Tag: War

War! What is it good for?

Absolutely nothing.

War is back in the headlines and in our heads these last weeks. The atrocities taking place in the Israel/Palestine conflict curdle the stomach, leaving us shocked and bewildered by man’s capacity for cruelty.

Yet, this is only one war out of the estimated 32 worldwide (World Population Review) and the 110 armed conflicts, which are smaller, if no less vicious. (Geneva Academy) Presented on a map, this virus of violence is most prominent in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, but we know all too well how conflict can be infectious.

There will be no illustrations to this blog post. I think we have all seen enough. Nor shall I be dwelling on the immediate impact of war. What I should like to consider is the long-term effects, the parts that the cameras and journalists seldom capture.

Living with a displaced person has given me some real insights and reminders that war is not a news cycle but an ongoing and damaging process long after the troops have gone home and the peace treaties signed.

Living with trauma

Whilst we may be familiar with soldiers getting PTSD following their tours, it is worth remembering that civilians too suffer trauma. Though hopefully not as intense, one cannot survive bombings, interrupted sleep and fear for ones loved ones for months on end without it taking its toll. Even those lucky enough to escape conflict at the beginning will have the urgency and fear of escape seared into memory.

Diaspora

For me, one of the most heart-breaking consequences of war is having families torn apart and perhaps not able to reunite for years on end. Mariia’s own family is split between Poland, England and Ukraine. One of her friends is in Switzerland, but with a nervous US government, unable to get a visa to visit her brother in America. The list goes on.

After a while, the new home becomes home. Children raised in another country may not wish to return and disrupt friendships and education all over again. Anxious parents may not want to either. A temporary relocation becomes fixed.

Demotion

Unless you are one of the few people who are completely fluent in the language of your adopted country, it is unlikely that you will find work that is equivalent to that you held at home. My friend’s neighbour is hosting a Ukrainian engineer. She took a job washing dishes at the pub, so grateful was she to the government for providing her and her daughter with a place of safety.

And of course, when it is time to return, the years abroad are lost to promotion and upskilling.

Those left behind in the conflict are no better off. With sirens sounding throughout the night, unreliable services such as electricity, one can hardly be expected to perform at one’s best.

Scarcity

All wars bring with them scarcities – sometimes of resources vital to life. In Ukraine, whilst they have miraculously kept their infrastructure working, food is now approximately 50% more expensive, whilst salaries and fixed incomes remain stuck. Life is getting increasingly difficult and these shortages are likely to continue some time after the conflict ends – not least due to the damage the Russians have made to the land.

In the UK, rationing only ended in 1954 – nine years after the war ended. The effects of conflict spiral on into the future.

Rebuilding

With so much lost in war, the need to rebuild is urgent. Sadly, much of what is lost is irreplaceable: great artworks, grand buildings, heirlooms in family homes.

And at the back of everyone’s mind is the question: will it happen again? Am I rebuilding only to have it fall once more? Will these crops ever reach my family or be stolen by yet another militia?

Such fears are real and justified. The dread that it might happen again is the most pernicious and weakens the resolve to recover. We should be cognizant of this and where possible give the necessary reassurances of protection and support, because nothing feeds the urge for conflict great than fear.

What can be done?

Man’s urge to kill and destroy is unlikely to end anytime soon. However, I do hope that as we become more aware of the hidden costs of war and its impact over the years, we might be less inclined to jingoism and the lure of war’s ‘glory’.

The angry young men committing the heinous atrocities in the Middle East have been fed propaganda and a peculiarly violent interpretation of Islam over many, many years. They have been taught not to question or consider that their views contain any flaw.

When looking at most conflicts, this process of indoctrination – even if simply of the inherent rightness or superiority of their sovereign state – occurs over years if not generations.

We are currently blessed with peace, but I feel that the circumstances are such that we too may easily be led into fanaticism. People hold stronger views more forcefully. Listening skills are side-lined to shouting loudest.

I pray that we can retain our peace on the large and small scale by consciously opening ourselves to the possibility that we may, just may be wrong and to question everything.

Be a Hero

Sometimes you have to be your own hero Image: Denise Jans

On Tuesday morning, Mariia was deeply upset. She had just read the news that the huge hydro-electric dam in Nova Kakhovka, Southern Ukraine had been blown-up by the Russians. The walls breached, water cascaded over the surrounding countryside and towns engulfing all in a swirling mass of liquid destruction.

