Dear EMA Community,
Just as the world was slowly recovering from the blow dealt by the Covid-19 pandemic, we are truly heartbroken to see it once again being gripped by fear, violence, and tragedy. As EMA’s Management Board, we speak on behalf of the organisation to say that we are aggrieved by the events unravelling in Ukraine, and solemnly stand in solidarity with the resilient people who have been affected by the on-going crisis.
EMA aims to uphold the values of equality, diversity, and mutual cooperation which we believe allow communities around the world to flourish. As a student and alumni association, we are especially proud of our multicultural and interdisciplinary community which has been brought together by student mobility and the pursuit for equitable higher education opportunities. We are thus also extremely saddened by the news of international students’ experiences in Ukraine and at the border regions.
Although EMA is a non-governmental organisation that strives to maintain an apolitical stance, the Management Board has deemed it necessary to not only speak up against such acts of aggression but also utilise our platform and large network to share resources and offer support to those affected in the best way we can.
Below, you will find a list of resources compiled by our volunteers, our partner networks, and other European organisations. We request that our members and broader community share this information and any other initiatives that might be useful. As volunteers who are genuinely passionate about helping people in any way we can, many of us are also actively offering our support within the bounds of our personal resources and capabilities. Please submit any other resources you believe would be of interest to our community to EMA’s Director of Communications, Tanushree Basu Roy, at communications@em-a.eu.
Though we are unable to provide direct support on the ground in Ukraine or other countries, EMA would like to find other ways to support our volunteers and members who are directly affected by the conflict. If you are an Erasmus Mundus student or alumni and believe EMA can support you or if you believe you can support others through our community and network, please reach out to EMA’s President, Gabriella Mikiewicz, at president@em-a.eu directly.
We are also ready to hear proposals from our volunteers and members for projects which aim to assist people affected by the war. If you have an idea and believe EMA’s support would be vital, please reach out to EMA’s President, Gabriella Mikiewicz, at president@em-a.eu, and the EMA’s Director of Project Support, Sheenam Jain, at projects-esaa@em-a.eu.
Furthermore, we take this opportunity to remind our community that this war is not between two countries, but between free people and totalitarianism. We encourage Erasmus Mundus programmes, Erasmus+ projects, and anyone in our networks to not discriminate against your peers but approach them with kindness and empathy in these troubling times, regardless of what passport they hold.
Some helpful resources:
This spreadsheet, was developed and vetted by the EMJMD GLOCAL Alumni Association, and includes an extensive list of resources to support the people in Ukraine. Please feel free to share with your networks.
The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) has shared a plea to the European governments to support Ukrainian students and academics which we strongly support. You can read the plea here.
ESN Ukraine volunteers have compiled a list of ways to help here.
The Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) has published numerous offers of financial support & accommodation from European & international scientific institutions, which can be found here.
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