Spotlight
The Conflict in Ukraine: How to Understand It & How to Help
03.25.22
The world is captivated and saddened by the daily horror of the war in Ukraine.
To gain a better understanding of what led to this conflict, we've compiled a list of books and other resources the library has to offer.
And as we all know, people still in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in neighboring countries are in dire need of supplies and other assistance.
At the end of the resource list are suggestions for ways to help the humanitarian effort to bring aid to the victims.
Kanopy Films: Conflict in Ukraine
A carefully curated collection of documentary and narrative films focused specifically on Ukraine and its tense history with Russia.
Red famine: Stalin's war on Ukraine
by Anne Applebaum, 2017
"Applebaum presents a revelatory history of one of Stalin's greatest crimes--the consequences of which still resonate today. In 1929 Stalin launched his policy of agricultural collectivization--in effect a second Russian revolution--which forced millions of peasants off their land and onto collective farms. The result was a catastrophic famine, the most lethal in European history. At least five million people died between 1931 and 1933 in the USSR. But instead of sending relief the Soviet state made use of the catastrophe to rid itself of a political problem. In Red Famine, Anne Applebaum argues that more than three million of those dead were Ukrainians who perished not because they were accidental victims of a bad policy but because the state deliberately set out to kill them."--Provided by publish
The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine
by Serhii Plokhy, 2015
"A concise, authoritative history of Ukraine. Ukraine is currently embroiled in a tense battle with Russia to preserve its economic and political independence. Situated between Europe, Russia, and the Asian East, Ukraine was shaped by the empires that have used it as a strategic gateway between East and West--from the Romans and Ottomans to the Third Reich and the Soviet Union, all have engaged in global fights for supremacy on Ukrainian soil. Each invading army left a lasting mark on the landscape and on the population, making modern Ukraine an amalgam of competing cultures."--Provided by publisher.
Ukraine: A History
by Orest Subtelny, 2009
While previous updates brought readers up to the year 2000, this new fourth edition includes an overview of Ukraine's most recent history, focusing on the dramatic political, socio-economic, and cultural changes that occurred during the Kuchma and Yushchenko presidencies. It analyzes political developments - particularly the so-called Orange Revolution - and the institutional growth of the new state. Subtelny examines Ukraine's entry into the era of globalization, looking at social and economic transformations, regional, ideological, and linguistic tensions, and describes the myriad challenges currently facing Ukrainian state and society. From the publisher.
Lost Kingdom: the Quest for Empire and the Making of the Russian Nation, from 1470 to the Present
by Serhii Plokhy, 2017
"In 2014, Russia annexed the Crimea and attempted to seize a portion of Ukraine. While the world watched in outrage, this blatant violation of national sovereignty was only the latest iteration of a centuries-long effort to expand Russian boundaries and create a pan-Russian nation. In Lost Kingdom, award-winning historian Serhii Plokhy argues that we can only understand the confluence of Russian imperialism and nationalism today by delving into the nation's history. Spanning over 500 years, from the end of the Mongol rule to the present day, Plokhy shows how leaders from Ivan the Terrible to Joseph Stalin to Vladimir Putin exploited existing forms of identity, warfare, and territorial expansion to achieve imperial supremacy. An authoritative and masterful account of Russian nationalism, Lost Kingdom chronicles the story behind Russia's belligerent empire-building quest"-- Provided by publisher.
In Wartime: Stories From Ukraine
by Tim Judah, 2016
"Ever since Ukraine's violent 2014 revolution, followed by Russia's annexation of Crimea, the country has been at war. Misinformation reigns, more than two million people have been displaced, and Ukrainians fight one another on a second front--the crucial war against corruption. Tim Judah lays bare the events that have turned neighbors against one another and mired Europe's second-largest country in a conflict seemingly without end. Judah talks to everyone from politicians to poets, pensioners, and historians. Listening to their clashing explanations, he interweaves their stories to create a sweeping, tragic portrait of a country fighting a war of independence from Russia--twenty-five years after the collapse of the USSR"--Provided by publisher.
