At a time where we are continually considering proposed changes to the school curriculum it's striking how little the majority of the British population knows about European history, which by the way is not complete after you've covered the Tudors and the First and Second World War, I’m talking Eastern European history. How much does the average student know about Ukraine, Poland, Belarus or Russia? The history of the relationships between some of these key players in Europe still have a real life impact on us today. It also helps put current events into perspective, if we can learn lessons from the past we have a better chance of not making a mess of important decisions today.
Again, how much does the average person know about the invasion of Poland in 1939 by both Germany and the Soviet Union? Europe has some incredible stories to tell and lessons to be learnt but they are often overlooked in schools, colleges, books and media.
When I was considering writing my university dissertation on the struggles of the independent journalism in Belarus I was astounded by the sheer amount of people that had no idea where Belarus even was. Everyone looked at me sideways. The Belarusian population are fighting for democracy on a daily basis. They are imprisoned for speaking out against the Lukashenko regime while the Western media forgets they even exist. This isn't a personal blame game - making this information accessible and a part of our education is key to creating public awareness.
The invasion of Ukraine reminds us why it is so important for us to understand the history of countries that are often overlooked, because this war can, will and already has had fatal consequences. What is happening today in Ukraine did not start this year or last year and unfortunately it isn't going to just go away. We can't just stick our heads in the sand because we don't understand or want to hide from scary realities. We have to be ready and alert. Eastern European people have long battled with the fight for democracy and independence, something many of us in Britain take for granted. If one thing is for sure the current crisis in Ukraine has sparked a new flame in Europe, a burning unity. Europe has come together in agreement and unity over a shared loyalty to peace and democracy.
Slava Ukraini!
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