On the invasion of Ukraine
To the UTM community,
On Tuesday, President Meric Gertler wrote to you all, to condemn President Putin’s invasion of the sovereign republic of Ukraine with “horror, outrage, anguish, and utter disbelief”; to acknowledge the pain and suffering of those affected, including over a million refugees; and to remind us of the special role that universities like U of T play in fostering peace through understanding and dialogue.
Since that time, I and others in UTM’s leadership have heard from Ukrainians and Russians alike, whose grief and outrage about the situation is visceral. UTM is so privileged to include people from all over the world in our community. Our hearts go out to Ukrainian students, staff, faculty, librarians and alumni traumatized by the violence being inflicted on their home country—on family and friends. Canada is home to 1.4 million people of Ukrainian descent, and we stand with Ukrainians during this time of crisis. We also recognize that many people in our Russian community abhor Putin’s violence and wish for a peaceful resolution to this conflict. We recognize the distinction between Putin and the people of Russia, many of whom have friends and family in Ukraine.
As we have done before, we must come together to support all the members of our interconnected community. Students and colleagues, weary and grieving after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, are now facing unexpected stresses and hardships. We are all facing the terrible possibility of a growing conflict in Europe. And we are reminded of the plight of so many others experiencing conflict and disaster around the world: from those fleeing violence in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Myanmar to the Canadian families who recently lost their homes in fires and floods in B.C. I ask you, please, to lend an ear or a shoulder whenever you can; and to be kind to yourselves as well as to others. The university has resources and support for those who need it, some of which are listed below.
Thank you. Дякую.
Alexandra Gillespie
Vice-President and Principal
University of Toronto Mississauga
Resources: