed at the historic St. Sophia Square in the center of Kyiv from June 27th through June 30th and served as a call to action to urge the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to adopt long-overdue hate crimes legislation. The draft law, #5488, was submitted to parliament on May 13th, 2021 and would provide essential legal protections for underrepresented and vulnerable groups in Ukraine, and introduce criminal liability for hate crimes and discrimination based on race, age, disability, ethnic and social origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other attributes.

"In Ukraine, there are over 61,000 shelters that have been protecting people from Russian aggression for the past three years. However, those suffering from misdirected aggression within the country, like hate crimes, have no protection because there are gaps in current legislation. To highlight this issue, we devised a symbolic "Shelter against Intolerance." The shelter has become a metaphor understandable to all Ukrainians, helping to draw parallels between protection from external aggressors and, unfortunately, internal ones," - said Yakiv Lavrynets and Alina Korinieva, coordinators of Rizni.Rivni.

Since its inception in 2020, Rizni.Rivni has helped LGBTQI+ organizations in Ukraine collaborate to reach more than 22 million Ukrainians through social media campaigns, primarily through Instagram, advocating for equal rights for all Ukrainians. Beyond Instagram, Rizni.Rivni has produced music videos with prominent Ukrainian musicians, launched limited edition apparel campaigns, organized pop-up events, and conducted a series of celebrity interviews to spread their message of equality.

The "Shelter Against Intolerance" is 5x3 meters, the size of a standard room, and, just like a real air raid shelter, can accommodate a group of people. However, unlike a real shelter, it has only one concrete wall and cannot protect anyone inside. This lack of physical protection symbolizes the reality of thousands of Ukrainians who move through society unprotected against discrimination and hatred. A sign at the entrance of the installation calls on passersby to enter the shelter and experience what marginalized groups in Ukraine feel like day to day. The inside of the concrete wall is inscribed with a list of all the pretexts cited for discrimination and intolerance.

Rizni.Rivni intentionally chose to open the installation on the eve of Constitution Day, which celebrates the passage of Ukraine's constitution in 1996. The Constitution is meant to protect the rights of all citizens, yet LGBTQI+ people and other underrepresented groups in Ukraine continue to face hatred, including physical violence. In Ukraine, hate-based attacks are still classified as "hooliganism." Without real penalties, such incidents continue to recur, particularly affecting the LGBTQI+ communities.

The installation opening brought together many allies and supporters of the initiative, including Olena Shuliak, member of parliament and head of the ruling "Servant of the People" party; Hanna Starostenko, Kyiv City Council Deputy; Kostiantyn Omelia, fashion designer and a survivor of a hate crime himself; Ina Kathrin Sivertsen, representative of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Kyiv; Yana Metiolkina, blogger and fashion expert; civil society representatives of organizations Zmina, Gender Zed, Sphere, Ukrainian LGBTQ+ Military for Equal Rights, Insight, Fight for Right, and others. Yana Brenzei, a renowned Ukrainian TV host and media figure, moderated the event.

Following the campaign, a joint letter signed by installation visitors, CSO representatives, and other allies was forwarded to members of the parliament, calling for the urgent review of draft law #5488. NDI continues to work closely with its CSO partners to support their advocacy efforts for the draft law, including through projects like the Shelter Against Intolerance and will host a policy dialogue event in the coming months with key policymakers and stakeholders to continue the discussion on the draft law. As Ukraine continues to fight for its freedom against Russian aggression and move towards European integration, it's critical that Ukraine codifies protections for all of its citizens - regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

NDI's engagement with this program is implemented with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)

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NDI is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization that works in partnership around the world to strengthen and safeguard democratic institutions, processes, norms and values to secure a better quality of life for all. NDI envisions a world where democracy and freedom prevail, with dignity for all.

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