Ukraine: how we can help
Ukraine: how we can help
Like the rest of the world, we have watched with shock, horror and genuine disbelief at the events unfolding in Ukraine.
At our ESGmark® team meeting, we all agreed that we couldn’t sit by and do nothing. We are activists at heart and pour our efforts into making the business world a more responsible , accountable place. Co-operation, collaboration and unity are the touch stones of what we do. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #16 focuses on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions - promoting peaceful and inclusive societies. As we wrote just weeks ago in our monthly blog discussing SDG #16, “a society that is torn by conflict, insecurity, and mistrust cannot function and nurture its people as it should. In 2019, the number of people fleeing war approached 80 million, and the evil circle of violence, displacement, and the resulting trauma and mistrust returning to violence again will take enormous collective willpower to break“. It is difficult to believe that we are confronting a new and utterly incomprehensible war on the very edge of Europe.
Just as we believe that businesses have a responsibility to play their part in environmental and social justice, so we believe that businesses have a responsibility to use their voice, their influence and their resources to help at this moment of total crisis.
We will be keeping ourselves up to date with the unfolding developments and do what we can to help and make ourselves useful.
Knowledge is power so we will be keeping a daily, updated list of resources for anyone looking for a way to involve themselves. From international charities to local efforts, fundraising campaigns to podcasts we will do our best to make the ESGmark® community stand with Ukraine and do everything we can to help.
We are asking all our members, subscribers, readers and visitors to contact us if you have any resources you would like to add to the list.
Ways to donate
UNICEF: The United Nations Children’s Fund has launched an emergency appeal for funds to keep children safe, warm and fed. They are not accepting donations of items but money donated will go towards blankets, warm clothes for children, hygiene kits and items, health kits for primary health care, recreation kits and learning kits.
Save the Children: Save the Children are working to distribute blankets and warm clothes, keep up some sort of educational support, provide cash and vouchers for food and medicine and working out how to provide mental and psychosocial support to traumatised youngsters. They are asking for financial donations to continue their work.
The British Red Cross: The Red Cross have launched an emergency humanitarian appeal. They are also asking for financial donations, not objects. Money will be spent on food, water, first aid, medicine warm clothes and shelter.
Choose Love: Choose Love helps refugees and displaced people around the world. They are working to reach £2 million to help Ukrainian refugees both at the borders and in their temporary homes. At the time of writing they have raised £2,370,827. As they said “It’s easy to feel helpless in moments like this, but we ask you to respond with love in the face of such calculated and cruel aggression.“
Doctors Without Borders/ Medecins Sans Frontieres: MSF are mobilising their volunteer medical response units in Russia, Belarus and countries bordering Ukraine. They are also working on strategies to send teams into Ukraine as the fighting worsens. Financial donations will go towards emergency medical kits, medical equipment, medicines and protective-wear for their volunteers.
Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC): The UK Government will match pound-for-pound the first £20 million donated by the public to this appeal. Donations will go towards warm clothes, food and medical to refugees both trapped inside Ukraine, and those who have fled to neighbouring countries.
British-Ukrainian Aid: founded by ex-pat Ukrainians in 2014 following the events in Crimea, British-Ukrainian Aid is a registered charity that works specifically from the UK to help Ukrainians caught up in its ongoing conflict with Russia. It has now launched an appeal for financial donations to help with their work on the ground supporting families, individuals, children, the elderly and anyone else who might need their help.
Razom (“together” in Ukrainian): a Ukrainian-American volunteer organisation with volunteers both on the ground and internationally. They are working to procure medical supplies for situations such as blood loss, as well as other tactical medical items. They also partner with numerous trusted humanitarian organisations and are asking for financial donations to keep up their work.
Come Back Alive: a Ukraine-based foundation that was launched after the annexation of Crimea, Come Back Alive provides training, financial assistance, equipment and support to the Ukrainian armed forces. They are asking for financial donations to help their soldiers defend Ukraine.
NEws REsources
Regularly updated:
The New York Times’ podcast The Daily has some excellent episodes dedicated to the unfolding events and political situation:
‘A Knife to the Throat’: Putin’s Logic for Invading Ukraine - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Ukrainians’ Choice: Fight or Flee? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Another NY Time production, The Ezra Klein Show, has this fascinating interview with Fiona Hill (a Russian advisor to 3 American Predidents) on Putin’s psyche, strategy and possible reasons.
The Economist’s podcast The Intelligence has daily updates on discussions, political ramifications and the humanitarian crisis.
The Guardian is also doing some great articles and podcasts - this one is especially helpful in terms of the pro’s and cons of greater NATO engagements: Could Nato do more to stop the war in Ukraine? | News | The Guardian
TIME has an exceptional set of news reporters and photographers, along with really effective suggestions for how we can all help.
We shared this with the ESGmark® team and we all agreed that it sums up the truly indomitable spirit of the Ukrainian people.
context
Although what we’re seeing is shocking, many people are not shocked that it has happened. Although President Putin’s reasons for invading the country are based in some unfathomable leaps of historical interpretation, the history of the region is critical to understanding why this is happening at all.
The Rest Is History: 155. Ukraine and Russia on Apple Podcasts
The Rest Is History: ARCHIVE: The Vikings and the birth of Kyiv on Apple Podcasts
How to end Britain’s love affair with Russian money | News | The Guardian
Comedian, president, warrior: the transformation of Volodymyr Zelenskiy | News | The Guardian
TimeOut put together a list of 7 films to help us understand the Ukrainian conflict. The first on the list - Winter on Fire - covers the 2014 Maidan Revolution and whilst it is distressing to watch, the resolve and solidarity of the Ukrainian people is truly inspiring to see.
ACTION
Many local councils around the UK have confirmed their support for the Ukrainian people however the UK government has yet to waive visa requirements for Ukrainians coming to the country as refugees.
Petition your local MPs and councilors to ensure that our voices on a local level are heard. You can also sign the petition to bring this matter direct to Parliament - once the petitions receives 100,000 signatories, MPs are obliged to consider debating the matter. At the time of writing (1st March 2022) there were just over 28,000 signatories. To ensure that your name is counted, please make sure confirm your email address in the link sent to your inbox - otherwise your vote will not be included.