As you may or may not know, the nation of Ukraine is engulfed in political violence. Ukrainians young and old are taking to the streets of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, to protest against the regime of Viktor Yanukovych. The protests began in November after the government backed out of a trade agreement with the European Union to have closer ties to Russia instead. The violence reached a peak this month when around 100 people were reportedly killed by the police and snipers. Former President Yanukovych has been driven out and is currently hiding somewhere, but the country is still in turmoil. You’re probably thinking “Why is this important?” It’s important because Ukraine is on the verge of either becoming a new democracy or falling further into chaos. Here’s how you can help the Ukrainians fighting for freedom.
RAISE AWARENESS
Not many people know how violent the unrest in Kiev is, so it’s important to raise awareness about what’s going on in the world. You should also tell everyone you know about what’s going on. Talk to your mom, dad, friends, roommate, significant other, RA, professor, kid who sits next to you in class, goldfish…you get the point.
CALL ON LEADERS TO SPEAK OUT
Contact your Senator or Governor and tell them to speak out about the violence in Ukraine. You can contact Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, or Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski. You can also contact the White House as well as Geoffrey R. Pyatt, the American Ambassador to Ukraine.
STAY CURRENT
It doesn’t hurt to stay updated on what’s happening around the world. While you’re riding the shuttle from University Village to Stephens Hall you can scroll through an article on the CNN (or any other major news network) App on your smartphone or when you get to campus pick up one of the various newspapers that are free for students to keep up to date on the unrest.
You can help make a difference in what’s going on in Ukraine (as well as other areas of the world that are currently dealing with unrest, such as Venezuela) by speaking up, speaking out, and staying aware.