I feel for the youth of Ukraine. But what Russia doesn't understand is that they've cemented the resolve of the Ukrainian people to relearn what it means to be Ukrainian and to maintain freedom and sovereignty at all cost. The people born under the Soviets were not permitted to speak their language or practice their religion. They were not taught their own history, only some fabrication of untruths. They lived their lives in relative harmony with their reality.
They are now searching out and relearning all the things the Soviets tried to stamp out. We in the diaspora are the keepers of the culture. In my classes, I am not just teaching English to Ukrainians, I am sharing what I learned about Ukrainian history and culture, and I am teaching what I know about Ireland. The past, the present and the future carry equal weight. And the youngest of them are very hopeful. They are determined to create a strong Ukraine for their future. It is their duty.
Washington Post article 'As war drags on, young Ukrainians are rethinking their futures'
By Siobhán O'Grady and Kostiantyn Khudov
https://wapo.st/3WINZA4
No comments:
Post a Comment