Ukrainian American Family Raises Funds for the Center for Civil Liberties to Educate Ukrainians on Human Rights

On 30 September 2023, Oleksandra Romantsova, Executive Director of the Center for Civil Liberties, attended a charity event called “Ukrainian Voices: Present and Past” in Lexington, Massachusetts. It was organized by a family with Ukrainian roots, who have always been helping our country. This time, they decided to focus their support on the Center for Civil Liberties. As a result, a substantial amount of money was raised by donations. Read on to find out how it all happened, why a fundraiser was organized for the Center for Civil Liberties, and what the funds will be used for. 

Lexington, located near Boston, plays a very important historical role in the United States of America. This is where the American Revolution for independence began. This is what gives significance to this region, the so-called New England.  It is also home to a diverse and rich Ukrainian diaspora: people that, at different times, starting in the 1880’s and right until after WWII, in particular, had moved to this region but retained their Ukrainian roots and awareness of their identity. These days they call themselves people with two home-lands. They are Americans now, but they never forgot about their birthplace – Ukraine. 

One such family, the Gamotas, offered their home for a special ticketed event. It was a charity fundraising gala held to raise money and awareness to support the Center for Civil Liberties. Its organizer, Alex Gamota, is the first generation born in the US to Ukrainian born parents. The Gamotas have been supportive of Ukraine since arriving to the US after WWII through the present. Alex, for example, has multiple times lived and worked in Ukraine since the 1990’s and is the founder of the non-profit organization Bear Witness.  Created in May of 2022, Bear Witness is raising awareness throughout the United States of the war crimes committed by Russia in our country. The fundraising gala was also supported by the Ukrainian American Educational Center of Boston.

When choosing what the raised funds will be used for, we concentrated on the topic that is now key for the Center for Civil Liberties, and that could be explained logically to the American audience. It is training in human rights and explaining why, despite the war, they should be a standard and be talked about. This became the main purpose of the crowdfunding.

In order to raise funds, a unique gala was held at the Gamotas’ lovely home filled with a large collection of eclectic Ukrainian art. All ticket sale proceeds were donated. Ukrainian wines,  savouries and sweet finger foods were served at the fundraiser,  Vira Slywotzky, an opera singer with Ukrainian roots, performed Ukrainian songs.  One highlight was an original composition which put a Lesia Ukrainka poem to music.  Paul Carlson, a noted pianist, accompanied her. 

There was also a live auction of items donated by various benefactors and patrons, including Bakhmut wine.  Ksenia Lisna, a young Ukrainian photographer, exhibited 13 of her works, one of which was auctioned off. Ying Chen, a Chinese scientist/artist, donated two pieces of art representing sunflower seeds in Ginko leaf. 

Oleksandra Romantsova, Executive Director of the Center for Civil Liberties, and her colleagues — winners of the Clooney Foundation for Justice Award — were among the guests of honour who spoke at the event. 

The Town of Lexington honored Oleksandra with a proclamation citing the Center’s humanitarian work. 

More than USD 22,500 was collected during the charity gala. All the funds raised will be used to develop human rights education and awareness in Ukraine. In the photo: Alex Gamota presenting Sasha Romantsova with an official proclamation.

“Like many other families in the U.S. and around the world, my family is helping Ukraine. For families of Ukrainian descent, like mine, the idea of a prosperous and free Ukraine that should take its rightful place in the international community is something we have been trying to support even before independence. With the Russian invasion, our activities have become even more vital and important.

The mission of the Center for Civil Liberties inspired me to try to help in some way. I am grateful to the Ukrainian American Educational Center of Boston and Vira Slywotzky, and to volunteers and donors associated with them who made the event such a success. Each of them recognized the importance of raising money for the Center and increasing awareness of its operation among the wider American public. The funds raised will be channelled towards a multi-year and far-reaching human rights education program. Our goal was not only to crowdfund but also to raise awareness in the Boston community about life in Ukraine in order to secure U.S. aid.

The event was a huge success and raised much more money than we expected. The audience was largely made up of non-Ukrainian Americans. Oleksandra Romantsova was greeted with enthusiasm, attention, and moral support. The Centre for Civil Liberties and Truth Hounds, whose leaders attended the event, were honoured by those present and by the local authorities as heroes, which they truly are.

The development of human rights education is crucial for Ukraine, especially now. This war has set a precedent, as the Russians are committing large-scale atrocities that Europe has not seen since World War II. Ensuring that war criminals are prosecuted is part of any just and sustainable peace. The work of the Center for Civil Liberties in the fields of human rights, documenting war crimes, and advocating for military tribunals is important for Ukraine and the world,” says Alex Gamota.

“It is an essential initiative for us. The Center for Civil Liberties will invest this money in the development of the Kyiv School of Human Rights. It is because we believe that, especially in the context of a full-scale invasion and the environment created by it, it is vital not to lose the human rights perspective and to keep it as a moral beacon that we will need in the future in order to live in a democratic country. Among other things, we have an idea of a special educational project comprising four lectures that would merge the history of the struggle for U.S. independence with the present-day history of the struggle for Ukrainian independence,” says Oleksandra Romantsova.

In the main photo: Christina and George Gamota with Sasha Romantsova.