We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine in the face of the horrendous attacks on the country’s independence and right for self-determination, that are not only an attack on Ukraine, but on the very attempt to build a peaceful and democratic Europe. Our thoughts are with our Ukrainian friends, artists and partners, and their families, in the country and abroad.
Like you, we are in shock. It is difficult for many of us, as individuals, to figure out how to help. Our support and solidarity will need to last for a long time. We are inspired by the resistance of Ukrainians, and also by the brave citizens of Russia and Belarus that have been protesting the war.
In the light of ever-growing campaigns and options to donate and support, we’ve collected just a few actions to consider. This list is by no-means exhaustive and we encourage you to stay informed on Ukraine news and on initiatives in your area.
Key Points:
- Donate to local Ukrainian aid organisations
- Refugee support and other international aid initiatives
- Support Ukrainian musicians buy purchasing their music
- Keep protesting
- Beware of fake news
- Take care of each other
Donate to aid organisations in Ukraine
These initiatives need immediate support and are best positioned to respond to the needs of Ukrainians directly in the country.
Euromaidan press – an initiative founded during the Orange Revolution and aims to provide English-language information on Ukraine – have compiled a list of Verified Ways to Help Ukraine, focused on charities providing aid to medical and humanitarian missions, or the Ukrainian army.
Help Ukraine Center, led by a group of Ukrainian volunteers, is organizing medical supplies for humanitarian aid in Ukraine. They accept humanitarian aid or monetary donations, and transport items directly to various locations in Ukraine from a warehouse in Poland.
Music Saves UA is a project organized by the largest association of music industry reps in the country, the All-Ukrainian Association of Music Events. They have set up a large humanitarian help centre in Kyiv and help other cities remotely.
Feminist activist Nino Ugrekhelidze spearheaded this List of Ukrainian community-based feminist, queer, youth, disability, and Roma organizations needing support.
Psychological help for children traumatized by the war is given by Voices of Children, active in since 2015.
Note: We are aware of the controversy around whether or not to directly support the Ukrainian military. We have included links to organisations providing military aid, because we believe this decision is best taken by each person individually, based on your beliefs and priorities. We find it important to consider that the Ukrainian people have been attacked and have decided to resist the Russian criminal invasion with all possible means. From our position of safety, we believe that those directly affected will know best what the situation requires, and that we should listen and respond to their call.
Support your local refugee aid initiatives
Refugees need immediate but also longer-term support. Consider donating to or volunteering with a local initiative in your area.
Berlin newspaper TAZ has published a Spenden-Liste für die Ukraine – the list is a mix organisations in Ukraine as well as numerous German and international initiatives (in German).
Ukraine Hilfe Berlin e.V. is an organisation of Germans and Ukrainians living in Germany that are engaged in medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. They collect in-kind donations from various organizations and forward them to the verified, trusted clinics, and field hospitals in Ukraine (in German).
The PLAST Ukrainian Scouting Association organise aid shipments into Ukraine, offer financial support for partner organizations in Germany, Eastern Europe, and Ukraine that provide medical, material and moral help to displaced/refugee families in need (in German and Ukrainian).
People wanting to donate time and skill to support refugees arriving in Germany and other European countries can volunteer with refugee help network #LeaveNoOneBehind, who are also joining forces with Libereco and SOS Vostok for humanitarian aid on the ground in Ukraine and the borders.
Black People in Ukraine is dedicated to helping and amplifying Black foreigners in Ukraine.
Each One Teach One is a community-based education and Black empowerment project in Berlin. They are currently helping people BPoC arriving from Ukraine at the borders, and in Berlin.
A campaign hosted under the global queer movement All Out is fundraising for LGBT+ organizations on the ground in Ukraine, Romania, Slovakia, Moldova, and Poland that are urgently coordinating evacuations and safe places for queer refugees from Ukraine.
LSVD - Lesben und Schwul Verband - are looking for donations and volunteers to support queer Ukrainian refugees in Germany (in German).
Mission Lifeline is helping people fleeing out of Ukraine to get to Germany from the Ukraine border.
Support Ukrainian musicians by purchasing their music
»There’s never too much music, and never enough attention on independent artists and labels.« writes Peter Kirn of Create Digital Music is one of his solidarity posts. You can support Ukrainian artists directly by buying their music on Bandcamp.
Check the collective and ever-growing spreadsheet Support Ukraine Artists and Labels initiated by musician and Radio Kapitał host Piotr Chęciński, or the Stand With Ukraine playlist published by journalist Jakub Knera on buymusic.club.
Inverted Audio published a list of fundraiser compilations including efforts by Ukrainian and international artists. It includes Kyiv crew ШЩЦ and Kyiv-based Standard Deviation label, Moscow’s Ghost Zvuk label, Sweden’s Northern Electronics, and many more.
Keep protesting
Keep up political pressure on our heads of state.
Search for protests in your city via global protest lists such as standwithukraine.live and stopputin.net.
In Berlin, we recommend following Vitsche Berlin, a new association of young committed Ukrainians from Berlin, for news of planned demonstrations and other actions.
Beware of fake news
Stay informed about Ukrainian news via reliable media sources.
This list compiled by Support Ukraine Now gives a great overview of official and legitimate Ukrainian news sources and government social media accounts.
The investigative journalist group Bellingcat is an independent international collective of researchers, investigators, and citizen journalists that lead investigations into war zones, human rights abuses, and the criminal underworld. They regularly publish fact-checking and myth-busting findings.
Ukrainian media also needs support. Check this go-fund-me campaign created by a consortium of European-based media outlets. Funds will help several notable Ukrainian media including Ukrainska Pravda and Detector Media among other. Other options include the individual donation pages of Euromaidan Press (in English) and Novynarnia (in Ukrainian), both long-running and reputable Ukrainian news sources.
Take Care of Each Other
Don’t forget to check-in with Ukrainian friends and colleagues, and make sure to take breaks when you can. Stay strong so that we can keep taking care of each other.