Invasion Day +29 The international pressure on Putin's isolation increases yet again: the knot tightens. More and more sanctions are being imposed on Russia and its dwindling cabal of supporters. Internal discord in the Kremlin sees ministers removed and others fleeing. Russia's technologists and its intelligentsia continue to abandon Putin whose barbarity even extends to his own war widows and mothers, many, many thousands of them now, in the closing down of the 'war mother's' support organization in Russia. You have to be very desperate to do that to your own people. A Russian supply ship and surrounding storage buildings are destroyed on the Black Sea coast bringing even more shortages for Russian troops, Ukrainian advances are pushing Putin's desperate and disillusioned soldiery to their limits and beyond. And still, like a cornered rat, Putin tries to demolish the already demolished. All the horrific instruments of this concentration camp mind are there to see, forcible deportation, kidnapping, individual atrocity, war crime. illegal weaponry, barbarism.
But he cannot break Ukraine. He cannot break the world. Good will triumph over evil. We, the citizens of freedom and democracy, within and without Russia, will ensure it. As one of our correspondents writes in a moving poem for the blog today, the refugee children may be going to an unknown destination but really it is Russia that is now a country with a destination unknown.
Today's Letters:
From David Lewis, Bryn Stowe Publications of Scarborough
Dear Hoggy,
A 'Hoggy’s Fund' for Ukrainian Artists?
Thank you for the stand you, and all your incredible and brave correspondents, are making for Ukraine, it is such a heart-warming blog, full of insights on the present and hope for the future. I make sure it is the first thing I read each day and long may such vital freedoms of expression last.
I notice there is quite a strong thread supporting the preservation of the arts and cultural life of the Ukrainians running through the blog. Your post on Maria Burmaka was an inspiration for us here, the appalling and cynical attack on the theatre dwellers of Mariupol has been a driving force. Their suffering will not be forgotten here.
I would like to suggest the possibility of extending your influence and reach to raise money and support to help Ukrainian writers and artists (of all sorts of expression) and their families both to escape the carnage and to preserve aspects of their culture? Even one such family being helped to save themselves and their art would be a huge statement for the future rebuilding of their country’s life and heart, wouldn’t it?
There is a lot being done to send money out to Ukraine and to the refugees in the surrounding countries and I note you all at Hoggy are already supporting in this way, as many of your correspondents will be through the recommended funds of bodies such as the Disasters Emergency Committee and others. We certainly acknowledge all these brilliant contributions here.
But this suggestion would be to help specific artists and writers in need and help to identify them through your blog, possibly over the medium to longer term?
I am director of a small publishing company and we are about to publish a book of poems and writings in support of Ukraine. My suggestion is that we distribute a copy of this book to everyone who feels able to make a donation to this fund, however small, and then provide financial and moral support to those writers and artists from Ukraine we can identify who might benefit from it?
Maybe we would only raise enough for one or two families to be helped in this way but it would be specific people we could all identify with wouldn’t it?
We would be happy to administer this here through our existing corporate social responsibility account.
What are your thoughts on this idea, Hoggy?
Keep up the great work,
David B. Lewis
Director, Bryn Stowe Publications of Scarborough.
www.brynstowe.org
Dear David,
Hoggy’s Fund
What a brilliant idea, thank you!
I can say on behalf of myself and the team at ‘Hoggy’, please consider your kind offer accepted and ‘Hoggy’s Fund’ suitably launched!
We look forward to the publication and you can rely on us here to donate to the fund.
We will post more details as soon as you can let us know how and where money can be sent.
Meanwhile, best wishes for the publication of the book and we will carry its promotion here too.
A huge thank you for this support, David, it is greatly appreciated.
Hoggy
From Wanda Maciuszko North Yorkshire
Dear Hoggy,
I am from a Polish family of refugees and spent my early years in a refugee camp in the UK after the Second World War. This current terrible war has brought memories back of those dark wartime days of my parents and I wanted you to have this poem I have written for the blog. Perhaps it will help someone know they are not alone in their feelings?
Wanda Maciuszko
North Yorkshire.
War 2022
Terrified faces
Unknowing looks
Eyes wide open in terror
Loving arms
Cradling soothing
Pale faces
Thin bodies
Children in pain
With drips attached
Ravaged by disease and treatment
Put on buses
For thirty hours
Destination unknown
War 1942
A dead boy
Taken by disease
From parents and sister
No medicine to save him
His little body buried
In the white snow
Far away from anywhere
To lie for centuries
But in their hearts for ever.
W.M. March 25th 2022
Dear Wanda,
Thank you so much for sharing this very moving poem with everyone, it gives a real sense of the heartbreak and the pathos of young life destroyed without cause or reason.
This barbaric war will end and its perpetrator will be brought to justice. The children, martyrs all for the freedom and life they have been denied, will be avenged at The Hague.
Please keep up your support and your steadfast belief in freedom and peace Wanda, you too are an inspiration. Together we will win out.
Best wishes,
Hoggy.
From Eleni Cotton in Shrewsbury
Dear Hoggy,
A couple of thoughts that are different from most posted, so I'm whispering them to you!
