Thank you for staying committed to relief efforts to support the people of Ukraine. Here are the things we're reading:
Hello Friend,
Thank you for engaging in past programming about philanthropy’s response to the war in Ukraine. We hope this month’s digest of recent news from Ukraine is helpful for you in your work.
The most-documented war in history is no longer dominating the news cycle but the Council continues to partner with peer philanthropy networks to support foundations from across the world who continue working in the region.
If you have any questions, feedback, or submissions, please contact our Global Philanthropy team.
Events and Resources
How can philanthropy apply lessons from the war in Ukraine and support education systems during and after a crisis and in conflict zones across the globe? Join our upcoming conversation, “Innovative Solutions in Education,” on Thursday, September 28, 2023 to discuss the current state of education in Ukraine and the potential for strategic partnerships and innovative programs that address educational challenges brought on by Russia’s war.
Updates on U.S. and International Support for Ukraine
President Biden seeks Congressional approval for $20+ billion in additional funding for Ukraine. The proposal includes $13 billion in new military assistance and $8.5 billion for economic, humanitarian, and security aid for Ukraine and other nations affected by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
A University of Maryland survey indicates strong American public support (69%) for ongoing US military aid to Ukraine, with 56% opposing pressuring Ukraine into peace talks and 73% favoring providing Ukraine with fighter jets.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during the opening session of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, co-hosted by the United Kingdom and Ukraine, that “as Russia continues to destroy, we are here to help Ukraine rebuild.” Over $60 billion was raised for Ukraine's recovery and nearly 500 companies joined the Ukraine Business Compact, signaling their intention to support Ukraine’s recovery.
Russian-occupied territories are coercively converting Ukrainians into Russian citizens, leading to violations of the Geneva Conventions, as reported by the Kyiv Independent.
UNICEF and Ukraine's Ministry of Health are jointly supporting a home visiting program to provide crucial care and guidance to mothers and infants amid wartime challenges.
Prominent Ukrainian Voices
First Lady Olena Zelenska stated in an interview with The Independent that “We keep hearing from our Western partners that they will be with us as long as it takes. I would like to say that the word ‘long’ is not the word we should use. We should use the word ‘faster’.” She also described her engagement in efforts to create new mental health programs and build a network of hospitals and prosthetic centers treating some 20,000 new amputees.
At events in the US and Europe, Oleksandra Matviichuk, Ukrainian Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, continues to speak out against Russian war crimes, calling on the West to do more to hold Putin accountable: “It is not NATO that Putin fears, it is democracy…Russia seeks to break Ukraine’s resistance and occupy the country by inflicting maximum pain on the civilian population. Russian forces are deliberately targeting residential buildings, churches, schools, museums, and hospitals. They are shooting at evacuation corridors. They are imprisoning people in filtration camps. They are forcibly deporting Ukrainians. They are kidnapping, torturing, and murdering people in the occupied territories. Europe failed to stop this.”
Cultural Heritage
The war has damaged or destroyed nearly 1,600 Ukrainian cultural heritage sites and the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative is helping protect Ukrainian artifacts, books, documents, and artworks.
The Kyiv-based Ukrainian Institute and the International Council on Museums conducted discussions on saving Ukrainian heritage during the war, which one focuses on Russia’s illegal seizure and export of museum collections from Ukrainian territories it has occupied.
The Ukrainian people’s determination to fight for their country and their culture inspires fellow Ukrainians across the cultural spectrum, as captured in a recent PBS Culture Quest program episode.
Science
Nearly 90% of scientists have not evacuated and remain in Ukraine, according to Science at Risk; however, 73% responded that they could not continue their research. The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is supporting Ukrainian scientists to rebuild scientific institutions in Ukraine.
The National Academy of Sciences has held workshops on Preserving and Developing Ukraine’s Human Capital in Research, Education, and Innovation and co-organized a Data Science Summer School in Lviv.
Covering the War, Ending the War
Stay updated by tuning in to the Telegraph’s Ukraine: The Latest podcast which provides a daily update on the situation in Ukraine, as well news on international support and global ramifications from the invasion.
How to End Russia’s War on Ukraine: A report published by Chatham House compiles the expertise and vision for an optimal outcome that imagines Ukraine as a member of the European Union and NATO.
