As a community of immigrants and refugees, we affirm our commitment to peace and conflict resolution, and stand united against all wars.
Death, injury, sexual violence, malnutrition, illness, and disability are some of the most threatening physical consequences of war, while post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety are some of the emotional effects. War kills, and its consequences extend far beyond deaths in battle. Armed conflict often leads to forced migration, long-term refugee crises, and the destruction of infrastructure. Social, political, and economic institutions can be permanently damaged. Currently, there is war or conflict in more than 30 countries around the world – these include, Yemen, Syria, Mexico, and now the Russians invasion of Ukraine.
Please consider helping the victims of all wars. From immediate assistance to social support and trauma counseling, aid organizations can fill the void where refugees have left behind their support structures and often experienced great loss. For donations to Ukraine, please see the list of reputable organizations helping refugees, which we have compiled, here. here is a list of reputable organizations to help Ukrainian refugees.
We invite to watch this clip, Bowinn Ma, Minister of State for Infrastructure in British Columbia, Canada recites a poem by Saadi Shirazi in Persian and English to acknowledge human suffering around the world as well as extraordinary acts of human compassion.—