The International Charitable Fund of Oleksandr Feldman
- is one of the largest charitable organizations of Ukraine which engages in activities in the field of patronship, non-governmental cultural and social policies. For the 18 years of its operation the Fund has realized dozens of projects and programs, the development and implementation of which involved best specialists from Ukraine and other countries of the world. Over 15 million dollars has been spent on charity. In this regard, charity is understood comprehensively – not only as provision of targeted material support to those in need but also as promotion of certain values and principles. The main goal of such long work on the part of the Fund is formation of a tolerant civil society in Ukraine.
This work has been highly appreciated at the national and international level. According to polls organized by the media and sociological data, Oleksandr Feldman Fund ranks among the three largest charitable organizations of Ukraine and is a leader in realization of projects to help the most vulnerable parts of the society and to preserve the cultural heritage.
The quintessence of the many years of work of Oleksandr Feldman Fund is their creation of Ukraine’s first multi-complex, Feldman Ecopark. This is a project that unites all main lines of the Fund’s activities and embodies the very mission of the Fund.
Mission of Oleksandr Feldman Fund
- care of the younger generation, implementation of social programs and projects,
- support for the socially vulnerable parts of the society,
- promotion of the spiritual development of Ukrainians,
- preservation of the historical and cultural heritage,
- promotion of tolerance principles in the society.
History of Oleksandr Feldman Fund
The history of the Fund began in 1997 when it was founded by a successful businessman Oleksandr Borisovich Feldman. The initial motive for its charitable activities was simple and based purely on emotions. The 1990s was a very hard time for most of our people. The sharp transition to market economy was very rough for the categories of people who were most socially vulnerable – the old, the disabled and large families. Poverty and misery came to many homes. Oleksandr Feldman realized that even being a well-off person he could not separate himself from sufferings of others. When the government has no money for social programs, and there are so many people in need – those who can do it ought to help them. This is a logical position of responsible business. The Fund began its activities from targeted support for the socially vulnerable people, but soon it moved from one-time events to long-term projects.
- ‘Help Thy Neighbor’ — targeted support for the vulnerable parts of the society (low-income people, persons with special needs, refugees) and assistance in their socialization.
- Social investment – cooperation (financial support) with state institutions and social services in order to improve the quality of life for all strata of society.
- Social partnership, charity and patronship – are the main elements of the civil society, a protective mechanism to keep it from intolerability, the material foundation for tolerant relations within a democratic state.
- ‘Protecting Childhood’ – care of the younger generation. Protection of children’s rights, bringing up the physically and spiritually (morally) healthy future of Ukraine.
- ‘The Tournament of a Thousand Teams’ — holding the most large-scale annual children’s football contests. Its goal is the propaganda of healthy lifestyle among the youth and their distraction from the street-like negative effects.
- ‘Life Without Drugs’ — this project was implemented in Kharkiv schools together with the British fund of Sarah Ferguson ‘Children in Crisis.’ Its task is early prevention of drug addition and other vicious habits. The work with children was performed in an interactive game-like way and included principles of tolerant attitude to others.
- ‘Orphanage is Despair, Family is Hopes for Life’ — support for large families and promotion of development of family-based upbringing patters as well as socialization of orphans. Besides the material and legal assistance, an important element of the project is drawing the pubic attention to this problem.
- ‘Future in the Eyes of Children’ — organizing a series of charitable auctions ‘The Art of Mercy’ all funds raised by which are spent on purchasing medical equipment for children’s medical institutions, and construction of the Center for Psycho-Social Rehabilitation based on the FE.
Development of culture and science, promotion of tolerance principles
- AVEK Gallery — a leading non-government art center of Eastern Ukraine (over 200 exhibitions and several million visitors in the 14 years of its work). The project pursues a cultural and educative goal: esthetic education of the youth, introduction to masterpieces of the world art, support for contemporary Ukrainian authors, and promotion of development of children’s creative work. The most important element of the Gallery’s work is ‘The Dialogue of Cultures’ — organizing exhibitions that present cultures of different nations of the world (‘Towards the Land of the Rising Sun,’ ‘Dagger – the Symbol of Honor and Pride,’ ‘Treasures of Raja Country,’ ‘The Golden Minora’ and others). It also holds a series of events entitled ‘We Are All Your Children, Ukraine.’
