On February 22nd, 2022, The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine. The weeks which have followed have witnessed a brutal campaign by the Russian Military to overthrow the Ukrainian government and terrorize the civilian population into submission. This effort has been stalled by the tenacious resistance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the citizen militias of the Territorial Defense Forces.
Secessio Populi is a blog about separatist movements and aspirations to move borders. While we occasionally look at conflict and political violence, it’s not our focus. Moreover, Ukraine is outside the scope of countries that we focus on. But, like virtually everyone paying attention to international politics, the politics of identities and borders, or just anyone concerned about human suffering, we’ve been watching Ukraine. To that end, we want to recommend a few ways that folks can help those coming under direct threat from this conflict.
- Operation Solidarity is an anarchist mutual aid project aimed at helping people evacuate, developing resistance infrastructure, and countering fascist efforts in the region.
- Anarchist Black Cross – Dresden has set up a similar solidarity project.
- The European Roma Grassroots Organizations network has set up a fundraising campaign to help Roma in Ukraine access humanitarian aid.
- Ukraine Now has set up a volunteer form for folks in Europe who can host refugees from Ukraine.
- Ukraine Take Shelter is also matching refugees with hosts elsewhere in Europe.
No one should have to suffer the anxiety, fear, pain, and anguish of war. Ukraine is the most recent and most acute example of what this looks like. We at Secessio Populi are hoping for a swift retreat of Russian forces from the territory of Ukraine, a cessation of hostilities, and a return to something approaching relative peace for the people of Ukraine.