ForPEACE

05/30/2026

When forPEACE arranged for this Ukrainian delegation situated 10 miles from current Russian frontlines to visit Utah, it provided an opportunity to share their daily realities, challenges and also good works. We hoped a seed of mutual understanding and respect would be planted and grow into meaningful actions to strengthen communities on both sides of the world.

Thank you, Mayor Bradshaw and the City of Bountiful, for continuing to nurture that seed. Seeing Mayor Andrii's experience at the Bountiful Veterans Park remembered and shared months later is a witness that sometimes meaningful diplomacy begins not in conference rooms, but in communities willing to open their hearts to one another. 🇺🇸🇺🇦

Today at the Memorial Day🇺🇸 program I shared the story of Military Administration Mayor Andrii Seletsky from Novovorontsovka Ukraine🇺🇦and his meaningful and impact visit to Bountiful and the Veterans Park in February. This is the moment from the story I shared. How we connect as humans and how we honor those from our community that have served has inspired Mayor Andrii to think about something similar for his community even as they are still in the midst of struggles and war.

05/17/2026

"Lyubymivka is just a tragedy...And for you and me, Ukraine dies in each older person. However, Ukraine dies, above all, in younger people who lose hope.”

- Liubov Holota, Episodic Memory (2007) quoted here in the 2015 English translation by Stephen Komarnyschyj.

Holota's novel is a lyrical requiem for a village- Lyubymivka- that was described back in 2007 as dying out even during peacetime.
The Lyubymivka referred to is a village in Novovorontsovka County. In 2022, the county fell under Russian occupation and was liberated later that year. In 2023, the Russians destroyed the Kakhovska Dam which caused immediate drought for the water-stressed county. Russians continue to attack all the villages of this county with drones on a nearly daily basis.

And yet here are the youth from Novovorontsovka County, joining the GAIA ecology program with ForPEACE. In their own words they came because:
🌱 "I want to purify the soil, the water, the air. Because I see suffering that I can heal." — Anna
🌱 "We have one earth. I can start with myself." — Anhelina
🌱 "I want to correct our attitude to nature." — Artem
🌱 "I have pride for my home. We should treat it better." — Zhenya
🌱"I want a clean planet, I want people to care."- Alina
🌱"There is a lot of pollution. I want to help." - Danylo
🌱"I want to clean and restore the earth from what we've done to it." - Anastasia

At the end of the meeting, the local county leader, Андрій Селецький expressed with his characteristic go-getter and visionary attitude, "Youth of Novovorontsovka, if you want to make your home better even during war-- we will support you in every possible way."

This past week Novovorontsovka GAIA had a special meeting with a team of environmental researchers. These researchers came to study the floodplain forests rising from the drained Kakhovka reservoir bed. After listening to these youth share about their GAIA research projects researching the Great Meadow, they told these teenagers, "you are the only people we know working on this!"

It was extremely interesting to read Holota's novel. The author is a native to the area; she wrote with loving detail about Lyubymivka village society (and stunning descriptions of the region's nature). Nothing she wrote was wrong.

And yet, there is a disconnect with where the novel ends and what we can witness in Lyubymivka and its neighboring villages now. A few youth of the era she described didn't lose hope in their home. Those youth are now the inspiring generation making up the county's leadership and they work tirelessly to not just keep hope alive but grow it amongst all residents-- from the elderly down to the toddlers. It's nothing short of incredible that such life and hope amongst the youth exist given they are mere miles from Russian occupiers. What a privilege to know such people like Andriy Seletskyi and Ekateryna Go, another member of Novovorontsovka County Leadership, who amongst her many other duties is also the county GAIA mentor. What a joy to see the youth they now care for.

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The second picture is a meeting of our Kryvyi Rih GAIA group. A month ago, this group prepared a series of presentations to international GAIA student chapters about Kryvyi Rih's environmental specifics, the recycling campaign they started at their high school, their soil testing and restoration project as well as their air pollution project under the mentorship of Pokrovsk Lyceum Science Instructor, Tatiana Tashtan. And they presented it all in English!

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Here is a little introduction to youth who have not lost hope. Because of who they are, because of their families, and because of the other members of their community who sacrifice and give so much so that their youth have a present and a future. And this is just one way we strive to work within the broader communities these youth live in so that they have the opportunities to develop and grow their hope into something more.

05/04/2026

When the Novovorontsovka volleyball team came home from the “Easter Cup of Unity” tournament in Lviv Oblast last week, our girls had taken first place and our boys third — playing in brand new uniforms made possible through forPEACE’s partnership with the Novovorontsovka Military Administration (Нововоронцовська селищна військова адміністрація).

But those uniforms tell a much bigger story than a tournament win.

forPEACE works with Novovorontsovka across nearly every dimension of daily life in a liberated frontline community. We’ve supplied anti-drone netting for their power stations and drone detectors so people can move through their town safely. We’ve provided electric scooters to public utility workers — because electric scooters are quiet, and quiet means hearing an incoming drone in time to react. And through our partnership with Pocatello, Idaho, under the leadership of Lena Contor, Hope Across Borders, and Reach Humanity, we’ve supported the restoration of water infrastructure that keeps homes, schools, and clinics running.

All of it is in service of a single vision: a community under fire still strives for more than survival. They strive to be a healthy active society. Our ability to stand with and amongst local communities aiming to be self sufficient and through such incomprehensibly difficult times craft and choose who they are and what they do is critical in the story of Ukraine’s grassroots resistance to Russia.