— ‘Intellect of Kharkiv’ — the project envisages support for scientific schools of Kharkiv, the intellectual capital of Ukraine. It encompasses natural, physical-mathematical, medical and humanitarian lines of work. Prizes and scholarships for students, postgraduates, and young research associates are awarded by the community board of Oleksandr Feldman Fund. The project ‘Intellect of Kharkiv’ is the investment into the future innovation breakthrough. It allows accumulating the creative potential of talented youth to solve relevant problems on a fundamental scientific basis (the project ‘Bank of Ideas’). One of the main lines of long-term research may be an interdisciplinary approach in treatment of child neuroticism.
- ‘People’s Recognition’ — the project is aimed at support for creative intellectuals of Kharkiv. The annual competition is held in such categories as ‘Architecture,’ ‘Pictorial Arts,’ ‘Literature,’ ‘Music,’ ‘Education,’ and ‘Theater.’ The prizewinners are determined by Kharkiv people and the prize is paid by Oleksandr Feldman Fund. An important function of the project is informing the society about achievements of Kharkiv – a creative and multinational city.
- ‘Memory and Gratitude’ — the project is aimed at combating xenophobia and various forms of misanthropic ideology, as well as at preservation of historical memory. Within the framework of the project, ‘Drogobitsiy Yar’ Memorial Complex was created. All over Ukraine, hundreds of monuments and beds of honor were either built or restored in the memory of the war heroes and Holocaust victims. The project ideology strives for preservation of interethnic concord and peace between peoples of the world.
The Institute for Protection of Human Rights and Prevention of Extremism and Xenophobia
It strives to promote compliance of the fundamental human rights and freedoms in Ukraine to the highest European standards. The institute performs research and analysis of the situation with human rights and implements projects in order to prevent violation of these human rights, rights of ethnic, religious and other minorities, prevent emergence and spreading of extremism and xenophobia in Ukraine as well as in Central and Eastern Europe.
The Association of National and Cultural Unions of Ukraine (ANCUU). Formation of tolerant attitudes in interethnic and interdenominational relations is one of the significant and permanent lines in the work of the Fund which strives for consolidation of ethnic groups and nationalities. A number of events were organized within the framework of the program.
The quintessence of the many years of work of Oleksandr Feldman Fund is their creation of Ukraine’s first multi-complex, Feldman Ecopark.. To say the least of it, this is a unique charitable project that unites all main lines of the Fund’s activities and embodies the very mission of the Fund. Its main goal is to create a socially active environment where an adult and a child alike would feel that all living creatures on the Earth are one big family where there is no room for aggressiveness but there is only love, friendship and mutual aid. Regional landscape park Feldman Ecopark is situated near Kharkiv (12 Kyivske Shose, village of Lisne, Dergachev district). It has already become a favorite location of family recreation not only for Kharkiv people but also for visitors from all over Ukraine and from abroad. For the time of existence of Feldman Ecopark it has welcomed over 3,000,000 people from almost 40 countries. Its territory of 140.5 hectares hosts a zoo (with a human-animal contact ground) featuring almost 2,000 animals of 200 species. An eco-path which is several kilometers long takes visitors through the most picturesque places of the regional landscape park. For all visitors there are free rope-climbing facilities, bicycle and ski rental centers, children’s attractions, open-air yoga grounds, premises for young mothers with children and many other facilities. The park regularly hosts various festivities and entertainment events. Feldman Ecopark is also the base for various health-improving, scientific, educational and nature-preserving programs. The most popular ones are as follows: Hippo-Therapy Center, Young Naturalist Center, Tolerance Center, the Center for Psycho-Social Rehabilitation, Horse Club, Center for Family Health, Animal Rescue Service, ‘Dobriy Dom’ (Kind House), Center for Rehabilitation of Chiropterans. Given the current situation in our country, all of them have gained a new meaning and a special status. Now their first priority is to protect every child’s right for happy childhood. Without it, the future of Ukraine cannot grow to be physically and spiritually healthy. This is the task that the international charitable fund of Oleksandr Feldman engages on the basis of Feldman Ecopark.
In the nearest future there will be new lines of activity, and those already existing will have new meanings. Particular attention in health-improving programs will be paid to children with special needs as well as to internally displaced persons, ATO servicemen and their families.
‘Laboratorium,’ eco-journalism school, tolerance school, the museum of religion – these educational projects will be aimed at forming humanitarian world view in youth. The nature protection activities of Feldman Ecopark will rise to an international level due to strengthening cooperation with the national and European institutions engaged in protection of the animal world and the environment.
Now as ever, Oleksandr Feldman Fund continues its work for the future prospects, creates tomorrow and does good things.