How To Help Ukraine (Part 1)
There are already a ton of resources, articles, social media posts about the incidents that have unfolded in Russia and Ukraine since the past two days. You can learn more about it here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CaY1lUAMfU0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
As the number of controversies about Russia, Ukraine, U.S.A., and NATO have been skyrocketing, it has become arduous to get to the roots of the problem and understand the history of the involved countries and organizations.
We’re not immune to the various propagandas imposed on us by almost every country/godi media. Because of this lack of awareness, the numerous guides to help Ukraine that have come out aren’t entirely informed about all the parties involved in this crisis.
I have provided an unbiased and neutral perspective in my article today and I hope we all can unitedly, make a difference to help the civilians of Ukraine, without being trapped in a capitalist, imperialist and fascist hellhole.
- Do NOT trust Western Media Sources
Firstly, what is Western Media? It is the media of western countries i.e. U.S., Canada, Australia, most European countries, New Zealand, etc. Popular news outlets such as The New York Times, BBC, Washington Post, The Economist, CNN, etc. often report biased news, which often paints these western countries in a good light and degrade countries like China and Russia (the “so-called” opponents of the United States).
To nobody’s surprise, these western media outlets have been labelling Russia and Vladimir Putin as “evil”, completely leaving out their own government’s involvement in installing and funding Neo-Nazis in Ukraine since 1953. They continue leaving out the imperialist, capitalist, and fascist tendencies of the U.S. (and other western countries like the U.K.). On the same day Putin declared war, U.S. bombed Somalia and U.S.- backed Israeli forces bombed Syria. U.S.-funded Israeli occupation forces have been harassing Palestinians since decades and the U.S. itself has deliberately destroyed so many South American countries. Have you ever heard of these humanitarian crises on news channels?
2) DO NOT donate to the Ukrainian Army
Before you scroll away, let’s look at some facts.
I) The Azov Battalion is an ultranationalist group, that was formed by members of Neo-Nazi organizations in 2014.
II) It rapidly gained recognition for aiding the underequipped Ukrainian army, and hence, became an official regiment in Ukraine’s National Guard i.e. the Ukrainian Army.
III) The Azov Battalion, along with other Neo-Nazi forces, mainly focuses on waging acts of terror against Russian sympathizers and even anti-fascist, feminists, and the LGBTQ+ community, so that western capitalists can exploit the natural resources (oil & gas) that Ukraine has to offer.
IV) Minority groups and people of Russian ethnicity of Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), and the Donbass region (all are situated in eastern Ukraine) are being killed and tortured by the Ukrainian army (comprised of a majority of Neo-Nazis who are funded by the U.S.) since 2014.
To summarize, the Ukrainian army as well as government aren’t entirely innocent, as portrayed by almost every news source since the past 2 days. History and context are being excluded, just for the sake of depicting the west as “the good guy” and Russia as “the irrational entity who attacked Ukraine purely for capitalistic and fascist reasons.”
Olga, one of the thousands of evacuees from DPR, said:
“We feel for peaceful people everywhere. We sympathize with ordinary Ukrainian citizens. We don’t want for anyone to have to live through this. They regularly fire at our homes and children. We only had cellars where we kept our conserves to hide.”
Donating to the Ukrainian army, especially through organizations like Ranzom, might be indirectly funding Neo-Nazis and the violence imposed on the people living in DPR, LPR, and Donbass, further enabling the west to make Ukraine their puppet. Instead, donate to organizations that help Ukrainian civilians with medical aid, food, mental health support, etc.
3) Don’t makes jokes/memes about it
Making memes about Ukraine and Russia, at a time of a humanitarian crisis, is incredibly insensitive and stupid. People who make such memes and those who share it and have a good laugh are able to do that because they’re not the victims of a war!
“Call me too sensitive or whatevs but I don’t think WW3 memes are appropriate? You’re making jokes/memes because you’re in a position where you are clearly dettached from the situation but little do you realize the long term consequences it would have for the rest of the world???”
Source: Twitter (@kathleencmn)
Imagine the physical, emotional, and mental state of those whose homes have been destroyed, whose family/friends are no more, who have to flee their own country to be able to survive.
Imagine yourself in their position and wonder if you’ll be amused by a meme made about your situation.
4) Don’t forget the LGBTQ+ and the disabled community!
In a capitalistic and inter-imperialist war like this, the working class and marginalized communities are affected the most. The LGBTQ+ and the disabled community are often ignored and forgotten during times like this. Keep amplifying their voices via social media and help them any way you can.
You can donate to Outright Action International to support the queer community in Ukraine. Here is the link: https://outrightinternational.org/ukraine
Donate to Fight to Right to support the disabled community in Ukraine: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-disabled-ukrainians
I’ll be posting a part 2 of “How to Help Ukraine” soon! Stay tuned! Remember to keep learning more and double-check everything you share!
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- Connect with me: galavidhi416@gmail.com
Until then, take care!
