A center of humanistic technologies AHALAR is a non-government, unprofitable organization that operates in the town of Chernigov, Ukraine. An initiative group of four people started its activity in 1991 by studying the progressive pedagogical experience, conducting teaching programs, and by developing technologies in the sphere of education. Those technologies are based on humanistic principles, on non-violent and natural development of personality. An understanding of the value of such approach was accumulated in the combination of words ‘humanistic technologies’, and the fundamental philosophical and ideological concepts found their reflection in the name AHALAR, which is an abbreviation of three words:
Ahimsa – non-violence (Sanskrit),
Altruism,
Arium – pure, clean place of existence (Protolanguage).

Therefore the values that the founders of the Center follow, humanism and non-violence, were defined as a moral basis for the altruistic, unselfish activity and for the help in preserving the environment. On October 14 1994 by the Municipal Executive Committee of Chernigov the Center was registered as a public organization and was included into the list of unprofitable organizations of the town.

The vision / understanding of the situation that the founders of the organization followed: Ukrainian society suffers from the all-embracing crisis that has its influence not only on the economical, but also on the spiritual spheres of life. The guiding lines for values and the moral norms that existed previously were lost; the new once are being formed under chaotic and frequently negative influence of the social environment. It is possible to oppose the current tendency by means of establishing a moral basis, as a principle of an efficient activity that requires respect of the interests of all the elements of the mega system, which is our society at present.

Public organization can play the supreme part in the existing situation. These organizations will promote the establishment of an integrated perception, positive thinking, constructive behavior, and an active civil position. In order to carry out the necessary changes in the society people are needed, who will take the responsibility and will be the leaders of the process. That is why the Center chooses initiative citizens and leaders as a primary group of clients. The instruments that leaders can use in order to strengthen and realize their goals, and stabilize the society are structural units: initiative groups and public organizations. Therefore the Center identifies the necessity of giving the support to, strengthening the stability and viability of the similar structural formations that operate in different spheres of activity. The needs of clients: The clients’ local requirements:
The knowledge, the ability, and the skills that enable the formation of a society’s readiness for positive changes, and resolution of fundamental problems. The state of readiness includes three components:
1) motivation,
2) ability,
3) will/determination,
Mastering of these three components covers the whole spectra of applied aspects such as personnel motivation, conflict resolution, management of an organization, financial management, etc. Therefore, as its mission AHALAR has chosen the reinforcement of a viable civil community in the Chernigov region by means of support given to leaders and initiative groups through education and provision of informational and consulting services. In 1995, following our tendency to openness, and guided by our strive to set an example of high internal standards, we have formed the Supervisory Council of the Center. The council includes:
Donets I.P., the head of the regional administration of ecology and natural resources;
Atroshenko B.F., the head of the Family and Youth department of the public administration in Chernigov district;
Pyabuha V., the head of the headquarters of the Public Administration of the Internal Affairs;
Zapasnik S., sociology professor at the University of Warsaw, doctor of sociology of the University of Philosophy and Sociology of AH Poland.

Through the actualization of the vision and of the mission the Center had developed a three-year strategic plan (1995 - 1998). During the first years of its operation AHALAR had focused its activity on the resolution of four external problems. These problems have become the fundamental vector of the Center’s activity:
Formation of ecological self-actualization through the organization of an extensive educational activity;
Development of a volunteer movement in the region;
A non-violent leadership education of the initiative citizens; provision of a consulting and methodological support to these citizens;
Informational and consulting support of the activity of initiative groups.
On the level of the problems connected to the internal development of the organization the need for the comprehensive training of the team and for the development of a technological potential was defined.

By the end of the third years, having completed the stage of composition, the organization was capable of extending its mission and the area of activity by providing support not only to initiative groups, but also to NGOs; the Centre had as well begun to offer a technological help to its clients.
The work with social environment had emerged in a strategic plan for the years 1999 – 2001: development of social partnership.

