Invasion day +105 Those who are old enough might remember the wonderful Australian singer-songwriter, Judith Durham of The Seekers, now seventy-five years old and still singing despite a debilitating stroke in 2003. The song 'The Carnival is Over' suggests the final parting of two lovers who, facing their end, know they will never meet again.
The carnival image is strong. 'A period of festive merrymaking before a period of fasting and deprivation.' We are all facing the stark fact that for us, and for millions around the world who are now facing hunger and starvation, the carnival is now over. Unless the war is ended, and soon, millions will suffer a slow and horrible death from hunger and its accompanying disease. Those few so brave souls who were stranded in Mariupol now face death by cholera, as if they hadn't suffered enough. Putin must be stopped and although this is a peace seeking blog we believe the only way peace will be restored is for Putin to be defeated.
Sadly, it looks like defeat on the battlefield is now the only way this will happen. The west needs to ramp its support to Ukraine to the ultimate extent. Think 'D-Day' in the Second World War; that level of total overwhelming might until the total unbelievable evil that is Putin and all his criminal cronies, are removed.
Meanwhile...
The war goes on. The need is great. We, the 'Hoggy Collective of Creative Writers' who are this blog are still active. And we shall continue to be so whilst the war rages on. It seems very lonely with so few now writing for us. A blow. But we need to reposition. Re-inspire. Re-deliver. Ukraine needs every one of us. Hence our move to embrace social media. The work carries on and a lot but we need us all to make a difference. (We will report on developments in the next post.)
We are joined by Serhii and Helen who are working hard to launch our social media position.
Welcome both of you, we acknowledge your own sacrifices, worries and courage n the stand for Ukraine.
In Today's Letters we outline our intentions. We invite you to re-join us in our support for Ukraine. Please write, paint, sing, act, dance, whatever you can for the blog, we have to keep providing hope for our readers and brave Ukrainians everywhere. Remember, they are dying for us.
Thank you all for your incredible support so far and we are sorry the blog is not inspiring you enough right now. We are seeking to address this. We aim to embrace your loyalty and your love for peace, for justice, for freedom and for democracy. Please re-join us with your views, your creativity and your belief in what the Ukrainians ae doing for themselves. And for us.
They are dying so that we may live.
Write to us. See the media posts when they go live. See the blog. We are soon to launch our 'Voices for Ukraine' initiative. Watch this space!
Thank you all, brave people.
Hoggy
Today's Letters:
From Hoggy, to all our readers and supporters,
Dear wonderful readers and activists,
Hoggy Reconsidered: 'Voices for Ukraine'
In the face of falling numbers, we have had a good think about the blog and believe the most vital thing is to stay true to our message. We started the blog as a means of support, optimism and hope by the works of creative writers for Ukraine from a position of wanting peace to return.
For peace to return we saw, and still see, that it is necessary to remove Putin and remove Russia from Ukrainian soil. We established the message as:
'Writing and art that promotes justice, peace, freedom and democracy for Ukraine.'
The blog developed since that start by its own accord to become a base for an exploration of Ukrainian arts and culture. Then it developed a 'fundraiser arm' for helping as many Ukrainians as we could (15 to date if we include our two new team members). We have distributed £1000 to Ukrainians up to this date and supported many more with hope and encouragement.
But for a number of reasons less people are now looking at the blog and with the current level of interest we have had very few letters to post of late. Therefore we have needed to re-think the blog. Social media is clearly one way forward and I believe with our new team we can do this to the best of our ability.
Serhii and Helen's new ideas meet our own with the ideas of telling individual stories of Ukrainains wherever we can. This has always appealed and we have tried this with the few sources we were able to embrace up to now. There is an issue of opening up wounds but that is always the case with biography. We think the stories that Ukrainians have to tell need to be told right now and as powerfully as possible. We are looking to promote people's stories through great writing, great stories, however they are told; video, letter, art, music, dance, however and wherever we can.
In particular we are looking to tell soldiers' stories, civilian stories, stories of courage and triumph over adversity. Stories to bring hope and optimism. Stories to preserve Ukraine.
We want to make our small but determined contribution to the preservation of Ukrainian nationhood and culture. Yes, there are other causes, Yemen in particular has suffered so much.
But Ukraine is the cause we have decided to focus on because if Ukraine is gone, who are we? Really? What is the point of saying we are free if we do not fight for that right? And our weapons are our words, and our art, and our music. A coalition of the arts. A coalescence of all we stand for as citizens of the free world.
Lina and Lora are two of those we are supporting, telling their story on the blog, and powerfully, through their music and dancing but we are mindful that they still have relatives in Kharkiv under attack: Lina herself is still there with her grandmother. They are incredibly brave. Their music is incredibly moving. We seek to promote their message of courage, of hope and of love for the world.
They are amazing people amongst a nation of so many amazing people.
Our Aims and Intentions restated:
These are our ideals:
Telling the individual stories of Ukrainians affected by the war.
Promoting and helping to preserve Ukrainian art, culture, and freedom through those stories wherever possible and by joining with others with similar hopes.
Providing hope, optimism and practical support for the present and the future of a free Ukraine.
Our mission here is:
'Helping to keep justice, peace, freedom and democracy alive in Ukraine.'
We are looking to:
Post a range of social media posts across a range of media that tell the stories of the people we can help and direct readers to find out more from the main blog site.
Develop the main 'Hoggy' blog site to contain the written narrative of everything we are doing, as far as possible on a three times a week basis. Monday, Wednesday and Friday postings.
To continue the letter writing format on the main site.
How will this all happen?
Today we launch:
'Voices for Ukraine'
This our first message to go out on social media:
'Since early in the war, a group of concerned writers and artists in the UK have been regularly supporting Ukraine through publishing their work online in the blog hoggytheyimp.com.
This blog has attracted many great writers on justice, peace, freedom and democracy, has raised thousands of pounds for Ukrainians in need, and is individually supporting fifteen Ukrainians with ongoing financial and practical support. Many more have been supported and given hope and optimism through our work with other organisations the blog is helping.
The blog has now been joined by a Ukrainian social media team who are working to promote the voices of Ukrainians as a contribution to the permanent legacy of Ukrainian art, culture and nationhood. If you feel able to share your personal story of the war please contact us, send us your story, let us publish extracts from your diary, or help us to help Ukraine in any way you feel able. Your voices should be heard by the world.
The free world should not be silent in the face of oppression. Your sacrifice must be recognised. (We are happy to change names wherever necessary.)
Thank you all for continuing to keep the passion for justice, peace, freedom and democracy alive. Ukraine needs you. Democracy needs you. The world needs you.
We are thinking of you all and wishing you to be as safe and well as possible.
Hoggy
And of course the amazing 'Sunflowers for Ukraine' fundraising book will appear. If you have not donated for a copy as yet, please do consider doing so and send a cheque (remember those?) to the publishers: 'David Lewis' at Bryn Stowe Publications, 3, Hay lane Terrace, Cloughton, North Yorkshire YO 13 0AJ. All donations of £10 or over will receive a copy of the book if you include your name and address. (We can also take BACS transfers if you let us know.)
Thank you all very much.
Please write afresh for us? We need you!
Hoggy
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