DISINTEGRATION AND INTEGRATION ON FULL DISPLAY
EVERY day we wake up to news of war’s worsening tragedy, and each night we fall asleep with surreal visions of the Ukrainian people fighting for their country and their children’s survival.
Amid this disintegration and destruction, there are glimpses of uplifting stories and images that renew our hope in humanity, with brief moments showing how the world community is stepping up to support the beleaguered people of Ukraine.
First, the CEO of Airbnb asked the people of Poland, Germany, Romania, and Hungary to open their homes to those crossing the border. Through the generosity of hosts they will offer free, short-term housing for up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine, noting that there is a staggering 1.9 million refugees who have now entered Poland. They are also committed to working closely with governments to best support the specific needs in each country, which will include providing longerterm accommodation.
The global non-profit World Central Kitchen, is serving hot meals 24 hours a day on the Polish border crossing, with local restaurants preparing meals for the hard hit areas.
This kind of altruistic commitment to the well-being of these refugees exemplifies the spirit of humanity.
There’s a collective feeling of heaviness and sorrow felt across the globe as the situation worsens. Yet it is heartening to see neighbouring citizens unite in stretching hands of friendship and offering generous support at this precarious period in our history.
To see weary Ukrainians arrive in Germany and be greeted at the train station with townspeople holding signs offering accommodation in their homes as an alternative to state shelters, and mothers leaving prams for those carrying young children. Even during a world pandemic, these altruistic individuals forgo their comfort and safety for a population they have never met before.
On a local front the unprecedented floods which devastated the neighbouring towns in the Northern Rivers region as well as Brisbane, highlighted how people unite in a crisis, to rally together and assist in any way possible to provide food, medical supplies, and shelter in emergency situations.
Just a few examples of how the noble, compassionate, and benevolent people of the world are reacting to these crises that, whether we realize it or not, affect us all. We have a long way to go, but each one of us can play a part in the process of helping other members of the human family and, in the process, ultimately healing uniting our planet.
Meanwhile, the effects of tightening sanctions on Russia and the impact from the recent floods we are feeling the economic pinch at home, with noticeable increases in fuel costs and food.
We are also seeing how fragile and vulnerable our industries are, with the construction industry experiencing the effects of rapidly rising material costs, the impact of supply delays, pressure on builders and subcontractors and the escalating collapse of key operators.
Sadly, these cycles of growing economic times are followed by consolidation with businesses and households bearing the burden. The pandemic enabled spending as we had not seen for a decade and now, we are seeing the early phase of further disintegration at a local level, as we prepare for more difficult times and learn yet again, that less is always more.