News and events News Our statement on Ukraine A statement on the war in Ukraineby Tim Robertson, Chief Executive, The Anne Frank Trust UK “I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.” This famous declaration from Anne Frank’s Diary entry of 15 July 1944 might seem tooidealistic to relate to the conflict in Ukraine. But it was itself written in a time of terribleoppression and war, and Frank, who saw clearly the likelihood of her own death at thehands of the Nazis, is far from naïve. Grounded in the realism of “in spite of everything”,her faith in humanity remains the fundamental guide to everything we do at the AnneFrank Trust UK – both in our work to educate young people about prejudice, and in ourunderstanding of world events that impact on our work.We condemn President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine because his armed forces aretrampling on the goodness and truth of a free and independent people. His pretence thatthis is a process of “de-Nazification” is deeply insulting to a nation that so courageouslyresisted the Nazis in World War Two, and which has a large Jewish population and ademocratically elected Jewish president.We have been distressed to learn that the Russian army has severely damaged Ukraine’smonument to the Babyn Yar massacre, one of the Nazis’ worst antisemitic atrocities. Weare even more concerned about the casualties of the current war, especially the deathand suffering of so many children and young people.We never forget that, had Britain and other democratic countries offered more refuge tovictims of the Nazis in the 1930s and 40s, Anne Frank might still be alive. We call on ourGovernment and every Government to provide safe passage and asylum for refugeesfrom all wars and tyranny, including from the Ukraine.At the same time, we remember the lessons we teach in schools in the UK about thedangers of stereotyping. Some Russians are oppressors, but many are actively opposingthe war. Some Ukrainians and officials in neighbouring counties are failing to uphold theprinciple of equality under the law, and we are dismayed to learn that people of colourfleeing Ukraine have faced outright discrimination when trying to cross borders.Nor are we irreproachable here in the UK, where much of our media coverage has beenmarred by a racist “shock” that such an invasion could happen to “Europeans like us”, asif all British and Ukrainian people were white, and as if people of colour in other warzones were less worthy of our care.We are fearful of a spike in hate crime towards Russian people in Britain – and peoplewho are perceived to be Russian. And we have a particular concern about the effects ofthe war on the young people we work with in schools across the UK – young peoplewhose education, mental health and apparent life chances have already beenjeopardised by the pandemic, and whose youth media are now scaring them with theprospect of being wiped out in nuclear war.Here at the Anne Frank Trust, our hope above all is that Mr Putin and his oligarchs willfind in their hearts the true goodness that Anne Frank identifies – the goodness that isthe essential basis for liberty and peace.In the meanwhile, we will continue to empower young people across Britain to call outhatred and speak up for equality. In the uncertainty and complexity of the present crisis,the young generation is our surest hope for a world where differences can be negotiatedfrom an unshakable commitment to our common humanity.As Anne Frank wrote on 6 July 1944:“We are all searching for happiness; we are all leading lives that are different and yet thesame.” Manage Cookie Preferences