Two years ago today, my musician-colleague annie diaz and I hosted a benefit concert in solidarity with Ukraine in Freiburg, Germany. Born from a college obligation to organise a student initiative, we initially planned a concert for a different cause.
However, when Putin invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, we knew we had to do something. I particularly felt incredible shock, fear, anger and a deep empathy with the people suffering for such a pointless cause – so I wrote a song. It’s called ‘he’s back‘ and was released to the world on 27 may of the same year. I was luckily able to perform it at the concert as well.
Annie and I got in contact with the wonderful and super-talented band Could Be Worse, who agreed to play a set as our main act. A lot of wonderful people – even a few Ukrainians – came and donated and in the end, we were able to donate 200€ to Freiburg’s sister city Lviv. I know that this money doesn’t end war or change the world. But it’s as good a feeling to have done what we had the means to do to help as it is to see other people do the same.
Unfortunately, even two years later, the war is still going on and it’s not just this one. Thousands of people are suffering in the Gaza Strip from the same kinds of senseless attacks as the people in Ukraine. And again, I am shocked and angry. Again, the song I wrote two years ago about one war rings just as true about another. And once again, it’s civilians that suffer, innocent men, women and children. In my humble opinion, no conflict ever justifies this kind of helpless suffering. This means the conflicts in Ukraine, Palestine, the living conditions in Afghanistan or Iran, and every other war and terror.
But – we’re not going to give up. We should continue to try and help where we can, give what we can, stay educated and empathetic to be on the right side of history.
“i want so bad to believe that we’ll be alright
a man said, ‘see history, the good wins every time, in the end.‘
the optimist looks at destruction and pain
and sees flowers that will be growing again.”
–he’s back: https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/album/1Z6beRJmbyaBWPmBy8tbtn?si=z87ZVEnoTW6D-DFnCWKWzA
My instagram post after the concert, with some impressions of the evening:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CegxwcQLiGL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
