War in Ukraine should draw attention to conflicts in less privileged parts of the world

Unfortunately, here we are, shrouded in fear that World War III will break out.

We are still fighting a pandemic that has caused millions of deaths globally and has affected each one of us in one way or another.

Many dead people are paid only for a virtual funeral service. Countless other survivors are now living their lives transformed by prolonged Covid.

As all restrictive measures have now been lifted in Ireland, we are hearing more and more reports of vulnerable people now contracting Covid-19.

Some of these people are people who have avoided infection for two years. Now, they have faced a high risk of infection as it spreads in the community while others celebrate their “freedom”.

What happened to the spell that we’re all in here?

The illusory hope of unity and humanity, often alluded to in times of conflict and war, led me to write about events that have taken place since the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian war.

The United Nations reports that more than a million people have left Ukraine. It is unknown how many people who opposed the war in Russia also left their country.

What we can certainly agree on is that by 2022, war will be a thing of the past. However, in Palestine, Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan, Ethiopia, Syria, China and, of course, Ukraine, the wars over territory drag on without the attention of the global northern powers.

Journalists often go to great lengths to highlight the atrocities happening in these places, but as soon as the news cycle moves the world forgets about those affected areas. It may be for this reason that we easily forget and lose focus on the suffering of those who are not like us.

This may well be the reason why there is such strong support for the Ukrainian people. They need all of our sympathy and support – and willingness to open borders – at this time.

However, this begs the question why we don’t see the same social, economic and political solidarity when it comes to refugees from countries in the Global South who are also fleeing war. fight and seek protection.

In Animal FarmGeorge Orwell describes inequality in society that comes to the fore when a catastrophic event occurs.

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others,” he wrote.

Napoleon – a character in Animal Farmnot the French military ruler of 220 years ago – his hatred of humans distilled into a catchy slogan crafted by the ranch’s sheep: “Four legs good, two legs bad”.

Orwell uses sheep to provide this line because of their traditional stupidity and the fact that they will spy on anyone.

In more recent times, this line could be seen as an attack on the disinformation culture that is creating divisions among people.

This phrase illustrates Snowball’s the seven commandments of animals. Those commandments were also a summary of Old Major’s moving speech about animals’ need to unite in the face of human oppression.

This can be considered the equivalent of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. It is the result of atrocities committed during the Second World War. .

When the war ended and the UN was established, the international community vowed never to let such atrocities happen again.

Invasion of Ukraine, a sovereign country, of Russian forces, the wars in Syria, Afghanistan, Palestine and Yemen, and the genocide in Rwanda show that humanity has a short memory and treaties are not signed in good faith.

Article seven of the (UDHR) states: “All persons are equal before the law and are equally protected by the law without distinction of any kind. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this statement and against any incitement to such discrimination. ”

It is unthinkable that elites abuse language to control, discriminate and create inequality.

Adolf Hitler considered the Aryan race the pinnacle of the human racial hierarchy. This Nazi ideology led to the Holocaust and the systematic killing of more than six million Jews. It also led to the displacement of millions of others during World War II, who moved to other countries and sought asylum in other countries.

It shocked many people when some journalists covering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine used phrases such as “uncivilized countries” and “not like us”, while referring to people has “blonde hair and blue eyes”.

Such remarks come at the same time that startling footage has emerged of African students in Ukraine trying to flee the conflict. In the video, the students are dragged off the train and denied entry by Polish authorities.

The UDHR’s preamble reads: “The recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. gender.”

The more we refuse to uphold the inalienable rights possessed by all human beings, the more we undermine our chances of achieving freedom, justice, and peace in the world.

It is important to remember that the plea for the rescue and safe return of 19-year-old medical student Racheal Diyaolu continues. Racheal is trapped in Sumy, Ukraine. An attempted rescue mission on Sunday failed when Russian troops opened fire on a pickup truck driven by volunteers.

She is one of us, part of the global Irish family.