Dear readers,

As 2021 turned into 2022, many people thought that the worst thing that could happen to us was another year of lockdowns, inflation of around 5%, and Donald Trump returning to the political stage with a new hairpiece. But then came February 24th, 2022, and Russian troops marched into Ukraine, a sovereign state with a democratically elected government, in violation of international law. Bombs fell (and are still falling), rockets were and are still fired, tanks rolled into towns and cities, and still are. A war started. In Europe. In the 21st century.

We, the employees at Seibert Media, were completely stunned to hear this. Many of us could not manage to just continue working as if nothing had happened. A post from one of our colleagues in our own intranet (Linchpin Hey) sparked a tentative discussion about what we could do to help. Maybe you're in the same situation: you feel helpless in the face of the completely unimaginable suffering that we can only see fragments of in the media. For those who know people in Ukraine, whether they're friends or family, it's much closer, much more threatening, much more horrible.

The average age at Seibert Media is almost 33 years. This means that there are many young people here who grew up after the Cold War era, in a globalized world in which, at least in some parts, borders had lost their meaning and in which people and cultures had been working together more and more in harmony.

But there are also older colleagues who were born before 1980, who know from their experience the NATO double-track decision and its effects, the separation of Germany into east and west, the reactor accident at Chernobyl, and the constant fear of a nuclear attack. For me, as one of the "older" people here, I immediately have this feeling of threat again now, in March 2022. Just like then. But regardless of our age, the people at Seibert Media are united by one thing these days:

We do not want to stand idly by. We do not want to close our eyes to the horror that is taking place in the middle of Europe.
We want to help!

How we're helping Ukraine

That's why the CEOs and Managing Directors of Seibert Media immediately set aside 50,000 euros to multiply what the employees themselves put in. For example, if someone donates 10 euros to a charity of their choice, Seibert Media adds another 40 euros, making a total of 50 euros. Money that is spent on diapers, hygiene products, (canned) food, sleeping bags or similar items is multiplied by 5 and invested in a similar way.

The willingness to help is enormous: 24 hours after the campaign started, donations of goods and money worth more than 12,000 could already be subsidized, and it feels like this amount is rising by the hour. By March 7th, smaller donations can become much larger in this way. And if we don't make it to 50,000 euros? Then the difference will be donated to various humanitarian organizations that help refugees from Ukraine, like Doctors of the World, UNHCR, Save the Children, SOS Children's Villages, the Omnibus Foundation, UNICEF, and many more.

No to war

There is a war going on in Europe. But even though everything seems dark, there's a glimmer of light: people are banding more together. The EU states have rarely been as united on anything as they are on taking in refugees. In Berlin, private citizens wait at the train station to offer refugees a place to stay. People are driving to the borders to pick up the exhausted new arrivals and take them somewhere safe. And there are many, many fundraising campaigns: NGOs, communities, schools and private initiatives are getting involved to help people affected by the war. We at Seibert Media would like to set an example. And we would be thrilled if you would do the same.

#notowar #givepeaceachance #peace #solidaritywithukraine #standwithukraine