At this week's Round Table, Inica, Jack, Jedd, and Kenisha discussed an issue on many of our minds: the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As we were doing so, we were keenly aware of how each day brings new developments, some hopeful and many devastating. As high school students born well after the Cold War, we study the historical catastrophes of World War I and II, and had hoped that we were past them. We now find ourselves recognizing the strength of imperialism and trying to figure out the implications. We oscillated between talking intellectually and emotionally, reflecting upon the devastation being wreaked on so many innocent civilians as well as the larger economic implications at a time when so many have already been negatively impacted by Covid. We are all grappling with how to situate ourselves in a global conflict of this magnitude–we can’t divorce ourselves from it as we watch the war unfold and impact people’s humanity in live time. In an article last week, Thomas Friedman noted that one of the most hackneyed phrases in journalism is “the world will never be the same” and yet it may be appropriate to apply to the connected conflict we’re living through. If countries don’t respond in a serious and significant way, we will see more authoritarian land grabs and more groups at risk, so the stakes are very very high. We are living in very challenging times, making us all the more grateful to be in conversation with each other and with you. Thank you for listening!
