Social work of public, charitable and volunteer organisations during martial law

authors: Anastasiia Shmorlivska, Yuliia Strebkova

Urgency of the research. Social work during armed conflicts and emergencies becomes a priority for many civil society organizations. During a war, social statuses and the situation of citizens change radically, and new vulnerable groups of the population emerge. The number of people in need of social support and protection increases sharply, so the work of civil, charitable, and volunteer organizations is currently at the peak of relevance.

Target setting. During a war, thousands of people suffer and die, entire settlements experience infrastructural disruptions, and residents lose access to normal living conditions. Cooperation between civil, volunteer, and charitable organizations of different areas of activity is extremely important during times of war and social upheaval. It should be noted that in emergency situations, the dissemination of information about such associations and their work is of utmost importance. The relevance of the information being disseminated and its accuracy is crucial for the coordinated work of many services and the speed of assistance to victims.

Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. International experience in social work, including ethical principles and European values of social work are covered in professional English-language publications. However, at the time of the study, the topic of social work during the war in Ukraine was not addressed. The activities of modern civil society organizations in Ukraine, including charitable, volunteer, and community associations, have been examined in the works of domestic researchers. In works published after 2022, authors have concluded that the beginning of full-scale war and the introduction of martial law have made significant changes to the activities of civil society organizations. The national specificity and modern practical experience of social work in Ukraine are determined by the state of war. The dissemination and relevance of information about the work of civil, charitable, and volunteer organizations during the war are not sufficiently studied.

The research objective. In the context of an information war, the relevance and accessibility of information is a crucial component of security, and adherence to information hygiene is extremely important. Therefore, our task will be to analyze the accessibility and relevance of information on social assistance provided by civil, charitable, and volunteer organizations in the conditions of war.

Conclusions. Information about the activities of civil, charitable, and volunteer organizations is highly relevant. Previous research has confirmed the expansion of the range of services provided by civil organizations during war. Collaboration with government agencies is an important factor in the effectiveness of the work of civil organizations, and in conditions of war, it is vital. Posting information about the activities of civil, charitable, and volunteer organizations on the official websites of executive authorities provides up-to-date and accurate information for various groups of social work clients. Unlike pages on social media and popular messaging channels and profiles, official websites of government agencies disseminate information about organizations that are reliable for social work war. This is particularly important for performing complex tasks such as volunteer fundraising for the military, evacuation from hot spots, and others. Informing about real social projects enables the pooling of efforts to provide assistance in conditions of martial law, while avoiding fraudsters who operate under the guise of volunteers.

Keywords: social work, civil-military cooperation, martial law, social work in emergency situations, armed conflicts.

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