Please watch this space as it will contain updates of actions that are happening that relate to the Ukraine invasion. We will also post statements by different partners of the Charter for Compassion. Share this link with others.

May 17, 2022 - We raised US$504.00 for Voices for Children. Thank you to all those that contributed to our April fundraiser.

We now begin our "May fundraiser for Ukraine" via Facebook. All funds will go to One Humanity Institute, which is offering several apartments of transitional housing to our Ukrainian guests until they can return home or find more permanent housing. . Donate here!

April 13, 2022 - We begin our April fundraiser for the Ukraine via Facebook. All funds will go to Voices of Children, which provides psychological/psychosocial support for children affected by the war. Donate here!

March 31, 2022 - We raised USD$880 on our Facebook Campaign. These funds will be going to Help us Help and Insight. Thank you to all that contributed to this fund!

March 15, 2022 - We have set up a fundraiser page on Facebook. 100% of the funds raised will go to the organizations we curated in the link below. If you'd like to donate money through us, go to https://www.facebook.com/donate/714394453054493/ 

Click here for a curated list of organizations you can choose from to support the people of Ukraine. These have been vetted by partner organizations we trust and our friends on the ground. — Prepared by Revolutionary Love Project

Message from Valarie Kaur

author of See No Stranger and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project

I have been breathless watching the terror in Ukraine unfold. Russia’s invasion comes in the midst of nearly a decade of escalating tension, violence, and antagonization. Since 2014, at least 14,000 lives have been claimed as the result of Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and persistent military presence.

To the people of Russia: We see you marching in the streets, risking arrest, bearing the cold, and holding your signs high: NO WAR. Your courage is a beacon. You show the world that Russia’s leadership is not Russia’s people. Only you have the power to stop this war at the source. Keep going!

To the people of Ukraine: We see you — waking to the sound of sirens, pulling your children from the windows, and preparing to protect all you love. We tremble with you, and wail with you. You are not alone. We are rising up in solidarity and sending you our prayers, our action, and our aid.

To the children of Ukraine: When I told my son about you, he wanted to send you our prayer Tati Vao Na Lagi. My grandfather sang this as a soldier in World War II. When German air raids came at night, he slept on the ground and imagined this Sikh prayer as his shield. So tonight, we closed our eyes and sang his prayer for you. We imagined a shimmering gold shield around your homes and your families and you. The prayer means: “The hot winds cannot touch you, you are shielded by Love.”

And so, I ask all of us:

What if we made a shield of love?

What if this was the moment an unprecedented number of people around the world stood against war? What if we shifted collective consciousness so that never again would any government win support to start a war? What if our voices and songs and actions flooded Russia and Ukraine now, bringing aid and courage and change?

We can choose to see no stranger — to see the people of Ukraine as our family, and the soldiers of Russia as lost ones who can be called home. We can let that sight shape how we grieve — and what we do. Each of us has a role.

Just remember, my love, we are tired and wired and stressed from pandemic and injustice. Now, war. So breathe and rest before you push, read and learn before you respond. Revolutionary love is not the sacrifice of an individual, but the practice of a community. Together, courage.

Yours,

Valarie

Statement from the Global Security Institute

The recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia is illegal and will cause enormous suffering. President Putin lied to the world when he stated that Russia would not invade Ukraine. Did Russian diplomats who parroted this lie do so knowingly? Its diplomats are professional and very intelligent. It seems that they, too, were fooled. Yet, I could be wrong. Time will tell. In the meantime, neither Russia nor the US has pledged not to use nuclear weapons first in this or any other instance. In the fog of war, terrible things, unthinkable things, can happen. That is why for diplomats to lie is so serious. If words cannot be trusted, then bullets become verbs, and in the nuclear age, unthinkable things can happen.

Regardless of what specific responses the world takes to stop and reverse this conduct, it is imperative that there be unity of purpose and outrage. Nations that abstained from supporting Security Council condemnation are asked to rethink and change. Political leaders who, for personal or partisan purposes, express explicit or implicit support for Russia's Crimes Against the Peace should be ashamed and, where they fail to respond to the voice of conscience, we should shame them.

GSI has issued a formal statement to clarify some of the reasons why for the safety and security of the world and especially for the people of Ukraine, all of our voices for the rule of law, justice, and peace must be raised together now.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Granoff

President, Global Security Institute

Read the Statement Here.

United Nation’s Security Council Report

When the Security Council approaches the final stage of negotiating a draft resolution, the text is printed in blue. What's In Blue is a series of insights on evolving Security Council actions designed to help interested UN readers keep up with what might soon be "in blue".

