Safeguarding and Protection Policy

Safeguarding and Protection Policy of the NGO “Sophia Brotherhood”

This Policy is aimed at ensuring the safety and protection of all persons who interact with the NGO “Sophia Brotherhood” or participate in the organization’s activities. The document defines the Brotherhood’s approaches to preventing any forms of violence and responding to them within the framework of programs, projects, events, and internal processes of the organization.

Familiarization with the provisions of this Policy and consent to them is a mandatory condition for admission to the membership of Members or Friends of the Brotherhood, as well as for the involvement of other persons in the implementation of the organization’s programs and initiatives.

Definition of Safeguarding

By safeguarding, the NGO “Sophia Brotherhood” understands a set of measures aimed at ensuring the well-being of all persons who interact with the organization. This includes support for their physical, emotional, and psychological health, prevention of harm, and the creation of safe conditions for participation in the activities of the Brotherhood.

The principle of safeguarding is an integral and unquestionable foundation of the Brotherhood’s work.

Definition of Prevention and Response

By prevention of and response to violence, the NGO “Sophia Brotherhood” understands a system of measures that includes:

an established list of unacceptable forms of behavior and activities;
preventive mechanisms aimed at eliminating risks of violence;
a standardized algorithm for responding to reports from affected persons and to cases of detected violence during the organization’s activities.

Responsibility for Implementation and Monitoring of the Policy

Responsibility for compliance with the principles of this Policy, implementation of preventive measures, receipt and consideration of complaints, as well as convening disciplinary hearings within the statutory governing bodies of the NGO “Sophia Brotherhood”, lies with the Director of the Brotherhood’s Office.

Preventive Measures

In order to ensure the safety of all persons who interact with the NGO “Sophia Brotherhood”, the following preventive mechanisms are introduced:

Mandatory written confirmation of familiarization with and consent to the Policy.
All candidates for admission as Members or Friends of the Brotherhood, as well as volunteers and other engaged persons, sign a relevant clause in the Application or Declaration confirming acceptance of the provisions of this Policy as mandatory rules of conduct.
Annual public proclamation of the Policy and its confirmation.
At the General Assembly, the current version of the Policy is publicly announced (proclaimed), and full members of the Brotherhood vote to confirm it for the next period or to introduce amendments. All amendments are recorded in the minutes of the meeting.
Regulation of interpersonal relationships within the Brotherhood.
1. Romantic relationships between adult and legally capable members of the Brotherhood are subject to disclosure to the responsible person;
2. Any other relationships that may involve elements of abuse of status, authority, age difference, or dependency are prohibited.
Oversight of openness of activities and transparency of projects.
All events and activities of the Brotherhood are conducted in a mode of informational openness. The organization of closed, unaccountable, or “secretive” activities that may create safety risks for participants is prohibited. Responsible persons oversee compliance of project activities with the principles of transparency and accountability.

List of Prohibited Activities in the Brotherhood’s Activities

The NGO “Sophia Brotherhood” establishes a list of categorically unacceptable forms of behavior that contradict Christian ethics, safeguarding principles, and the current legislation of Ukraine.

The following are prohibited:

sexual and sexualized violence against children and adults, including members of vulnerable groups, in any form;
exploitation of children and adults, including participants in the Brotherhood’s social or educational projects;
psychological pressure, intimidation, manipulation, threats, and other forms of psycho-emotional violence against children and adults;
use of vulnerabilities or weaknesses of children and adults, including members of vulnerable groups, for the purpose of obtaining any benefit or influence;
financial, material, or other economic exploitation, including blackmail, extortion, or the imposition of financial obligations or conditions;
any forms of bullying, harassment, abuse, neglect, humiliation, or creation of a hostile or unsafe environment;
self-interested exchanges (money, gifts, services, resources, etc.) in return for participation in projects, access to information, physical or informational inviolability, or any other actions or omissions that may cause harm to a person;
any other actions or forms of interaction that contradict the current legislation of Ukraine or violate the principles of Christian morality and the ethical norms of the Orthodox Church.

This list is not exhaustive and covers all forms of prohibited, dangerous, or unethical behavior, including those defined by Ukrainian legislation and the tradition of church ethics regarding interaction with one’s neighbor.

Special Procedure for Responding to Reports from Survivors of Violence

Receipt of a report and initial assessment of the situation.
An authorized representative of the Brotherhood promptly clarifies the circumstances of the incident and records the statements of the affected person.

In cases of immediate threat to the life or health of the survivor, priority is given to urgent safety measures: provision of first aid, stabilization of the condition, and ensuring access to professional medical, psychological, and/or material support.

Immediately after the initial clarification of circumstances, the Brotherhood ensures that the survivor has the opportunity to obtain legal assistance and facilitates the proper registration of a report with the National Police of Ukraine.

Notification of governing bodies.
The responsible person prepares a brief report on the incident and immediately submits it to the Brotherhood’s Executive Board for prompt response.

Convening of a disciplinary hearing.
Upon receipt of the report, the Executive Board of the Brotherhood promptly initiates a Disciplinary Hearing.

Ensuring the safety of the survivor.
Until the hearing is held, the Executive Board issues an order for the temporary complete isolation of the survivor from the named alleged perpetrator within the framework of the Brotherhood’s activities. The alleged perpetrator is formally informed of the requirements of this order.

Ignoring or violating this order is considered a gross disciplinary offense and constitutes grounds for exclusion from the Members or Friends of the Brotherhood and termination of cooperation with a volunteer.

Conduct of the disciplinary hearing.
The Executive Board hears the statements of the named alleged perpetrator, records all relevant information, and adopts a decision to suspend the alleged perpetrator from all forms of participation in the Brotherhood’s activities for the duration of the investigation by law enforcement authorities.

Refusal to cooperate, evasion of relinquishing authority, or attempts to circumvent the suspension are considered grounds for lifetime exclusion from the Brotherhood and termination of all relations with the person.

Actions Following the Results of the Investigation

After completion of the official investigation, the Executive Board adopts a decision guided by the principles of safeguarding, justice, and Christian ethics:

in the case of proven guilt of the alleged perpetrator, the person is permanently excluded from the Members or Friends of the Brotherhood and is no longer permitted to participate in its activities;
in the case of closure of the case due to the absence of corpus delicti, but where reconciliation of the parties is impossible, the Brotherhood ensures their further organizational isolation from one another;
in the case of established defamation by the complainant, a process of reconciliation is organized without further consequences; if reconciliation is impossible, the complainant is advised to leave the Brotherhood; in cases of malicious non-compliance, a procedure of lifetime exclusion from the Brotherhood is applied;
in other cases, the Executive Board acts in accordance with the spirit of this Policy, guided by the legislation of Ukraine, Christian morality, and the principles of fraternal peace.

Documentation of Results

After completion of the review, the Executive Board prepares a final summary report containing:

– a brief description of the course of events;
– a summary of the statements of the parties;
– a chronology of the investigation;
– the final decision of the Executive Board;
– recommendations for amendments to this Policy.

The report is stored in the Brotherhood’s archive in compliance with the principles of confidentiality.