DEAR PUTIN: GIVE PEACE A CHANCE IN UKRAINE FOR WORLD’S SAKE
TARA COLLUM | Contributing columnist
The news from Ukraine has been wrenching. As the conflict persists, how do we continue to show our support to the people of Ukraine, and friends and relatives who agonize about their safety?
The Muskoka community has shown solitary in many wonderful ways, from the town of Gravenhurst flying Ukraine’s flag, to Bracebridge lighting up the falls in the flag colours of blue and yellow which represent the sky and wheat. And Bracebridge artist Janice Feist’s artwork dedicated to the war-torn country, including a painting featuring the national flower of Ukraine, the sunflower.
Here in Iron Mines, Nova Scotia, on Sundays L’Arche Cape Breton community members have been standing at the Whycocomagh traffic roundabout, with signs of support in the yellow and blue colours.
For an hour, a few weeks ago, I stood in a near blizzard and freezing temperatures, to show support for the nation, and friends in our community from Ukraine.
We wore homemade blue and white flags with a sunflower attached in the middle.
The people who drove by the vigil were amazingly supportive. Every car that drove by honked, or waved, and one driver dropped us off a box of Tim Hortons hot chocolate.
It is scary to see a country that has been independent since 1991 with its own culture and history for hundreds of years being invaded. To see hospitals and theatres bombed, people seeking shelter in subway stations and troops destroying farm land, as farmers prepare for a new season with the knowledge that harvesting in many areas will not be possible.
What can we do to help? One important way is pausing to think about what we repost on social media. Is the source reliable? What is their bias? The situation is incredibly complex, and it can be difficult for us in the West to know exactly what is going on in eastern Europe.
The Simcoe Muskoka District Catholic School Board is including Ukraine in their prayers. To read the prayer visit their website https://www.smcdsb.on.ca/our_board/news_room/board_news/praying_for_ukraine
Other ways to help include supporting local food and supply drives, fundraisers, or donating funds directly if you are able.
Here is a list of reputable world organizations where you can donate.
The World Food Programme https://www.wfp.org/emergencies/ukraine-emergency
Canadian Red Cross https://donate.redcross.ca/page/100227/-/1?gclid=Cj0KCQjw29CRBhCUARIsAOboZbIo2RAjUXksmNlcvk-Yv1ah6dpFpJ5aNUabq5OCVwB0sVAD-PtlSnEaAoavEALw_wcB
Doctors Without Borders https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/msf-assesses-response-ukraine-conflict-escalates
There are other online links where you can donate directly to Ukraine and their fight on the frontlines.
We can also communicate with our federal members of Parliament, and let them know we are interested in how the Canadian government is reacting to this situation, and what support they are offering.
We can educate ourselves about the history of the conflict.
I recently bought a book of short stories Good Citizens Need Not Fear, by Maria Reva, a Canadian author born in Ukraine. She based her stories on her Ukrainian family’s experiences in the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
As a democratic country, we should offer our support to any countries that strive for freedom, and stand with them against invasion.
I hope that we all continue to keep Ukraine in our thoughts, responsibly on our social media pages, and if we are so inclined, in our prayers.
Here is Pope Francis’s prayer for Ukraine. (While I do feel mixed feeling about the Catholic church, the Pope’s words are both instructional and informative.)