The kids on that volleyball court aren’t only Ukrainians. They are residents of Novovorontsovka — a place with a rich local history, resilience, and a future they are boldly forging. A locally designed sports uniform isn’t just kit. It’s a sign that this community is alive, thriving, and proud of who it is.

Thanks for being part of this!

And also: CONGRATS NOVOVORONTSOVKA TEAMS!!! 🙂 👏🏽

04/25/2026

04/17/2026

🌉"Star Valley builds bridge to Ukrainian community in crisis"

📣 Wyoming friends! — On February 14 2026, we built an incredible and inspiring bridge between two communities that are more than 5000 miles apart.

🟦🟨 Everyday residents of Star Valley took out time from their Valentines day to listen to community leaders from Novovorontsovka (Нововоронцовська селищна військова адміністрація) share about the reality of their prefrontline county and how they face such truly existential challenges with the will and vision to not simply "survive", to not just wait it out, but actively rebuild, improve conditions, and dare to thrive.

💛 💙Their personal story powerfully shows how much ordinary people can do when you leverage the power of community, local knowledge, and loyalty to home. Exactly how much? Ordinary people are the very literal frontline staving off a genocidal nuclear superpower.

🤝In our capacity as ordinary people of a “neighboring” community, we can support them.

⁉️ How can we help ?

✍️Wyoming residents are bringing a letter to Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis and Representative Harriet Hageman at the Ukraine Action Summit in Washington, DC (April 19–22), to demonstrate the support Wyoming people want to see provided to Ukraine. If that's you, please add your name to this letter:
https://q2x17d2l.forms.app/add-your-name-and-stand...

And please share!

👫We built the bridge, now let’s start crossing it!

🙏Thank you so much for showing up in February and the support you expressed. Thank you for the call to action raised by a member of your own audience who stood up to say that Star Valley must stand with Ukraine in honor of one of Star Valley's own, Dane Partidge, who chose to support Ukraine's fight for liberty and sealed that commitment with his own life.

HomepageHighlightStar Valley builds bridge to Ukraine community in crisis Highlight Regional News Star Valley builds bridge to Ukraine community in crisis Janet Erickson Posted on April 16, 2026 Post Views: 10     • Advocates return to U.S. for political support through petition signatures Star ...

04/14/2026

🎵 "Where do the children play?"

In a community mere miles from Russian invaders, the Novovorontsovka Administration (Нововоронцовська селищна військова адміністрація) still prioritizes that question amidst unspeakable realities.

🤸They had the vision to create a safe space where, as one rambunctious boy puts it: "You can climb and feel like you're in the clouds. Or run like you're moving through the trees."

🧗He adds: "We used to climb real trees — now we do it here."

🌲 Why can't they climb real trees anymore?

Because they live close enough to Russian troops that soldiers can watch them and intentionally hunt them with mini drones strapped with explosives.

🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️And even in that reality, the community leaders of Novovorontsovka strive to protect childhood. With motivated professional youth sports coaches and teachers they could create a program and a space where children can thrive. Where children can play, laugh, and be with friends. These children have not had normal social experiences in over five years.

👫 "Where do the children play?"
Thanks to your support and the creative inspiring proactivity of the Novovorontsovka community, we could answer that question in one of the most unlikely places.

Thank you! ❤️

[And it took under $500 to do so!]

www.forpeace.us

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An additional note.

Supporting youth programs is of obvious inherent and intrinsic value.

We want to add here that the good done does not stop with the children finally having a social and recreational outlet. There are around 800 locals from Novovorontsovka actively serving on the frontline. When they call home and see that their community is successfully investing in their smiling child, there is no greater morale boost. It's important for active duty and veteran communities that they see their families are not forgotten.

04/07/2026

What does lasting impact look like? 🌱

Not a one-time delivery of supplies, but a system — built by people who are already showing up for their communities, and supported so they can keep doing it. 💪

That's the ForPEACE model. 🕊️ We seek out educators, organizers, and community members who are already integrated and invested in their local social network, and we invest in the infrastructure that lets them sustain it.

Here in Zorya, a community near the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, that meant helping to clear and outfit a bomb shelter space 🏗️, and equipping it with a range of woodworking and craft tools flexible enough to serve dozens of children in dozens of ways — not just once, but week after week. 🔨🎨

The result? A creative workshop that never stops humming! ✨

Right now, the children and teachers there are preparing for an Easter school fair 🐣🌷 — transforming reclaimed materials into holiday installations, handcrafted wooden toys, decorations, and spring scenes full of hope for peace and victory 🇺🇦.

Every item made there carries a story 📖. Every child's smile is evidence that creativity is its own form of resilience. 😊

This is what community-rooted aid looks like in practice. 🤝

We're proud to stand alongside the educators and families of Zorya as they build something that lasts. 🌿✊

Thank you for your support!
And thank you to our wonderful Ukrainian partners!
Зорянський старостинський округ Мирівської ОТГ
Ірина Слюсар Турчиненко
Сільська благодійна організація "Зоря"
Катерина Поротько

There are lots more community driven initiatives we can keep going and we realize them with a lean budget because small amounts used smartly goes farther than you would think! Even $5 helps us invest in grassroots social initiatives and the amazing people who keep local momentum going.

www.forpeace.us ❤️

11/05/2025

It was inspiring to be part of the Fall 2025 Ukraine Action Summit organized by American Coalition for Ukraine.

We had the privilege to travel together with one of our partners, Добрі Дії громадська організація, from Ukraine.

Below they share one of their reflections on the summit.