From Tokyo to people struggle for humanity in Ukraine Solidarity greetings of 100 people

We, “Solidarity fundraising campaign by the people for Ukraine people”, called for donations to the Sotsyalnyi Rukh and collected 840,000 JPyen（4225.79GBP） from about 100 people in the three months from 24 February to 24 May. We are proud and delighted to send this to you.

We wished to support the Ukrainian people and left-wing activists who resisting the invasion under difficult circumstances as part of that resistance. Our members include peace activists, non-fiction writers, organisers of independent trade unions, progressive newspaper reporters, non-authoritarian Marxists, anarchist artists and journalists.

The 100 people who have responded to our call are also progressives in Japan, including activists who have worked on anti-war, anti-colonialism, labour movements, feminism, ecology and international solidarity.

The purpose of our donations is twofold. One is to provide fund for humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people who are suffering from the aggression. The second is to express our solidarity with all Ukrainian people who are resisting aggression and at the same time struggling to build a humane society.

There are also two particular thoughts that we put into the fundraising activity.

One is that as the people of a former aggressor state, we must oppose Russia's aggression against Ukraine and defend the dignity of the Ukrainian people and their right to self-determination. Russia's current aggression is exactly like what Japanese imperialism once did in East Asia. It is not only associated with the brutal violence characteristic of wars of aggression but is also underpinned by the colonialism that denies the dignity and sovereignty of other peoples and nations. We denounce the aggression of all great powers and support resistance to aggression.

The other of our thoughts is the respect for your internationalism in the face of hardship and your struggle for a society where workers can live humane lives. You are not only resisting the aggressors, but you are continuing your activism in the face of difficulties with a vision of a humane future Ukraine. You are also angry at injustice in the world wherever it occurs, from the perspective of realising global justice, and you call on the peoples of the world to join in solidarity. We are heartened by your belief in humanistic idealism. It has shown us the original meaning of the French word 'engagement', which is to throw oneself into the world seeking the possibility of transcending it while being thrown into the world.

To all of you struggle for human values, we send from Tokyo solidarity greetings of 100 people.

from Tokyo

Solidarity Fundraising Campaign by the People for Ukraine People
Nov 27 2023