The war in Donbass and the situation with Vaisnava Refugee (An Appeal from Niranjana Swami)

Message from the Ukrainian Vaisnava Refugee Fund

 Source: https://sites.google.com/a/niranjanaswami.org/ukrainian-vaisnava-refugee-fund/

An Appeal from Niranjana Swami, co-GBC for Ukraine

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As many of you already know, the political situation in Ukraine is close to a civil war. After a short period of cease-fire, serious and violent conflict has resumed between both sides of the conflict. Falling within the conflict-ravaged areas are such major, densely populated cities as Donetsk, Lugansk, Kramatorsk, and Slavyansk, where the civilian population, their residences damaged in the confrontation, flee for their lives, seeking refuge either in other parts of the country or across the border. 

Photo by Photoshot

Needless to say that these operations badly affected our devotee communities in those cities as well. By Krsna’s grace, no devotee has been killed or injured in the conflict, although a few have had a very narrow escape. But while some of them continue risking their lives trying to maintain temple worship and programs, many find it necessary to relocate their families to safety, leaving their homes and possessions behind.

Photo by stopwar.org.uk

In order to help devotees in the affected and volatile regions of the country, leadership of the Ukrainian yatra have appealed to our communities across the country to provide shelter at their homes and flats to the devotee refugees, and many have already responded. There is also an asylum being organized at ISKCON retreat center near Dnepropetrovsk for single devotee moms with underage children, where they will be given accommodation and boarding. To facilitate the devotees' safe and fast transfer from the dangerous zones, the Ukrainian leadership has also set up a centrally managed fund for travel and emergency expenses as well as for the maintenance of the underprivileged and dependent.

While the Ukrainian yatra has united in extending their financial, logistic and devotional help to the affected and displaced devotees, the conflict is escalating and there is no telling yet how many of them will soon need a helping hand, and for how long. If you wish to participate in this effort to protect devotees’ lives and secure their future, any contribution will be greatly appreciated. 

Appeal

August 29, 2014

Update

By Niranjana Swami

We have good news and bad news from Ukraine. The good news is that practically all devotees from the Lugansk region have been safely accommodated elsewhere. Devotees are still fleeing the Donetsk region. Just yesterday, August 28th, eight more devotees from Donetsk, including three children, were assisted into safer accommodations. Unfortunately there will likely be more in the very near future leaving Donetsk.

To date, with the help of the funds raised from our Refugee Fund campaign, more than two hundred devotees have been provided relocation assistance, emergency maintenance, and accommodations out of the areas of conflict.

In addition, our Magdalinivka Retreat Center has been upgraded for winter use and is accommodating approximately thirty-five refugees, most of whom are women and children. These women and children have no means of support other than the Refugee Fund and are therefore being maintained indefinitely, mostlikely through the winter and possibly even beyond.

We had previously indicated that we are in the middle of negotiations for a 15 hectare retreat center outside of Kiev, which when renovated, one building could accommodate a minimum of fifty more refugees. The reason for this acquisition is that many refugees are currently being accommodated in facilities which will be inadequate once the colder weather sets in (in Ukraine, that is early October). We've been told that some families are currently living in tents in Crimea. Moreover, many devotees need to find a means of employment. The retreat center is close enough to Kiev and also to a devotee business to provide potential employment. 

We expect to finalize negotiations on the retreat center by early next week, September 1st or 2nd. In the event the documents are not fully in order for the acquisition of the retreat center, given the immediate need to prepare a facility for winter, we have an alternate plan to build a building from wood on a much smaller plot of land just next to the retreat center. This building would also be able to accommodate a minimum of fifty refugees. The wood would be provided at minimal cost by a local sawmill owned and managed by a local devotee.

The cost for both options are almost the same, except the retreat center would obviously provide us with a much greater facility for expansion. We therefore hope that, by Krsna's grace, the acquisition of the retreat center can be quickly realized. With the weather expected to change soon, we are running out of time.

Professional calculations for both options have already been made. Either way, we must either begin renovation on the retreat center, or construction on the smaller plot of land, by the end of next week in order to have a building ready by October 7th, which is the deadline we have currently fixed for relocating refugees. Currently the refugee fund is approximately $20,000 short for either option. With more devotees still fleeing daily, that figure is likely to signficantly increase.

Meanwhile, the bad news is that as of today, August 29, 2014, it appears that the conflict could very soon be moving into Mariupol, a seaport of 500,000 and home to a very large devotee community. We must be prepared to assist these devotees should the battlegrounds extend into Mariupol and therefore different options for them are already being considered.

We again extend our heartfelt gratitude to the many devotees from all over the world who have responded to our appeal. Without your help, we would have had very little positive news to report here for you.

