Actions Speak Loudest
A year ago, in disbelief and horror, all of Ukraine sprang to action to save their country and their peaceful way of life. This past year Ukraine was able to get international support to help defend itself against the Russian invasion. It has been a year of Ukrainian sacrifice, valour, dedication, ingenuity, and battlefield successes. Without unity and solidarity, in both words and actions, the outcomes would have been different.
Today we remember the innumerable losses and heart wrenching suffering Ukrainians have had to endure this past year and the hell they are living today. Now is the time for us to double down on our support of Ukraine and to continue to work with Ukrainians towards a speedy victory.
Actions speak louder than words:
The Ukrainian equivalent of Less talk, more action is Більше діла — менше слів (“More action - fewer words”) ring true on the battlefield and in aid spaces where training and laying the groundwork for what matters most allows Ukraine’s defenders, and everyone supporting them, to act quickly, decisively, and effectively.
Action is leadership: words matter but action leads. In this way, Ukraine leads by example with a steely determination to defend and to defeat its enemy. Mriya Aid encourages its volunteers to embrace leadership and to choose action. The lessons we have learned over this past year were derived from thoughtful, considered and decisive actions. Sharing lessons learned and best practices with a wider network of aid organizations has optimized and significantly increased our impact, developed stronger and more positive relationships, and boosted our motivation.
Taking action often involves risks, but the greatest risk is to do nothing. It would be impossible for Ukrainians to resist and to defend without risk. It would be impossible to do the aid work we do without overcoming obstacles which stand in our path or those that are deliberately thrown into it. When we receive words of thanks from the units on the frontlines that we help, or from supporters and volunteers, we know that the benefits of our actions clearly outweigh the risks & the discomfort that come with them. We will persevere just as all Ukrainians are persevering against their occupiers.
While the world has soundly denounced Russia and its continual efforts to promulgate and magnify its disinformation efforts, Russia continues in its nonsensical campaign of reinventing history. Centuries of Moscovy distortions and lies have been challenged and soundly discredited in many debates and articles. The pen may be mightier than the sword, but actions speak louder than words, and the international aid community synergy and calls to action allow us as concerned individuals to raise our heads and our voices to say, “We stand with Ukraine and we are mobilised to help!”
Mriya Aid and all volunteers helping Ukraine are encouraged by and grateful for the supportive words and actions of the wonderful individuals and collectives from all over the world. The fundraising campaign Pushing Boundaries launched at the beginning of February by our supporters at the Blindflug Game Studio and the film production company Dschoint Ventschr has been extended to the end of March. The film Pushing Boundaries can be rented or purchased on the video platform Vimeo with 80% of the proceeds to be donated to Mriya Aid and to the National Sport Committee for the Disabled of Ukraine. Watch the film trailer here.
We’d also like to share another wonderful artistic morale booster with our supporters and partners. Our friends Richard Lowenstein and Lynn-Maree Milburn have created a second video - this time to help Mriya Aid mark the grim milestone of February 24th. The video is a compilation of images1 showing the pain and plight of the children of Ukraine. The moving images are accompanied by a song that has motifs reminiscent of Ukrainian folk tunes. Sung by Joan Baez, the song "Dona Dona" is about a calf being led to slaughter (it was written by Sholom Secunda and Aaron Zeitlin). Putin learned the hard way that Ukraine is not a calf and it will not be slaughtered!
Joan Baez famously said: “Action is the antidote to despair.” A Ukrainian proverb asserts that “Through actions we each travel our own road” (Від діла до діла у кожного своя дорога). The choices we make and the actions we take are individual, but when our values are common and when we act in unity, we can multiply each other’s efforts.
SPRING INTO ACTION: Please join us in springing into action in the coming weeks, as we work with our Ukrainian and global partners to provide EOD training, EW-hardened drones with training, CAT tourniquets, NVGs, first responder, demining and medical clinical equipment.
As we mark the one year anniversary of the horrific invasion of Ukraine, let us take time to grieve and to remember the ultimate sacrifices made to protect and defend Ukraine from an evil and barbaric occupier who has no regard for human life or any other free thinking society. Let us now, together, in unity and solidarity, double our efforts to help Ukraine regain its sovereign territory, throw the enemy out, and rebuild for its future and for the future of all of Europe.
The support and equipment provided by Mriya Aid helps Ukrainians, who are under a constant threat of attack, to save lives and to defend themselves against the Russian aggressors. Sacrificing for democracy and freedom, Ukrainians not only need, but deserve our ongoing help and unwavering support.
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