IN SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE

March 11, 2022

IN SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE

On 24.03.2022, Russia officialized their invasion of Ukraine.

It was a gradual military invasion that started in 2014 with Russia's occupation of Crimea, escalating to a mass humanitarian crisis and war in February 2022.

As two privileged people living comfortably in the United Kingdom and not facing the threats of war, using the blog to share resources and voices affected by the conflict is the bare minimum we can do.
Having a virtual platform should come with responsibilities, and amplifying different solidarity networks is at the moment our priority.
As it will be explained further in this blog post, the current situation has personal implications for me (Didi), but both Reggie and I still are in the position to help spread awareness and useful resources.

Although we are also providing below resources on how to help & widen your understanding of Eastern Europe and cultural trauma, we will not engage privately or via the blog in political and theoretical discourse on Ukraine, NATO, the so-called 'West' and the Soviet infused fantasies with filo-colonialist implications of the situation.

The conditions do not require (and need) any westernized discourse fetishizing and exploiting the pain and reality of Ukrainians, and we do not want to contribute in promoting imperialist fantasies, pro-Putin propaganda or idiotic narratives engaged with horrible suprematist roots by the western left.

I, Didi, have different ethnical and cultural backgrounds, but identify and lawfully am half Polish.

I have a big part of family in Poland and friends both in Poland and Ukraine.

Poznan is my second home and going to Poland was never a touristy exploitable experience for me.

Growing up in Italy where xenophobic sentiments towards eastern european are particularly acute, made me ashamed for a long time of my ethnocultural backgrounds.

The first (and only) time I felt appreciated and understood in Italy for my Polish heritage, was because of my high school close friend Kristina, who is Ukrainian.

Now, my friend from college Maria, also Ukrainian, disappeared in Kyiv and we (our friends group and her family), haven't heard any news from her since 22.03.

While I mantain the privilege of being in a safe country for an European white person, most of my family and ukrainian friends live in fear.

And of course I cannot mainly omit traumatizing effects of war on Ukrainians citizens and residents.

It is necessary to acknowledge the cultural trauma former URSS countries have developed during the Soviet regime occupation: from consumerism, religion conservatism and neoliberalism - which I repeat: cannot be analyzed through western lenses- to the collective and generational inheritance of cultural guilt, shame and stigma.

It is not our aim as a blog to stay silent, yet at the same time we precatiously don't want to engage with potentionally harmful narratives and pro-terror/pro-Putin propaganda or exploit our friends directly affected by the Ukrainian conflict.
It is destabilizing coming to terms with the ''western'' (term I despise and try to avoid but in the current 'pop' political discourse, unfortunately superficially allows to explain someone's background and so the privileges/disadvantages) privilege of going on with our blog content and regular life, when so many different populations and countries currently suffer because of wars, invasions and terrorism.

We will try to commit in only sharing helpful, official resources without further engaging in useless discourses.

We continue our work with thoughfulness, respect and solidarity with Ukrainians and the indipendent and democratic Republic of Ukraine, pledging to support and help Ukrainians and solidarity networks in our everyday life and via this blog.

RESOURCES

For more complete lists for Ukrainian residents and citizens as for internationals wanting to help, consult resource lists by UkraineNow , Bois de Jasmin, ASEES (Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies), Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon for updates and resources with a focus for minorities and underrepresented groups escaping the Ukraine invasion (list via Linktree), NIDO (Nigerian in Diaspora Organisation), Ukraine Institute London

If you are an Ukrainian or Russian student abroad, consult your institution for support, funds, wellbeing and extenuating circumstances regarding your academic deadlines and assessments.

WORLDWIDE:

volunteer for translators without borders

volunteer for and donate to Voices of Children

donate to & volunteer with UkraineNow

Support the Ukrainian army via Повертайся Живим / 'Come Back Alive': Kyiv-based charity, providing equipment and training to Ukraine’s Armed Forces

donate to Polish refugee assistance NGO Fundacja Ocalenie

donate to Fight for Right: protection and safety of hospitals, people with disabilities and the elderly in Ukraine

Stand with Ukraine : worldwide database coordinating demonstrations in support for Ukraine

LONDON:

Polish White Eagle Club, 211 Balham High Rd, London SW17 7BQ

Lewisham Polish Centre, 8 Waldram Park Rd, London SE23 2PN

( both collecting essential supplies for refugees and people stuck in Ukraine )

Polish Heart Club , 55 Princes Gate, London SW7 2PN

keep an eye on fundraising events for Ukraine or talks promoting Ukraine heritage

UkayExpress

helps SSEES students deliver donations from London to Lviv in partnership. Open for donations currently in E10 (London);

telephone number +44(0)203 4417 857

Instagram @ukayexpress

to check when and how to donate

UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL TRAUMA:

Cultural Trauma and Collective Identity

by Jeffrey C. Alexander, Ron Eyerman, Bernard Giesen, Neil J. Smelser, Piotr Sztompka

book (e-book/paper format) available to purchase via: UC press , Amazon , Google Books

APPLY DECOLONIZATION METHODS AND PRACTICES TO FORMER SOVIET COUNTRIES:

Postcolonialism, postsocialism and the anthropology of east-central Europe in Journal of Postcolonial Writing

(article) by Hana Cervinkova, 2012

available online at Taylor & Francis , Ethnologia.uw.edu, maynoothuniversity.ie

LISTEN TO UKRAINIANS AND EASTERN EUROPEAN VOICES ON THE ONGOING UKRAINE WAR AND GENERATIONAL CULTURAL TRAUMA:

Victoria Frolova is the 'fragcom' erudite fairy godmother.
Her blog Bois de Jasmin offers free educational access & resources to every fragrance aficionados.
As if that wasn't already a blessing for us regular fragrance lovers and consumers, Victoria has always been vocal about her Ukrainian roots and the olfactory heritage and her personal experience of Ukraine.
It is devastating to virtually witness what Victoria must be going through at the moment, and we admire her even more for sharing practical resources for fellow Ukrainians & international supporters and educating people not impacted by the situation on Ukraine.

She is active both on her blog as on Instagram, where you can read about her own personal experience and the tragic impact of Russia's invasion.

While Victoria is doing an amazing work and we highly recommend to give her voice a priority listening rather than to Western medias or scholars, it is important to not exploit the pain of someone who is so directly effected by the war. This is just a reminder to be mindful and keeping yourself accountable when consuming the voices and experiences of Ukrainians and war victims.