For those of you who wish to help us realize our goals for those already displaced and for those who may very well be displaced in the very near future, we beg you to please continue to support us here through Paypal

Hare Krishna,

Niranjana Swami

Chronicle of Vaisnava work with refugees (Ukraine, July 2014)

Message from the Ukrainian Vaisnava Refugee Fund

Source: https://sites.google.com/a/niranjanaswami.org/ukrainian-vaisnava-refugee-fund/updated-information

Updated Information

July 31, 2014 Unfortunately one our coordinators in the Donetsk region has been arrested by separatists on charges of suspicion. Although there is more information, in the interest of securing his release as quickly as possible, we will not provide any more details until the situation is more clear. Meanwhile, there will be a short delay with updates on refugees from the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. The work being done by this coordinator has been transferred to another responsible individual. We hope to hear from him soon. We humbly ask everyone to bless these devotee's efforts to remain fully engaged in service to Vaisnavas.  Abhinanda dasa had this to report yesterday: I have sent a detailed but incomplete report of about one-third of the devotees/refugees. The situation has become much worse and there are more calls now than ever before. I want to note, however, that everybody who calls or writes gets an answer. So this high priority category has no unanswered calls and letters.[...] [...] According to my previous report, about 36 people have recently been accommodated in Ukraine. But the total number is higher than 100. July 29, 2014 Short report from Abhinanda dasa: "Speaking on plans, at the moment i am trying to connect 12 people with another 12. It's not much but situation is constantly changing. For example mataji with child had gone to Magdalinavka and disappeared. Then it turned that rail road bridge was under fire and she came back home to Avdeevka on taxi. Right now, while I'm writing this, fighting is going on next to my house in Avdeevka. I hope no one of devotees will die. One devotee disappeared. There is no news about him for 2 weeks. He asked for shelter, I've found place for him to move to. But he never moved to a safe area, he just disappeared near the temple leaving documents and mobile phone in temple." July 28, 2014 Here is an update on the number of displaced devotees who have been accommodated and provided financial assistance to get themselves established for a potential long haul. From July 22 - 28, forty-five adults and twenty-six children have been accommodated outside the area of conflict. A total of $8,437 has been given to cover travel expenses and one month's maintenance for those requiring it. We are still waiting for an updated report (both financial and the current number of refugees) from Magdalinivka. We should have it by the first of August. Devotees in Kiev have stepped up their research of a retreat center outside of Kiev which is available for purchasing. Once a full assessment has been made, we will provide a report on that option. We expect that will be available soon. July 24, 2014 Acyuta Priya dasa reports: […] despite these problems and risk for devotees we feel that overall it is very much uniting our family of devotees, they feel so much indebted for the help they are receiving. The biggest problem we are encountering now here is that devotees are too shy and humble. Many do not consider themselves worthy of any help or financial aid. We have to insist to convince them to accept help. It is a really moving and heart purifying experience. Our report for today: The Magdalinivka retreat center has reached its peak. Approximately forty refugees are staying there, many of them women and children, and are being provided maintenance from the Ukrainian Vaisnava Refugee Fund.  Hence, in the last three days (between July 22 – 24), an additional twenty-seven adults and fifteen children, the majority of them from Lugansk, were relocated to devotees who opened their homes in Voznesensk, Poltava, Kiev, Akimovka, Sumi, Belogorodka, Pavlograd, Rostov-na-don, Dnepropetrovsk, and Magdalinivka. Many of them were women and children with no savings and unable to bring many possessions. They all required funds for one-month maintenance, based upon principles which were established for helping devotees get on their feet. Food costs are approximately $150/month per person. (see Acyuta Priya's comment above). We are currently looking at facilities in Kiev. It is likely that there will be a major influx of refugees from Donetsk and quite possibly Alchevsk. Conflict is escalating now in that city too. Many men need to relocate near a major city in order to have the best opportunity of finding employment. Therefore, now that Magdalinivka is full, Kiev is being considered as the best option for this. Acyuta Priya dasa spent the last three days researching facilities and has made a significant find. As soon as our options in Kiev are more clear, we will report the next plan for more refugees.  ISKCON in Kiev does not own property (as was the case in Magdalinivka). Hence rooms/buildings would have to be rented, although unfortunately rental rates are high both in and near Kiev. A more preferable option is to purchase a retreat center comparable to that which is in Magdalinivka. A facility of this nature has come to our attention. Considering that currently, due to the conflict in Ukraine, property prices are way down, this may be the best option. Money spent so far from the Refugee Fund Magdalinivka renovations  + one week refugee maintenance - $2,770 Communication - $35 One month maintenance (plus travel expenses) for the above forty-two refugees - $4,268.00 July 23, 2014 The temple president of the "former" Lugansk temple, Kaustubha dasa, has now teamed up with Abhinanda dasa to help displaced devotees from the Lugansk region gain access to help from Kiev. Kaustubha is assisted by his wife, Pulindi dd, and one other devotee living in Poltava. Abhinanda dasa reports that he has been averaging close to 100 phone calls daily. He has also received information that Alchevsk, a city between Donetsk and Lugansk and which has been relatively peaceful until now, looks like it could become the next battleground. There is a large devotee population in Alchevsk. If the conflict were to move into Alchevsk, there may be many more devotees looking for refuge. In preparation for this possibility, efforts are being made to