Olena Shevchenko

Executive director
Human rights defender

Today NGO Insight is a powerful movement, but it all began with a simple yet vital impulse: the desire to support people who care about human rights. Human rights defence was not an accidental choice for me; it is a conscious path, driven by an inner need to protect the dignity of those whose voices others try to silence. I came here to create a space where equality is an unconditional value, not a declaration on paper.

What fuels me:

Human rights work is a long-distance run where every decision matters. My absolute element in the organisation is:

Strategy: planning the long-term, game-changing shifts.
Advocacy: systematic work to make our community’s voices heard at the highest level.
Public speaking: honest, open and uncompromising communication with society.

Blitz interview:

What do you do when you are not saving human rights?
When I need to reboot and restore my inner resource, my main sources of energy are sports, cinema and travel.

One sentence about yourself that is not a job title:
A person who still believes in justice.

Three words that describe you:
Idea. Endurance. Support.

A queer watch you recommend?
The L Word. A classic I grew up with.