The human costs are obvious. Houses are wrecked, beautiful buildings flooded and destabilized. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated in a country already struggling with so many internally displaced persons. And the threat to the nuclear power plant reliant on its water to the north is pending, as are the fates of those further from the site who depend on on the dam for much needed electricity.

The cost to nature

Yet, less often mentioned is the ecological cost. Zelensky referred to this attack as “an environmental bomb of mass destruction” for this area is one of special ecological interest, containing two nature reserves and several zoos. The Russians have already been colonising vast tracts of parkland throughout the occupied areas and the eternal shelling has caused devastating wildfires and consequent deforestation.

A once peaceful haven Image: Balkhovitin – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32652682

Those areas which once provided a refuge for animals, rare plants and fish, have been polluted and mined and burned. Below is an image of what the Russians have left behind.

From peaceful forest to munitions dump Image: Ukraineworld

If you are interested in learning more, the following site is excellent, if a little depressing: https://ukraineworld.org/articles/analysis/russias-environmental-crimes?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=topic%2Fnatureconservation

Defeating despair

In a week or two, the news cycle will move on and we will forget these acts of destruction, though the effects will linger for many decades. So what can we do? Mariia was understandably angry about the assault on her country and I was too. My first task though was to turn that anger to something more positive. If we succumb to hate, the aggressor has won by making us join him in his pursuit of evil. (I do not use that word lightly.)

Yet, the devastation is so overwhelming and so pointless that it is easy to lose hope.

I tried to remind her of all the individuals who are risking their own welfare to evacuate those caught in the floods and to give them shelter. Compared to the small number of those involved in the bombing, a very large number of people are working hard to repair the damage and help those left in the wake of catastrophe.

We can tut and shake our heads about this pointless devastation or we can act. Oscar Wilde wisely said:

The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.

Oscar Wilde

In the UK, we are hardly in a position to rescue people from their rooftops, but there is much we can do from keeping love in our hearts to practical strategies. As Mariia has remarked several times, we have the privilege of living in a democracy. A single vote or a single letter to our MP may not seem much, but with others, we can produce real change.

From scouring the shelves to spoilt for choice Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

As an example of one person making a difference, I told her about our friend ‘Fairtrade Matt’ who we knew from our Greenpeace days. He toiled for years encouraging individuals and organisations to sell and use Fairtrade products. Other individuals across the country did the same. For years, nothing much happened. Then, it seemed as if everyone was committing to the practice of ethical sourcing. The supermarket aisles that once only had the choice of a single product at the bottom of the shelf now had an abundance. The same happened with free-range eggs. And the same with meat-free products.

Because effecting real, meaningful change takes time and commitment and it starts with the decision to act and empower ourselves.

Choosing to be the hero

That afternoon, Mariia noticed a social media post asking Ukrainians to meet in the town to create posters and raise awareness of the situation in their homeland.

She set off with Hermione (they were also calling attention to the effect on animals) and met up with a few other determined souls to tell their story. As it was at the end of the work day, they were able to speak to a number of people (some of whom had never met a Ukrainian) and explain their cause.

Gentle persuasion and information Image: a kind passer-by

Will it make a difference? Only time will tell, but I hope that the people they spoke to left with a greater understanding and a willingness for our government to maintain support for Ukraine.

That same day, I read an article in The Times where many of the Republican presidential candidates in the US referred to the invasion as a ‘territorial dispute’. Really? How easy it is to downgrade events through the manipulation of language. A dispute hardly requires international support: an invasion, which unchecked may well spill over to other countries, certainly does. Language matters and we must be vigilant in avoiding the politician’s trick of misdirection and when we see it, like Mariia, explain the truth.

The hero’s reward

I would love nothing better than to say here that the hero’s reward was consummate with his/her effort. But, I would be lying. In reality, the hero’s path is littered with hardship, challenges, failures and hurt. It is seldom acknowledged (except perhaps posthumously) and just as often ridiculed.

So why bother? Because acting in a way that you think is right and that will benefit others brings its own reward. After a day of looking very glum indeed, Mariia came home smiling and excited by all she had achieved. And that was enough.