Recently Stove Leg Media spoke with Anya Kasianova, a Ukrainian citizen and Berea College student here in Kentucky. Our goal at Stove Leg is to ignite conversation, but what we have seen unfold over the last few days goes well beyond words. The atrocities being committed call for action. Anya and many others have taken to the internet to spread awareness and information pertaining to the many tangible ways this fight can be fought.
Anya stated, “I emphasize the fact that I am mainly here to spread resources, not share my own feelings about what's going on right now- we don't have time for that. Ukrainian children are dying, we have to act now. Every second counts right now- we can either shut this war down immediately using our collaborative actions or innocent people in my country are going to lose their lives. NATO needs to ally itself with Ukraine right now. Our soldiers are strong, but they need urgent assistance. Sign this petition to help bring NATO to Ukraine. All of these links and resources combined can be found on my Linktree.”
Below we have included a social media message that is currently being shared among online communities in order to compile credible resources for those wishing to join this effort:
Russia has officially invaded Ukraine. This morning, millions of Ukrainian children woke up from explosions before dawn. Putin has declared war on a sovereign, independent country calling it a rescue mission. He says he’s “freeing” Ukrainians from our “fascist” government while launching ballistic rockets at our homes. If you still choose to believe otherwise, trusting Russian propaganda even for a second- you need to wake up and face the truth. My country and my nation are strong, and we will fight for our freedom till the end. In our resilience we are united. Putin will fall. If you want to help Ukraine during these difficult times, here’s what you can do: -Donate. Many organizations in Ukraine are actively supplying our military and sending humanitarian support to people in need. The list, put together by @senya.p on Instagram, is a detailed resource for you to check out: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vR2jj3syEAWBdgIszmnjPPo_IWCSH6k3TuJRzZojhsSyVoSHMMh_pez_3DiuwtakpWEso3escCajM6f/pubhtml#. All organizations are legitimate and provide full transparency about their transactions. -If you can’t donate- share. Spam your social media with #standwithukraine hashtag to boost the content produced by various charity organizations. Follow reliable sources and engage with their content. Share the list above with your friends. YOUR ATTENTION WILL PAY OFF. -Spread. Educate yourself and talk about current events. Share it with your friends and family, peers, teachers and faculty members, school officials, charity organizations. Don’t stop talking about Ukraine. -Support. Check up on your Ukrainian friends. Support them by any means you can. Buy Ukrainian. Supporting Ukrainian businesses is equally as important right now since most of them are donating money to the army and the government. -Avoid misinformation. Only trust reliable sources of information. Don’t engage with posts and news channels that are spreading propaganda and lies for views. Learn wisely. -FOLLOW THESE ACCOUNTS ON INSTAGRAM: @ukraine.ua @withukraine (around the clock updates in English, led by Ukrainians- MUST FOLLOW) @savelife.in.ua @razom.for.ukraine @zelenskiy_official @ukrainiansinsolidarity @ukraine_defence
Another thing you can do is email your representatives. The Instagram post below gives all the details about how you can do that, along with the template of the message to send:
Next, we are currently advocating for Germany to ban Russia from SWIFT, and asking NATO to close the skies in Ukraine, since most of the attacks are being made from military aircraft, ballistic rockets, and missiles. You can sign the petition here (nationality/location doesn't matter, you can sign it from anywhere, being a citizen of any country):
IMPORTANT! Share posts and/or stories with #closethesky #sendnatotoukraine #banrussiafromswift hashtags!
Another important thing: protests. Citizens all across the globe should unite in their mission to help Ukraine however they can right now. You can organize protests or attend those that are currently being organized by others around you. Here’s the link: https://www.stopputin.net . Even if none of these are anywhere near you, you can share it with friends so that they can attend in other cities and countries. If you or any of your friends decide to go, don't forget to advocate for the two important points right now: Ban Russia from SWIFT and Bring NATO to Ukraine. https://openpetition.eu/!stopwar
--SLM