locate a project to rent comparable to the Magdalinivka retreat center. Bhakta Ilya has also teamed up with Bhakta Fyodor. Both of them are working in Kiev handling all inquiries from the site, as well as much of the communication coming in from devotees requiring financial assistance. July 22, 2014 We apologize for our inability to provide daily updates. Although we need a full time coordination center in the Eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, we are somewhat handicapped by the fact that all the coordination in both of those regions is falling into the hands of one person, Abhinanda dasa. His job is to maintain contact with devotees who need to leave, who are already leaving, who have left and arrived in either Western Ukraine or across the Russian border, to keep contact with our coordinators in Kiev who are disbursing funds, and to either disburse the funds himself or to connect those in need directly to the devotees disbursing funds in Kiev. By Krsna's grace, over the past couple of days, the systems for fund disbursement have been more clearly defined. Funds have already been disbursed over the course of the last week. But now the system has been improved for getting funds directly into the hands of those who are most in need. Another major impediment is that devotees cannot always move in the direction where facilities are available. Some routes are a lot more dangerous to travel on than others. Of course, right now everywhere in those two regions is dangerous. But some routes are simply deadly and can not be taken. In this regard, please read the letter posted on the "Letters"page. It will provide a better picture of the scenario that most devotees are facing when trying to leave. Additionally, in the city of Lugansk, people are not even permitted to be in the streets. There are being told to expect to be killed if they even step outside their homes. Some devotees there are trapped inside their building or flat. Once(if) that changes, we will need to find the means to assist these devotees. Judging from what we have been hearing, it seems quite possible that the conditions in Donetsk, a much larger city, could soon become the same as Lugansk. Meanwhile, a clear system of fund disbursement has been set up for the Magdalinivka retreat center. Work on upgrading the facilities for the influx of refugees is well underway (see photos of a new hot water boiler being installed) and everyone is being provided full maintenance and accommodations. July 18, 2014 Abhinanda dasa reports that the number of individual accommodations available for occupancy (not including Magdalinivka) has increased from 62 people (reported on July 17th) to 73 people. Ukraine - 31 Russia - 23 Crimea - 9 Belarus - 6 Moldova - 2 India - 2 He also reports that some facilities have time limitations (due to seasonal restrictions). A more comprehensive report is currently being compiled. July 17, 2014 Abhinanda dasa has provided a significant update to the number of facilities which have manifested through this campaign. 1) Persons who have offered to shelter refugees  Ukraine - 19  Russia - 11  Crimea - 3  Belarus-3  India - 1  Total: 37 places  2) Number of devotees that can be accommodated  Ukraine - 27  Russia - 18 people  Crimea - 9 people  Belarus-6 people  India - 2 people  Total: 62 people.  3) The number of people still requiring facilities (to date), including family members  Married couples with children - 2  Couples without children - 3  Single Male - 1  Single woman with child - 1  Single women -2 July 16, 2014 Antakela dasa, the temple president of the Donetsk temple, reported that he, along with a few brahmacaris, decided it's time to leave Donetsk. Taking advantage of a temporary lull in the fighting, they will be driving, taking the southern route to Mariupul where they hope to find less obstacles along the road than if they were to go in any other direction. A few devotees in the temple, not wishing to leave, will remain to take care of the temple gardens and Tulasi devi, to host any guests who might come on Sunday (last week there were only a handful of guests as compared to the hundreds which usually attend) and to maintain a minimum standard of worship of the small Deities Who will remain on the altar. July 16, 2014 Abhinanda dasa had the following to report: 1) As of July 14, 2014, seventeen devotees have offered facilities for refugees throughout Ukraine through the "Ukrainian Vaisnava Refugee" campaign. 2) Not including the Magdalinivka retreat center (which is currently hosting thirty-three devotees), thirty-seven devotees have been hosted by families, although some of those are living austerely in tents in Crimea and will be unable to remain when the seasons change. 3) Currently six devotees are waiting for accommodations to become available. 4) This report does not include the number of devotees who already fled, having established their own connections either in Russia or in the Western parts of Ukraine. Statistics for them are still not available yet, but the numbers are definitely in the hundreds. July 15, 2014 Premarasa dasa, our coordinator at the retreat center, reported that as of today, thirty-three devotees have taken refuge at the retreat center, including six mothers. That figure does not include the children of the six mothers. These figures also do not include the many devotees who have sought refuge in other facilities which devotees are opening up for Eastern Ukrainian refugees. The information for that report is still being gathered. July 15, 2014 Our local coordinator in Donetsk, Abhinanda dasa, has informed us today that currently all of the fighting is taking place just outside the city limits. Approximately 60% of the devotees living within the Donetsk city limits aren't able to leave right now because their elder family members are reluctant to leave. But if the fighting moves into the city, which could happen very soon, then these devotees will be forced to either abandon their relatives or force them to leave too. Many of them will require assistance. July 14th, 2014 Within the next day or two, we should have some statistics of the number of devotees who have networked through our coordination center so far. However, these numbers will fluctuate from a day to day basis. There has been some very heavy fighting in Lugansk and Donetsk over the past couple of days. Some devotees are currently in dire need for a means to escape. Some devotees' homes have already been completely destroyed (hit by mortar).