Black Square: Adventures In Post-Soviet Ukraine
by Sophie Pinkham, 2016
"….In vivid, original prose, Sophie Pinkham draws us into the fascinating lives of her contemporaries--a generation that came of age after the fall of the USSR, only to see protestors shot on Kiev's main square, Maidan; Crimea annexed by Russia; and a bitter war in eastern Ukraine. Amid the rubble, Pinkham tells stories that convey a youth culture flourishing within a tragically corrupt state. We meet a charismatic, drug-addicted doctor helping to smooth the transition to democracy, a Bolano-esque art gallerist prone to public nudity, and a Russian Jewish clarinetist agitating for Ukrainian liberation. With a deep knowledge of Slavic literature and a keen, outsider's eye for the dark absurdity of post-Soviet society, Pinkham delivers an indelible impression of a country on the brink."--Provided by publish
How to Help
CARE, an international aid organization aiming to provide food, water, hygiene kits, social services and more to Ukrainians in need. Donate here.
Choose Love, a non-profit that doesn’t just provide medical care, food, clothing, shelter and legal aid, but also helps support Ukraine’s LGBTQ+ community. Donate here.
Doctors Without Borders, whose base in Ukraine provides treatments for a range of regional diseases and medical problems. More info here.
GlobalGiving, a U.S.-based nonprofit crowdfunding platform for grass-roots charitable projects, launched its Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund page, stating that all donations to the fund will support humanitarian assistance in affected communities in Ukraine and surrounding regions where Ukrainian refugees have fled. You can donate here.
International Committee of the Red Cross provides assistance for victims of armed conflict and has been working in Ukraine since 2014 to supply emergency assistance and support hospitals with medical equipment. To support the ICRC’s efforts in Ukraine, you can donate here.
International Medical Corps, whose teams are already on the ground in Ukraine delivering medical and mental health care. Donate here.
Nova Ukraine, a Ukraine-based non-profit that provides civilians with everything from baby food and hygiene products to clothes and household supplies. Donate here.
Project Hope, an international health-care organization founded in the United States in 1958, works to empower health-care workers facing health crises, according to its website. For the Ukraine invasion, the organization says its emergency teams in Europe are sending medical supplies and standing by to provide health screening and care for refugees. You can donate here.
Save the Children, an international charity providing children with food, water and safety. Donate here.
Specifically help BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and disabled Ukrainian refugees, all of whom currently face substantial additional difficulties. This Linktree page provides a range of links and resources.
Sunflower of Peace is a small nonprofit with ambitions to help Ukrainian orphans and internally displaced people. A post on its Facebook page in mid-February said it had launched a fundraiser for first-aid medical tactical backpacks. Each backpack, it says, can save up to 10 people. They’re packed with bandages and anti-hemorrhagic medicines, among other critical items. The group has worked mostly off its Facebook page, where it’s accepting donations.
U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs oversees U.N. Crisis Relief, with donations going toward U.N. efforts to fund work in humanitarian crises. Primary goals include supporting lifesaving activities, filling funding gaps and expanding assistance in hard-to-reach areas, according to its website. You can donate here.
UNICEF, a global charity focused on the welfare of children, providing water, nutrition, healthcare and education. Donate here.
Voices of Children, a charity that focuses on helping children recover from the psychological trauma of war.
World Food Programme, the U.N.’s anti-hunger humanitarian organization, has launched emergency relief operations in Ukraine and surrounding border countries. WFP says it is scaling up to provide food assistance to 3.1 million Ukrainians affected by the conflict and has deployed 400 tons of food to the Ukrainian border this week. To support their efforts, click here.
List compiled from these sources:
Time Out https://www.timeout.com/news/17-ways-you-can-help-the-people-of-ukraine-right-now-022822
Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/27/how-to-help-ukraine/
Additional Information:
For local information from the Chicago Tribune click here.
St. George Ukrainian Orthodox Church (847-345-3038) on Rand Road in Des Plaines has since launched a fundraising and supply drive within the last few days.
Church members made a list of needed supplies and are working with a Ukrainian aid organization and Rolling Meadows and Chicago-based Ukrainian shipping company to get those supplies to Ukraine and Eastern Europe where the refugees have fled.
Needed supplies include medical supplies such as tourniquets, gauze, syringes, medical gloves, aspirin and fever-reducing medications, supplies for children and babies such as diapers, baby wipes, baby food, soap, body wash, military items, such as thermal imagers, night vision goggles, bulletproof vests, and other protective military gear, tactical backpacks, helmets, tents, dry rations, along with other supplies such as mattresses, sleeping bags, blankets, disposable utensils, shoes for men, women, and children.
Giving to help in Ukraine?