First, I have heard a letter read out from a religious order in the east of Ukraine and its normality is so reassuring. I fear that appalling although the reality is, there is also the reality of places in the Ukraine which are almost normal. This has given me heart because I have been so sickened by the daily diet of genocide and suffering.
I find it has a paralysing effect, on me at any rate, and I want to hide from it because I am helpless to do any more than I am. I have to confess that I suffer when I see others suffering; I can almost feel their pain and that is not very useful or productive.
Secondly, yes, absolutely, we owe shelter and help of all sorts to these poor people. I do feel though that we must keep our wits about us.
It's not just the refugees that we will have to care for but our present infrastructure - hospitals, schools, power, roads etc. – this will not support a large influx. What makes it worse is that we have spent such huge amounts on keeping ourselves alive and well during the pandemic. If we do not analyse costs and expenditure, we shall leave staggering debts for future generations to pay off.
In summary we should do everything we possibly but not attempt the impossible.
Eleni Cotton
Shrewsbury.
Dear Eleni,
Yes, it is a strange situation that in some areas, even in Kyiv, the bravery of the Ukrainians is such that they are determined to live on as 'normally' as they can. It is an inspiration under the incredible leadership of their president, who remember, not that long ago was not a career politician but an entertainer. He has been a rock around which his county has stood.
We salute him and his parliament of ministers and members all of whom have been such a stand for freedom and democracy. We all owe them everything that is saving us from a monster's lust for power as he seeks to dictate all over Europe.
Your point on our domestic situation is well made, but we have to do all we can, perhaps even the impossible?
All wishes Eleni, your contributions are vital to us here.
Hoggy
From the BBC Complaints Department, London
Dear Hoggy,
Thank you for contacting Tim Davie about BBC News coverage. As you might appreciate, the BBC Director-General receives more correspondence than he can deal with personally. Once correspondence has been read by his office, it is forwarded to us here in the BBC Audience Services department so we can respond on behalf of the BBC's management. We acknowledge your feedback regarding our interview with Ukrainian singer, Maria Burmaka, on BBC Breakfast on Wednesday 2nd March. Towards the end of the interview with Ms Burmaka she used some strong language, for which our presenter promptly apologised for in line with our usual audience expectations. He also added that it was understandable why the language had been used stating, “I really understand the depth of feeling and viewers would understand that too.” However the interview was not cut short due to the strong language, we were a few seconds away from the 9am BBC News Channel opt-out and so we needed to wrap up the interview before this took place. We’re grateful to Ms Burmaka for appearing on the programme from Kyiv, and for passionately and eloquently sharing her thoughts and concerns on the ongoing Russian invasion. Thank you again for getting in touch, we have shared your comments with senior members of the programme team. Kind regards,
BBC Complaints Team www.bbc.co.uk/complaints
Dear BBC,
Thank you for your prompt response.
How convenient for you.
We rest our case.
Maria deserves another hearing.
Hoggy.
From the Avaaz Team in San Francisco USA.
THE CALL AGAINST WAR AND NUR WEAPONS
Dear Hoggy,
Greetings from the Avaaz team. Please can you circulate this open letter in your blog?
(Avaaz—meaning "voice" in several European, Middle Eastern and Asian languages—launched in 2007 with a simple democratic mission: organize citizens of all nations to close the gap between the world we have and the world most people everywhere want.)
Open Letter from Nobel Peace Prize Laureates and Citizens of the World Against War and Nuclear Weapons:
We reject war and nuclear weapons. We call on all our fellow citizens of the world to join us in protecting our planet, home for all of us, from those who threaten to destroy it. The invasion of Ukraine has created a humanitarian disaster for its people. The entire world is facing the greatest threat in history: a large-scale nuclear war, capable of destroying our civilization and causing vast ecological damage across the Earth. We call for an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Russian military forces from Ukraine, and for all possible efforts at dialogue to prevent this ultimate disaster. We call on Russia and NATO to explicitly renounce any use of nuclear weapons in this conflict, and we call on all countries to support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to ensure that we never again face a similar moment of nuclear danger. The time to ban and eliminate nuclear weapons is now. It is the only way to guarantee that the inhabitants of the planet will be safe from this existential threat. It is either the end of nuclear weapons, or the end of us. We reject governance through imposition and threats, and we advocate for dialogue, coexistence and justice. A world without nuclear weapons is necessary and possible, and together we will build it. It is urgent that we give peace a chance.
----------------------------------
Signatories list of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates:
His Holiness The Dalai Lama (1989)
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (1985)
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (2017)
Juan Manuel Santos (2016)
Kailash Satyarthi (2014)
Leymah Gbowee (2011)
Tawakkul Karman (2011)
Muhammad Yunus (2006)
David Trimble (1998)
Jody Williams (1997)
Jose Ramos-Horta (1996)
Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs (1995)
Óscar Arias Sánchez (1987)
Lech Walesa (1983)
American Friends Service Committee (1947)
International Peace Bureau (1910)
Thank you all.
Avaaz.
To sign this letter please go to: https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/no_nuclear_war_2022_41a/?caEagrb
Please keep your letters coming, they are an inspiration. Hoggy
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