Freedom Requires Action

Do you feel free. There are times when I don't. I am afraid to go see a movie because of troubled boys with guns. I am afraid to quit my job because of inflation. I am afraid to share my values for fear of being judged by others. I live in a world of fear that robs me of my freedom.

"The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear." - Aung San Suu Kyi

And then I hear what's going on in Ukraine. Perspective hits like a brick. How can I say that I'm not free when I look at what's happening to the poor citizens of Ukraine? I can watch a movie on my couch without fear of a missile landing in my kitchen. I can drive to work without fear of encountering tanks. I can worry about what people think of me without worrying about what soldiers will do to me.

But am I truly free? Can I be free simply by changing my perspective? Can I reach out and claim a freedom promised by my country?

"We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it." - William Faulkner

My freedom is not a privilege, rather an opportunity to help others with their freedom. Russia has destroyed the freedom that Ukrainians enjoyed not long ago. They have spread fear amongst the citizens who were given no choice in the matter. Our responsibility is to help in any way we can.

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." - Nelson Mandela

But we can't just proclaim the country of Ukraine to be free. We must act. We must do whatever we can to help them achieve the freedom they once had.

Many of us, however, don't know how to help. The vast majority will read this and offer nothing but thoughts and prayers. Thoughts and prayers that are well-meaning and true to the heart, but offer no assistance. We cannot give Ukrainians their freedom from the comfort of our couch or our dinner table. We must do something. We must support those who are physically providing aid to the beleaguered citizens of Ukraine.

"In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

If we are truly free, and if freedom must be practiced, and if to practice freedom we must respect and enhance the freedom of others, and if in order to enhance Ukrainian freedom we must first achieve that freedom; then our next steps become startlingly clear. We must actively search for ways to help. We must research and provide physical help rather than mere thoughts. We must do all within our power to make sure every citizen, globally, enjoys the same freedoms that we have.

In order to help you and those you know take the first step, I have provided a list of programs and corporations that have been set up to give each of us the opportunity to practice our freedom to assist others in need.

Explore the links below and choose how you want to help. If you know of other opportunities to help, add them in the comments. Let us practice our own freedom and help to ensure that no one on this earth has their freedom taken from them.

Freedom is a right, not a privilege.

Links to help:

1. UNICEF
2. Doctors Without Borders
3. Voices Of Children
4. Sunflower of Peace
5. ICRC
6. Save The Children
7. UNHCR
8. CARE
9. International Medical Corp

"Love will find a way. Indifference will find an excuse."

-Ukrainian Proverb

Share this story with your friends and encourage them to practice the freedom that we share.