The meaning of solidarity
Dear readers,
Images of bombed-out buildings, tanks, soldiers and people fleeing.It’s war – war in Europe. In these days our thoughts are with the people in Ukraine – the victims of Russia’s attack on Ukraine in violation of international law. An attack that is also an attack on our freedom and on democracy in Europe. The need to demonstrate solidarity with the people in Ukraine is enormous and we experience it in all areas of life. But what exactly is the meaning of solidarity?
In short, solidarity can perhaps be described as a feeling of affinity among individual people or groups of people in a societal whole. It expresses a mutual obligation, a willingness to help and to make sacrifices.
For us as BFT International, solidarity in this crisis means that we, with immediate effect, have stopped our work on the BFT Russian Edition and that we will no longer publish it. Advertisements of customers from Russia will also no longer be published in BFT.
Our solidarity with Ukraine has nothing to do with racial hostility against Russians and fellow human beings with Russian roots among us. Some people from Russia who live in Germany doubtlessly fell prey to Putin’s propaganda, but the majority of Russo-Germans are not Putin devotees.
The common wish for a peaceful Europe and a peaceful world should motivate all of us to reach out to each other without prejudice, with open ears and, of course, with solidarity.
Notwithstanding the current situation, I wish you enjoyable reading of your current BFT International.
