Civic movement «Vidsich» (Ukrainian: Відсіч, Rebuff) is an active Ukrainian nonviolent social movement created in 2010 as a reaction to the policies of Victor Yanukovich and "pro-Russian" tendencies connected with his presidential administration. Vidsich focuses on a proactive defense of human rights, civil liberties and constitutional freedoms.
Vidsich unites activists who are convinced that people cannot be neutral with regard to the political and social situation in Ukraine. Vidsich's aim is in creating a strong national movement which can protect the interests of Ukrainians and Ukraine in general.
After Victor Yanukovich won the 2010 presidential elections, opposition-supporting citizens, including many who had previously taken part in protests and campaigns, decided to gather and discuss the likely changes to the social and political situation in Ukraine in light of the handover of power.
This conference took place in Kiev on February 20, 2010. This date is considered to be the Vidsich founding date as the conference led to decisions in favour of further self-organization and activity, with participants sketching out the principles and directions for the future of the nascent movement. In attendance were participants of previous opposition movements ("Granite revolution", "Ukraine without Kuchma" movement, civic committee "Za pravdu!" ("For truth"), civic campaigns "Pora!" ("It's time"), etc.), and other opposition-supporting members of Ukrainian society.
Nonviolence
Absence of leaders
Openness
No party affiliation / Non-partisan
Consensus decision-making
Sacrificion
Copyleft
Actions and protest campaigns
From the March 2010, civic movement «Vidsich» took part in hundreds of events (mostly street actions, warning strikes, sit down strikes, public hearings, round tables) in many cities of Ukraine, made either by ourselves, either in cooperation with other organizations.
Such as follows:
«Campaign Against Tabachnyk» (Ukrainian: АнтиТабачна кампанія) - actions for protection of Ukrainian education and science from innovations of new Minister of education and science (Minister of education, science, youth and sports in future) Dmytro Tabachnyk, who already made a name by anti-Ukrainian, chauvinistic, xenophobic statements.
Campaign «No to Police State» (Ukrainian: Ні поліцейській державі) – for impartial investigation and worthy punishment of those, who guilty in the case of Ihor Indylo student’s death, in other cases and against police abuse.
Campaign against 2450 bill, which would significantly decrease the freedom of peaceful assembly, and for «Peaceful protest». Also, solidarity actions with Russian, and Belorussian people, who fight for their rights for peaceful assembly in their countries, were held.
Campaign «Start the work, stop the talk!» (Ukrainian: Займіться ділом, а не язиком!) – against new bills «On languages in Ukraine» #1015-3, «On the principles of the state language policy» #9073 and its modifications (main: Legislation on languages in Ukraine), which would promote the «language» conflicts and strengthen the tense in the society and push away Ukrainian language from the areas of life and activity of Ukrainians.Campaign «Revenge for division of Ukraine» aimed at preventing the adoption of the Law «On the Principles of State Language Policy» № 9073 and at the elimination of negative effects of the Law «On the Principles of State Language Policy» № 5029-VI. It consisted in the bringing down the poll numbers of the political parties and MPs who voted for this law and other persons who contributed to the adoption of this law.
Campaign «Against degradation of education» (Ukrainian: Проти деградації освіти) – against adoption of the Bill on "Higher education" (#7486-1, #9655 and else), which lower and violate student rights, their social protection, promote corruption exacerbation in educational facilities, etc.Campaign of the advocacy of External independent testing (EIT) – against the adoption of draft laws № 1187 and № 2060а minimizing the significance and function of EIT.
Organisation of protests against Tax code, which forced government to fold the immediate adoption, (it was adopted later with editing) as well as refuse the idea of swift embranchment of Housing, Labour, Pension Codes.
Actions against censorship and for freedom of speech, in particular - against frequency lowering for channels «5» and «TVi», «STB», and for the memory of dead journalists since Ukraine independence.
Campaign for commemoration of the famine genocide Holodomor victims of 1932-1933, promotion of rename the toponyms, which cares the names of organizers and executors of genocide.
Campaign "Do not buy Russian goods!" is a campaign to boycott Russian goods after the trade export blockade against Ukraine by Russia, started in August 2013; later - in response to the military invasion of Russia in Ukraine, started in March 2014.Campaign "Boycott Russian Films". At the end of September 2014 the campaign on Russian cinema boycott started spreading. Particularly it is about boycott of films and serials, produced in Russia and broadcast on Ukrainian television and shown in the cinemas — first of all those, in which Russian security structures are popularized or signs of ukrainophobia are present. Activists also called to boycott Russian actors and directors, who supported Vladimir Putin's policy concerning warfare in Ukraine in 2014. During September activists conducted several monitorings on presence of Russian content in the Ukrainian television.
Participation in "Euromaidan", including the organization of student strikes and campaign of boycott Party of Regions. During Euromaidan "Vidsich" in Kyiv formed a sotnia joined to Self-Defense of the Maidan, where received the 16th number.
Events organized for raising funds, gathering of products, equipment etc. for Ukrainian military forces (particularly — for 95th OAMBr) that are fighting in the east of Ukraine. Also — demand actions for: returning control of eastern Ukraine and Crimea; setting requirements to the Ukrainian government to provide all necessary items and services for Ukrainian military forces; providing support to all Ukrainian military forces.
Also, CM «Vidsich» was an organizer or a participant in actions: of solidarity actions with Gorky park defenders; against Black Sea fleet of Russian Federation being on Ukraine's territory; for defending Ukrainian translation of the foreign movies; against persecution of historians and history rewriting; for promotions of state symbols; «Easter together» (students of the south and east of Ukraine staying in the families of their age-mates in the city of Lviv); Against museum throw-away from Lavra; «Ukrainian broadcast - on air!»; against Mazepa street rename; in memory of 66 anniversary of Crimean Tatars deportation; «Ruined Khreshchatyk - we remember!»; «Doughnuts for Donetsk region people» (Ukrainian: Пампухи для донеччан); collection of signatures for restoration of traffic of some suburban trains and actions against made-up ticket deficit in cash desks of Ukrzaliznytsya (Ukrainian railroads); students «arms» demonstration; creative action of protest against «tour» bill #8757 and else activities.
Mykhaylo Svystovych
Kateryna Chepura
