On Ukraine
“If you’re not livid, you’re not listening.
The single greatest challenge of our era is to transform without wrath, war, or wariness.
Perhaps one-day peace can be a place on earth.
There is no such thing as gentle war. There is no peace That can’t be flung aside. Our only enemy is that which would make us enemies to each other.”
- Amanda Gorman, Poet & Prophetic
I am not a foreign policy expert. In fact, just last year I admitted my ignorance on Eastern European politics as a person with a degree in International Affairs, and I have no shame in saying it again: I am not an expert, or a pundit, or a journalist. And it should be obvious, but in a world where everyone has to share an opinion about something, I want this to be a reminder, that you don’t.
Sometimes silence means: I’m listening and learning.
This is not the same thing as not doing. In times like these, there is something we can always do. There are skills and privileges, and resources, we all hold, that our communities need. There is something we can all be learning.
So here are some places to get started:
Want to support the people in Ukraine? Here's how you can help | NPR
I am willing to bet that there are Ukrainian- Americans in the cities and communities you live in (if you’re in the U.S) who need your support and who have access to people and organizations on the ground, in their home country— so follow their lead. For example, in my home state of N.C, the Ukrainian Association of North Carolina has been sharing information through their site. Lean in, extend grace and compassion. Whatever you can give is necessary.
Giving to international organizations or to anywhere for that matter can be uncertain. In times of crisis, there are people who capitalize off of fear and chaos to scam others. There are people who use these opportunities as a way to promote or fulfill their own savior complex. So give what you can to those you trust. Be diligent in your research, or give to those you trust are doing that research. There are phenomenal networks out there. One of my favorites is Bakers Against Racism— a community of bakeries and creatives across the world who do what they do best (bake!) and share the profits to those who are most vulnerable. Learn more in the post below:
In your support and solidarity with Ukraine or being anti-war, don’t forget to stay respectful. Russia is not an enemy. Russia is an entire nation filled with people who do not agree with the actions of Putin. Russians, like any other group of people, are not monoliths, and many have been bravely protesting the decisions of Putin. In your disdain for Putin’s actions, make sure you name him, instead of painting a broad brushstroke over the people of Russia.
Racism persists even amidst war: “You're on your own": African students stuck in Ukraine seek refuge or escape route | Reuters
Remember: People keep being people. This is from a Twitter thread, where people share stories of those who are fleeing, who are still desperate to retain some of their normal life and their joys. Read through the thread below.
These next two posts are ones that might stay with me for the rest of my life. And so I share them because I think they should stay with you too:
These next two pieces are for the language nerds.
An article by Ilya Kaminsky (the poet behind the widely shared “We Lived Happily During the War”) on Ukrainian, Russian, and the Language of War, published at Literary Hub
A post by Ocean Vuong on poetry and war
I’m hoping that I see the empathy and compassion that we are getting from the international community towards Ukraine, be equally shared to nations of color, who are also fighting back against breaches in humanitarian and international law, and violence at the hands of governments. I hope one day we will open our arms as widely to refugees of the Global South and the Middle East, who are all too often forced into a state of purgatory while awaiting safety and justice.
Here’s the final note, and this one is to my fellow Americans (in the U.S):
It is odd, isn’t it? In moments like these, I often find myself uncomfortable with what it means to be an American citizen. At the discretion of our President, he gets to decide who lives and who dies (often by drone strikes and bombings), without the input of the American people. And we never have to suffer the consequences. We have never had to know what it is like to have our country bombed, or another country’s military changing up our government, taking out our world leader, ruining our economy. But at the hands of the American government, throughout history, we have been the root cause of so much turmoil in countries around the world.
And yet, we are often the first country to act in times of global injustice, a country where expectations for us to act first and fast, run high.
It’s just an interesting concept to make sense of. Either way, something has to give. Relying on the archaic and destructive tool of war to solve geopolitical conflicts must end.
I’d like to know how you all are making sense of this moment in time. How are you coping? How are you serving? How are you taking care of yourself and the people you love?
A March 1st edit:
Today I received a newsletter from Imani Perry. It’s titled Unsettled Territory and is available through the Atlantic. I’d recommend subscribing if you can. Here’s what she had to say:
“Here’s my point: Books, essays, and long-form journalism matter immensely. No surprise to hear that, I guess, coming from a middle-aged professor. But as seduced as we all are by the information age, the rapid sharing of data points, details, and opinions, it bears repeating: To learn from people who have spent significant periods of time putting together thoughtful, factually based, and analytically compelling accounts is a gift. And it requires time and attention. It demands that we slow down in order to follow complex stories of cultural, historical, and political formations.
I am well aware that our lives are busy, and so we simply cannot read stacks of books or dozens of articles on every political concern. But we ought to have, and ought to cultivate in young people, a disposition that careful inquiry is important especially when it comes to life-and-death matters like war. And to be a good global citizen demands something more of us than slogans or sentences expressing solidarity. We must know better.
…..As a result, I immediately knew that it was best for me not to hold forth on the invasion. But I’ve come to understand my responsibility is greater. It’s time for me to read.”
cover image by https://unsplash.com/@maxkuk