Recourses for Conflict
Devastating accounts of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine have flooded news outlets and social media all over world in the last week. In the western world, many people have never lived through a conflict like this and it can be difficult to know how to help. For citizens of Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Gaza, Somalia, Iran and many other countries around the world, images of invasion, bombs going off and citizens fleeing for their lives are all-too-familiar. Wherever you fall on that broad spectrum of understanding, navigating recourses for action can be overwhelming. Below is a non-exhaustive guide to help you understand where to help.
First, some things to keep in mind.
Check your sources.
Be wary of what you see and share on social media. Check sources. This is so important: check. your. sources. Misinformation is easily spread, as is propaganda specifically crafted to push Putin’s agenda. Or another agenda. Just check. Where did the original information source come from? What outlet is posting it now and do they have affiliations that could lead to unbiased reporting? For US news, the Interactive Media Bias chart can help. Compare multiple resources. For Ukrainian news, the Kyiv Independent is Ukraine’s English-language news outlet; you can donate to their Patreon and GoFundMe.
Language is important.
Language suggesting that this conflict is ‘unlike anything the world has recently seen’ is gaslighting the trauma of many people affected by war in recent years; minimizing the ongoing devastation and generational trauma that recent invasions have caused people from countries like Palestine and Afghanistan is dangerous. Be mindful of language you’re using and that which you’re sharing.
Chose where you can help.
Feeling overwhelmed by not knowing where to start can easily hinder one’s ability to take action. Take it step by step. Chose a topic you care about deeply and start there - it could be helping international aid, doctors, displaced kids, photojournalists on the ground, POC refugees crossing borders, refugee centers across Europe, shelters from neighboring countries accepting pets. Just start.
Where to start.
Note: In Residence does not have the recourses to keep this list as up to date as necessary for an ever-evolving criss, so we have linked out to lists and recourses from organizations that can.
Educate yourself. Reuters is a reliable source for news, they have an Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now that is updated daily.
Act. Find organizations you can donate to that align with your values. Here are some lists from NPR, Global Citizen and Forbes that we found helpful.
Donate. The links above are useful to navigate to organizations that can help. A good place to start is often picking one large reputable international organizations like Ukranian Red Cross, Unicef Protection of Children in Ukraine and Doctors Without Boarders, then pick another grassroots organization that aligns with your values. You can repeat this process as many times as you can afford to, but starting with two and expanding outwards can be helpful. Also, check if your company matches donations, or if you know anyone working at a company that does.
Broaden your scope of understanding about conflict. Educate yourself about what is happening in Afghanistan and how to help, Palestine, Syria and conflicts around the world. Understand how this war could have global consequences and affect neighboring countries like Lithuania.
Know your limits. Limiting time on social media is important to balance while still remaining informed. Reflect on your triggers and consume content accordingly. For example, some people find it easier to absorb information by reading, while limiting their viewing of video content and images. Find what works for you.
Think before sharing. Sharing recourses via social media is incredibly important for visibility and its so important to consider who’s watching them and the space they might be in. Sharing imagery of war? Add a trigger warning. You never know who’s seeing your content and what they’ve been through. And always, always fact check before sharing.
Thank you for reading, thank you for acting. We are stronger together.