Ukraine and who will lead the next society.

Revolutions are very much about the explosion of emotions. Until the actions of revolt are taken there is a great degree of repressed emotions. The general social mindset is one of fear and containment. These feelings are psychological jails for society and without proper avenues to vent, we get exactly what we have in Ukraine. We must realize that the people will act with very little rationale. In such times the emotions of repressed feelings explode. As we read, hear and watch the reports about the situation in Ukraine there is the question of what needs to be done to quell violence, to stop a power vacuum, to insert a legitimate government and bring order to the chaos. All these tasks are very difficult in times of chaos. The people need to vent. The challenge is to have that need met in an environment where no one else is harmed. The political discussion about who will lead what groups, who is to be at the negotiation table, who is to provide security (police) when that trust has all but vanished and then how to resolve the past damages are topics to focus on. At the moment there is no neutral party which can intervene because the East and West major players are heavily involved. This is not a new issue and the hurdles of politics make the challenges even more rooted in geopolitical history. The people in some parts of Ukraine are pulling down the statues of the past while other people are disgusted with such irrational acts. The very history of Ukraine is being put into question. There are deep sentiments that Moscow preserved itself on the backs of Ukraine throughout history. Such an understanding has been passed down through the ages which has been displayed in the revolution. Add to this the fact that the revolution has been burning for many years now. The architect of revolution began in the 1950’s and took physical shape with the 1989 reunification of Germany. The current situation in Ukraine is an extension of that transformation Russia embarked upon with Gorbachev. Here we sit today looking at another wave of protest that has spiraled out of control. The strong desire to hold on to power, control and influence is at the forefront of the revolution. We will see this battle take place with those that are placing themselves in line to be the next leader. This is the power vacuum/grab which is very much the danger that needs to be dealt with. Despite the geopolitical and historical battle, the real battle will be the fight for who will lead next.

Ukraine

For those who thought the Cold War was over has just been given another lesson in global politics. Ideological wars never end and the Cold War is an ideological war. At the heart of the situation within politics such as we are experiencing in Ukraine is exactly the same as what has and is taking place in Syria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, Baharain, etc… The situation deals with corruption within government and a complete lack of trust for those who rule. The people are divided and the poor leadership of both civilians and government has brought chaos and violence to another capital city. The international community is playing chess with the people of Ukraine. The two sides are the cold war rivals and the tug of war is on. What is the peaceful way to solve this situation? The two sides need to have a meeting and work together. The European Union, Russia are the biggest players who must set out a unified plan. This plan must look at securing the peace within Ukraine. A joint effort of support from both sides to bring the violence to an end. This may include foreign soldiers to intervene or it may be a statement of non-interference of outside forces. The non-interference is most likely the method taken. From there, a massive effort to talk with the people about the future course of Ukraine needs to take place. This step must be without interference of outside forces. Of course such a dream is rarely ever realized. However the effort must be made. The people of Ukraine must be allowed to speak for themselves. This is their future, no one elses, let them decide. Political and economic agreements must be made that will benefit people not the ideological tug of war that the cold war is rooted in. Ukraine needs a unified focus for the future. At the moment the people are divided and broken. The international community can repair a great deal of the damage by working together and offering agreements that benefit the people. We must remember that a diverse economy is better than a monopolic economy. In such a Ukraine both Russia and the European Union can offer economic packages that sustain trade, jobs, people, culture and relationships. Here we are on the edge of another collapse. The international community can do the right thing and work together or do what it has done most often, which is pick sides and fight.

Letting Go

Peacebuilding on a scale of what Syria must endure requires so many things to happen for it to go well. In no small part is that the personal component. Scan over the media of the past few months and there are threads of hate and predetermined outcomes woven throughout. In past postings I have written about the transformations of Russia, Czech Republic and other countries. Each of these countries at some point had to look past current thoughts and take leaps of faith into the unknown. These leaps of faith are the portions of letting go that must take place for peace to unfold. On a personal level each of us encounter moments where we must let go. Taking our first steps requires that we let go and stand on our own. That may seem like a small point in life but really the courage and willingness is what is required for peace to take root. As we get older we find our selves in situations where we must take emotional first steps, mental first steps and then do those on a community level. In such times we look for inspiration when we need to change something in life. However the true courage must come from within first. The courage to not act violently, to seek understanding, to be able to say that history is unchangeable but our future is still unknown. Who do we want to be and how do we want to live are questions that must not be answered with bullets, suppression and segregation of any kind. If anyone can do that, you have reached a level of peace rarely seen in our entire history. Understanding that is to know how difficult peace is to obtain. Further more such peace requires that we seek to be that peaceful today and every day. We must do so even though our governments are killing each other, religious leaders are telling followers to kill in the name of God and people all over the world are hated because they are different. We need to let go of the fear violence has on us. If you reach a state of peace no one needs to fear you. However many will laugh at you, despise you and may want to kill you because they can not understand you. Sadly the courage to live peacefully is often killed because of fear. Let go of the fear and be peaceful.