Guidelines and agenda of the UAB: response to the crisis over the war in Ukraine

07/03/2022

A few days after the start of the military attack on the civilian population, Ukrainian universities have been forced to close their doors. Emergency messages on their websites asked students, PAS and PDI to stay at home and protect themselves against the escalation of war. Once again, war threatens the lives, rights and future prospects of millions of people, and Ukraine adds to the already numerous situations of armed, political and social violence that exist in the world. Ukrainian citizens, as in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Yemen, Nicaragua, Palestine or Iraq, among many others, are forced to flee. In a week, more than one and a half million people have had to forcibly leave the country and many more will become refugees or internally displaced persons in the coming days.

The Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the Autonomous Solidarity Foundation (FAS), in their commitment to contribute to global justice, have expressed their strong rejection of military aggression, and stand in solidarity with all those affected by this and other armed conflicts. In these first days, they have adhered to the communiqués of the different platforms of the universities and those of the NGOs and social entities of Catalonia to demand the urgent stop of the war action and the attention of the people in need of protection.

From a conviction of peace, the UAB underlines the need to address political problems from the principles of democracy and respect for human rights and urges the international community to devote all the necessary efforts to a real dialogue that guarantees full compliance with international law.

What is being done from the UAB?

Given the complexity of global problems, the University has a social responsibility to contribute to the resolution of global challenges. The UAB is positioned together with the university communities in conflict and makes available all its academic, social and citizen potential by:

• Generate and transfer scientific knowledge on the causes and consequences of conflicts, offering citizen tools for critical analysis of the international reality.
• Identify and disseminate opportunities for peacebuilding, conflict resolution and violence prevention.
• Establish support networks between the UAB and the Ukrainian university community, both in terms of university institutional cooperation and the protection of people at risk. 

Since 2016, the FAS/UAB Refugee Reception Programme offers support to students, PAS and PDI in situations of forced displacement to access territory of rights and continue their training or academic research at the UAB. 

Within the framework of the initiative, the UAB campus is a residential reception space for people seeking international protection.

• Promote the citizen mobilization of the UAB community and its involvement in actions to defend human rights, especially through volunteer programs, training and promotion of activism.

 

And you, what can you do?

• Inform yourself in a rigorous, comprehensive and responsible way about the situation. It uses the scientific resources offered by the university.
• Reflect on the possibilities of contributing from your position as a student, professional and citizen. Promote the values of dialogue and the culture of peace in debates with your environment.
• Mobilize and participate in social and political advocacy actions. It requires administrations to work for peace and deploy asylum policies.
• If you can, financially support humanitarian aid, cooperation and citizen support organizations. Consult the recommendations of Lafede.cat - organizations for global justice and the Government of the Generalitat.

 

Do you have proposals?

As part of the crisis committee in relation to the war in Ukraine, the FAS coordinates the university response on the UAB campus. If you are part of the university community you can send proposals or demands related to the conflict in Ukraine at: fas.cooperacio@uab.cat 

 

Agenda of actions at the UAB (to be updated):

• March 7 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Classroom 501 of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters and through TEAMS. Panel discussion "The war in Ukraine: origins of the conflict".
• 14, 16, 21, 23 and 28 March (Monday and Wednesday), from 15:30h to 18:30h. Prior registration is required. "Education Workshops for Peace and conflict" organized by the Culture of Peace School with the support of the FAS. Analysis of the conflict in Ukraine, from the perspective of the Culture of Peace.
• 16 March (Wednesday), at 13 p.m. Plaça Cívica UAB. Open act. "Peace and resistance proposals”. Open dabeta about civil society positions in front of the war in Ukraine.

This information is related to the following SDG