Having completed the actualization of this plan, and having analyzed the achievements and failures in detail, the partners, using the help of skillful specialists from the USA, Russia, and Poland, had accepted a new mission and a new plan for the development of the organization during the years 2002 – 2004. Analyzing our eight-year activity, we can extinguish the following results and achievements:
Ecological education
By analyzing the job completed in the sphere of the formation of an ecological self-actualization we can see the major milestones of the way:
Organization of an international conference “Education, as the way to resolve social and ecological problems, problems of liberalism”. The project “Chernigov, the city of health and concordance”, developed by the Centre, had been approved at this conference. Thirty biology teachers had received training in the frames of this project, which lasted for three years;
Development of a specialized course “Ecology and History” for the students of a Public University of Economy and Management. Activation of a scientific thought, completion of four diploma projects and one pertaining to candidate dissertation developing a theme of the stated above research area are the results of the plantation of this course;
Negotiation of a treaty with the regional public mansion-house for children and youth about the joint conduction of educational programs on the topic of “Deep Ecology” for the teachers of the region. Informational seminars were held in all the districts; these seminars served as an impulse for the development of an ecological movement of the whole region: three ecological clubs had been created;
Translation and publishing of the book “Returning to Life” written by the founder of the theory of Deep Ecology, J. Maycy. This book is a methodological aid for the trainers and is very popular among active ecologists. A book called “The Power of Complicity: Energy of the New Epoch”, in which the conceptual questions of non-violence and deep ecology are described, was written and published by the effort of the team of the Center AHALAR;
Coordination of ecological NGOs of Chernigov, Kiev, and Gytomyr districts, authorized by the foundation ISAR; Conduction of summer ecological camp “Clean Earth”. The goal pursued in the organization of the camp is the formation of an ecological vision of the world (mentality) and development of leadership skills. During the eight years of this camp being held over five hundred people from seven different countries of the world, aging from 15 to 73 years have visited the camp, acquiring there essential qualities and skills.

At the present moment the Center has shifted its activity in the area of ecology to an actualization of programs for the improvement of the population’s awareness in the sphere of energy-saving by means of creating an energy-saving office, house, as a demonstrable model for the population of the region. Considering the constantly rising prices for energy resources and their lack in the country, this is an exceedingly actual problem in the Northern part of Ukraine. Development of a volunteer movement. The following projects and conferences were conducted during the development of the volunteer program on the basis of the Center:
-The first international volunteer conference held in Chernigov; this conference had shown the potential of a voluntary job to eighty people gathered from three different countries;
-Three training programs covering the topic of the development of volunteering, held on the basis of the Center AHALAR for students of the city’s universities; conduction of social questionnaires for determination of the actual problems;
-Three educational sessions of the Volunteer School that provided to more then 120 participants an opportunity to obtain the basic skills in six different specializations;
-Two training programs for the forty four workers and volunteers from the NGOs of Chernigov set in a Polish organization of mutual aid “Barka”;
-Four ten-day seminars, in which about 160 people gathered from four different countries and representing NGOs that deal with volunteering took part;
-Four seminars dedicated to the development of a volunteer movement in the region and promoting the foundation of the three informational representative offices of the region (Negyn, Ichnya, Talalaevka).

As the result of a long-term volunteer program there appeared an activization of a regional movement, increase of respect for a volunteer among citizens, as well as establishment of international relations with other centers. The idea (tradition) of volunteering was carried on to the other three organizations of the town. To these organizations the Center passed on its experience in attracting volunteers to the participation in the socially significant projects. Now the Center strives to include students of universities and colleges, social workers into the realization of volunteer programs, and to tie their energies to the salvation of the socially significant projects. Non-violent leadership. The fundamental landmarks of the development towards this direction were:
- Fulfilling a municipal order for training leaders to manage ten of the youth organizations of the town;
- Conduction of the two-year program of the youth leadership club prepared for forty people on the basis of the regional Palace for Children and Youth;
- Carrying out of a program consisting of 4 out seminars presented to 40 leaders of NGOs and developing the topic of non-violence.
- Partnership with the leaders of the local associations in order of giving them help for the conduction of their civil initiative.
The development of a leadership program of the center into the integrated work with the leaders of the local associations served as a result of the whole activity (LMS). The program was oriented at the elaboration and the embodiment of the effective schemes of LMS with the society. One of the factors indicating reinforcement of the activity is attraction of the two deputy of the municipal Council into the operating group. Support of the regional NGOs. One of the most important directions of the activity performed by the Center is work which is aimed at the development of the NGO sector. Recent accomplishments:
- more then 550 people from the region received training at the 40 seminars directed at the development of the NGO;
- 7 brochures dedicated to the activity of the third sector have been published, as well as two “Guides of Organizations of Chernigov” that include a complete information about the organizations (50 in all) operating currently;
- Three regional exhibitions of NGOs have been held; activities of more then 40 non-profitable coalitions have been presented at the exhibitions visited by about 2500 residents of the town and of the region;
- Web site of the Center with the information about 25 organizations-clients has been developed;
- A series of round tables held with the Mass-Media of the town was dedicated to the possible solutions of the existing social problems through the activity of social organizations;
- Three sociological researches of the third sector have been conducted;
- More then 1500 hours have been spent on consultations concerning the activity of the non-profit corporations.

Thus, working in the selected direction the Center AHALAR managed to reinforce the social movement. Over the last four years more then 20 organizations have been registered with the help of the Center. Now these organizations form the basis of the third sector of the town. The level of professionalism of the workers of NGOs has been raised, and stability of their organizations has been reinforced. Thanks to the purposeful cooperation with the Mass Media a good reputation of NGO has been created. Now the specialists of the Center are engage in the work with the organizations-partners from Russia, ARIGUN and Resource Center “Firn”, Ulan-Ude (Buryatiya).

Social Partnership

This direction of the activity of the Center is one of the most recent; it has been defined in 1999. The development in the direction of social partnership is rapid, though there are a lot of objective obstacles on the way. Continuously analyzing information and finding new forms and ways of activity we have been able to accomplish the following:
- Conduction of more then 20 seminars, training programs, and conferences, which resulted in the rise of the over all level of interaction between the third sectors.
- Organization of two probation periods/ training programs in Poznan and in Chernigov. 16 state officials, business representatives, and representatives of social organizations took part in the programs, during which business as well as cultural relations that promote the development in cooperation of Chernigov and Poznan have been established between the sides.
- Creation of the Council of social partnership, which is a manager of a small fund that collects monetary resources (about 500 hrn. has been collected) needed for the salvation of social problems.
- Creation of the regional social coalition “Concord”, consisting of the seven strongest NGOs, in order to further develop the idea and practice of social partnership.

Summarizing all the gained experience we conclude that we have organized and started a long-term program of an integration of the energies of the three sectors in order to find solutions to the existing social problems. The level of interaction with the state officials of the middle level has been greatly raised; the recent exhibition of the regional NGO can serve as an example of this progress. The government took all the financial responsibility for the conduction of the exhibition; the administrative resources have been used wisely. An agreement has been reached with the Kiev republican social center, regional administration of social youth services over the establishment of an adaptional center, one of the models of the partnership between the sectors. Development of a team. We paid much attention to the development of the AHALAR team, the backbone of which consists of four people, and has not changed over the eight years of operation. We have been following the idea of professional growth of every member as well as maintenance of a comfortable interpersonal cooperation inside the team. The members of the Centre have completed multiple training programs in Poland, USA, Russia, Italy, England, and India. The spectrum of all these trainings covers the following topics: non-violence, peaceful resolution of conflicts, development of volunteering, Human Resources Management, supervision of personnel, NGO management, financial management, public relations, psychological aspects of consulting, etc. All the efforts are justified, the Center has the most professional and stable team in whole the region. Now all the members of the Center can perform two roles, a role of a 1) manager, and a role of a 2) trainer.

International Partnership

We have strategic partners in Denmark (Human Rights Committee of Helsinki, the School of Kofoedov),in Poland (CSDF, Warsaw, Kofoedov University of resociolization, Sedltsy), and in Russia (Center ARIGUN, Recourse Center, Ulan-Ude) for several years now. The Center AHALAR is a member of the European net ANPED, a participant of the net of Recourse Centers Orpheus, and a member of the Ukrainian League of the Recourse Centers. Over the eight years of operation the Center AHALAR has attracted over $200000 to the region expressed in the financial equivalent as well as in the form of in kind in order to carry out the organizational tasks. The following sources have formed the resort basis: grants of the international donor organizations (76%), individual donations (9%), in kind (8.5%), income from the commercial structures (5%), state resources (1.5%).