It’s not often that I find myself at a loss for words, and yet that’s very much where I’ve found myself over these last three weeks. As I thought about posts for March, the theme of “reset” was front and centre in my mind. Reset as we move from pandemic to endemic, reset as people return to in-person work and/or school, mask mandates drop, and our reality shifts back to the familiar but in a way that’s forever changed post-Covid.

And while the theme of “reset” is going to be important for all of us and something I may explore in future posts, what I feel today is powerless. Powerless in knowing that as I write this, one of the biggest acts of evil since World War 2 is happening in the Ukraine. Powerless because in a case of history repeating itself, some of the fractures in society that we’re seeing –  social unrest, bigotry and racism among others – mirror similar unrest that happened before the start of World War 1 and 2. This also brings up the challenging question of whether humanity has actually learned from its past?

Within the narrative of both World War 1 and 2 also exist examples of when intervention in the form of combat came later than it should have, and I hope that NATO’s decision to not engage in combat in the Ukraine doesn’t become another example of this in the history books. As I say this, I also understand the threat of nuclear war that exists within this conflict.

Powerless also comes in the form of knowing that as we watch what’s happening in the Ukraine unfold, there is very little most of us can do to intervene, fix or stop it.

However, what we can do is be aware, be informed and educate others around us about what’s happening. We can support those around us who are affected directly by the conflict or have people in their lives who are. We can also support people in our lives who have fled war torn countries and for whom this conflict may be a significant trigger.

We can also explore how to donate to and support humanitarian aid efforts in the Ukraine. A couple I am aware of include:
   • UNICEF
   • United Nations Refugee Agency