Read "Ukraine: Vote on Draft Resolution”

Statement on the Illegal Invasion of Ukraine by the Parliament of World Religions

Since 1993, the Parliament of the World’s Religions has maintained through its Global Ethic that the involvement of people of faith and good will “for the sake of human rights, freedom, justice, peace... is absolutely necessary.” The invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign democracy, is a violation of human rights, freedom, justice, and peace. Therefore, the Parliament unequivocally condemns the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

We mourn the lives lost and the continued suffering of those involved in the invasion; including those who remain in Ukraine and those displaced by the invasion. We ask that the human rights and humanity of all refugees and displaced people in this crisis be respected and upheld, regardless of their country of origin.

We pray and call for an immediate cessation of violence and for Russia to withdraw all of its forces from Ukraine.

We stand with the Ukrainian people and we call upon all people of faith, conscience and good will to do the same. The Parliament implores the interfaith movement around the world and individuals of faith, conscience, and good will to stand in resolve against all acts of war and violence and advocate for peaceful diplomacy.

The Parliament reaffirms its past statement on nuclear disarmament, and we deplore President Putin’s use of the threat of nuclear weapons in his rhetoric. We once again call upon the politicians of the world to work to stop the spread and eliminate the threat of the use of nuclear weapons.

The Parliament of the World’s Religions remains committed to a culture of non-violence and respect for life, as  declared in our signature document Towards A Global Ethic.

"...Persons who hold political power must work within the framework of a just order and commit themselves to the most non-violent, peaceful solutions possible. And they should work for this within an international order of peace which itself has need of protection and defense against perpetrators of violence. Armament is a mistaken path; disarmament is the commandment of the times. Let no one be deceived: There is no survival for humanity without global peace!”

Statement from the Chair of The Elders, Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland

Dear friends,

I am writing to you at a desperate time for humanity, as President Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has caused death, destruction and misery on a scale not seen in Europe for decades.

The Elders resolutely condemn the Russian President’s actions, which constitute a violation of the United Nations Charter and a dangerous threat to global peace and security. We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, who are resisting the assault on their homeland, and with the brave Russian citizens who are publicly voicing their own opposition to the war.

The consequences of this conflict have global ramifications. President Putin’s decision to place Russia’s strategic nuclear arsenal on ‘special alert’ is a particularly shocking development that underscores the existential threat to humanity posed by nuclear weapons and further undermines the road to peace. The Elders have responded by stressing the importance of NATO’s nuclear powers maintaining restraint in keeping their own nuclear weapons off high alert. Diplomacy and multilateralism are essential in resolving this conflict, and President Putin’s actions should serve as a sharp wake-up call to global leaders that nuclear de-escalation, disarmament and risk reduction is needed now more than ever.

It is all the more grotesque that the world has been plunged into this fresh crisis by the choices made by one individual, President Putin, when we are already grappling with another existential threat: the climate crisis.

The latest IPCC report, released on 28 February, is the starkest warning yet of the urgent need for global climate action, making clear that the time we have left to ensure a liveable future is rapidly decreasing. Not enough leaders were in crisis mode at COP26, yet the report also shows it is not too late to turn the tide. From accelerating the green transition to providing funding to vulnerable countries to deal with unavoidable losses and damages, it is clear what needs to be done. We must see real action and the promises made in Glasgow met and strengthened by COP27 this November.

In light of this, I remain inspired by all those who courageously stand up for a better world, including the young activists calling for climate justice, and the thousands of people across the world protesting in support of the Ukrainian people’s right to self-determination and dignity. There is much hope to be found in coming together.

I was pleased to join esteemed friends and colleagues at The Elders’ recent State of Hope Gathering on 1 March, focusing on access to justice for women and girls. Sharing thoughts and ideas allowed us to reflect on the brilliant work currently being done in this field, while remembering that there is much more to be done as we build a world that is peaceful, just and fair for us all.

We are living through uncertain and destabilising times, but The Elders are determined to further Nelson Mandela’s vision of a better future however we can. I want to end with the poignant words spoken by Svitlana Krakovska, Ukraine’s delegate to the IPCC, as a reminder of everything that we must fight for:

"We will not surrender in Ukraine, and we hope the world will not surrender in building a climate resilient future.”

With gratitude for your ongoing support,

Mary Robinson 

BBC - Our World - Platform 5: Escaping Ukraine

Since Russia invaded Ukraine more than 2 million people have fled the country. Hundreds of thousands of them have passed through Lviv train station, heading for Platform 5. That's where trains take women and children to safety beyond Ukraine’s borders, and where many families have to part. Fergal Keane tells the stories of the people on the platform hoping to escape, the staff who bravely keep the station running and those who are left behind.

Watch Here! (only available for viewing in the UK)