Event review – Panel Discussion on the Ukrainian Refugee Crisis – The Conduit
The movement of people is a feature not a bug of global existence ~ Paul van Zyl
I was truly inspired by the courageous leadership and resilience demonstrated by the panellists who spoke on the Ukrainian refugee crisis 🇺🇦. The community-based approach adopted by Ukranian Sponsorship Pathway UK has created so many positive stories and we all know how desperately we need hope amidst the chaos of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
I was also thrilled to connect with Heather Savory, a trustee at USP, and to discuss ways I and others I know might add value being the son of refugees. For starters, viewing refugees as independent agents with dreams and ambitions rather than as hopeless victims is an important step to providing them with the means to secure their future and to be beneficial members of society.
I also had to emphasise the importance of improving access to mental health services and reducing the stigma surrounding mental health as one can’t overstate the trauma and loss experienced by refugees and displaced people.
And finally, I believe it’s absolutely vital that we steer everyone towards greater rationality by equipping all people with the tools and principles of critical thinking. We’ve seen throughout history how irrational beliefs lead to wars and genocides when people blame a misfortune on conspiracy theories that implicate an ethnic group. Or that the ultimate good is to maximise the glory and eminence of the nation even at the expense of innocent individuals.
To quote MLK, an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere and I believe the greatest threat to justice is the tendency towards irrationality characterised by staunch nationalists and woke leftists alike. The advantages of rationality and the pursuit of truth – even when it flies in the face of narratives that make us and our tribe look like the good guys – is what will make us all collectively and objectively better off.
Do support this important cause if you can!
