Updates on Ukraine

[Carolyn Parker]

Dear friends,

I'm starting a new thread regarding Ukraine because the other was getting pretty long and cumbersome.  If you haven't read the earlier thread, begun on Monday, February 28, please do so.  Lots of passion, lots of ideas, lots of community.  If I can, over the next couple of days, I will try to pick up any loose ends that we left dangling and bring them forward to this thread.  

NYSEC will hold a peace vigil today at noon (Eastern) in front of the Russian consulate in New York City.

Join Society Leaders Richard Koral and Nori Rost in front of the Russian General Consulate tomorrow for a peaceful demonstration against the war in Ukraine.

All are invited and encouraged to make signs, dress in Yellow and Blue, or bring anything else you can think of to show your support for the people of Ukraine

The vigil may be livestreamed, but I do not have any information to share on that.  You can check their Facebook feed, just in case.  (If anyone has a link, do share it here.)  If you can attend, please do so; if not, consider wearing yellow and blue today.  

Foundation Beyond Belief has shared their Statement on Ukraine with us.  It includes an updated list of organizations through which we can make donations to help Ukraine and refugees coming out of Ukraine.  

The events in Ukraine and our discussion on this listserv have sparked additional ideas and plans.  Perhaps an AEU-wide discussion of peace, aggression, and our responsibilities to each other?  Perhaps direct action to rescue struggling refugees coming out of Ukraine?  Perhaps a consumer boycott of corporate contributors to instability in eastern Europe?  

Please continue to let us know:

• what you or your Society is doing in response to this crisis;
• names and links for other organizations that are doing work that we can support;
• other ideas for action that we can consider.

Please continue to amplify the message of AEU's Statement in social and other media.  There is a steady drumbeat of calls for violence, shouts of support for Russia, opportunistic efforts to profit from uncertainty about fuel supplies, misinformation about the reasons for Russia's invasion.  Our drums need to be louder.

Peace and goodwill,

Carolyn A. Parker

Chair, AEU EAC

(wearing blue and yellow in Texas)

--

She/Her - Deed Before Creed - AEU Ethical Action

[Curt Collier]

Greetings all,

Just heard back from our philosophical allies in Slovakia.  Still waiting to hear back from contacts at the University in Kosice (wrote Dr. Andreansky).  Once I hear back from them as well we can formulate a new plan for in-person assistance.  See his email below.  I've read that the University in Kosice is expressing the same concern over Ukrainian students and that might be a good place to focus some of our assistance as I'm sure their families won't want them to return to Ukraine.  As soon as I hear something, I will let all of you know.  I'm going to maintain the conversation with Andrej to get more specifics.

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Dear Curt,

The situation in Slovakia with refugees is relatively moderate since
most of them are stay in Slovakia for transit only. Then, after a few
days of stay, they move to Western Europe. Therefore, their interest to
stay in Slovakia for a longer time is quite limited. As a result, we
still have free capacity to help them. Moreover, the Eastern border of
Slovakia is full of voluntaries who help the incoming refugees. The
government built tentative accommodation directly at the border. It also
provided free healthcare and opened the labor market for refugees from
Ukrajina. Many people offer accommodation for refugees. Government
supports it and manages it. The material collection has been stopped due
to too big success, at the moment it has the sense to collect money
only. Most of the society in Slovakia is looking how to help. Just a few
people hate refugees and support Putin even these days, namely the most
conservative catholic, but unfortunately also some humanists. (People
from West are always shocked who can claim to be Christian or humanist
in Slovakia - we are trying to change it, but it will take many years.)

If you want to help directly in Slovakia, we recommend supporting the
local civil (non-religious) organization specializing in refugees and
homeless people.
https://depaulslovensko.darujme.sk/pomoc-ukrajine/
https://www.magna.org/sk/o-nas/kontakt/

Some initiatives also collect money and military material for people at
Ukrajina (e.g., hunters send them night vision, people buy and send
bulletproof vests, medical material, donate blood, etc...).
https://postbellum.darujme.sk/ochranme-ukajincov-v-boji/
https://smespolu.org/en/

There are also some specific problems to be solved. E.g., we have a lot
of students from Ukrajina at our universities. But unfortunately, most
of them lost financial support from home. (This is close to me since I
work at Comenius University in Bratislava.) Our university has provided
them accommodation for free and started to pay scholarships. But the
financial capability of our universities is not enough to do it for a
longer time.

Many greetings to humanists in New Jersey!

Best regards,

Andrej Lucny
chairman, ETHOS

Curt Collier

Leader

Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County

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[James Croft]

Thanks Curt! This is great information. I have been talking to the folks at Foundation Beyond Belief, and I have through them been connected with an organization, Sunflower of Peace, which is collecting money to provide frontline medics with material to save lives. They are endorsed by Razom (which is one of the places FBB is directing funds), and have years of experience providing help for frontline medics in Ukraine. I may use my talk at this conference to try to raise money for them!

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From: Curt Collier <2na...@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 5, 2022 9:16:09 AM
To: Carolyn Parker <cpa...@aeu.org>; Nori Rost <nr...@nysec.org>; James Croft <jcr...@ethicalstl.org>
Cc: Ethical Action Chairs (new) <Ethical.A...@aeu.org>
Subject: Re: [ethical.action.list] Updates on Ukraine

 

[Carolyn Parker]

Good info, Curt.  Please keep us informed.

Thanks for the heads up about Sunflower of Peace, James.  I see another call for medical supplies from the local Ukraine-American group here in Austin.  Donations of funds may be a practical way to get supplies to the right place quickly.  This echoes what Curt's contact is saying.

More demonstrations are going on around the country.  NYSEC peace vigil yesterday has video.  Share your pix via ethicalac...@aeu.org.  

Are you all hearing calls for boycotts against Coca-Cola and Pepsi for continuing to do business in Russia?  Just asking, because consumer boycotts may become another line of action.

Peace and goodwill,

Carolyn

--She/Her--Deed before creed.--AEU Ethical Action.