This is about Syria and it is not about Syria; this is about politics and it is not about politics; this is about global challenges and it is not about global challenges; this is about the world’s reaction but it is not about the world.
This is about my own feelings in regards to what is going on in Aleppo. I feel sad. I feel angry. I feel helpless, overwhelmed, disillusioned… and many more things.
Last week I wrote to a friend who has studied political science and understands a lot about the UN.. I knew that he would not be able to give me simple answers but I was desperate to ask. Any ideas on how to end this tragedy and madness? So much has been said, but what else can be done?
The answer was as expected: “You have many good questions! I think the people who can answer those questions should step forward immediately! Unfortunately, it’s not so easy.” His last comment was: “The only solution I can see is for more cooperation at the international level and for a coalition of willing and able countries to intervene in some way to stop the atrocities taking place in Syria right now, but it is hard to imagine how that practically could be realized.”
We see the difficulties and current challenges in the international framework. I was watching an interview with Latvia’s ambassador to NATO, Indulis BÄrziÅÅ”, and he kept repeating that anyone who could come up with a solution for the war in Syria would be awarded Nobel Peace Prize immediately.
So, here we are. I could probably listen to endless interviews, read many articles, watch TV programs around the world and get the same message. “Since the beginning of the offensive by the regime and its allies, notably Russia, the intensity and scale of the aerial bombardment of eastern Aleppo is clearly disproportionate,” an official EU statement said. … The deliberate targeting of hospitals, medical personnel, schools and essential infrastructure, as well as the use of barrel bombs, cluster bombs and chemical weapons, constitute a catastrophic escalation of the conflict … and may amount to war crimes.”
Meanwhile the people are dying and the eastern part of Aleppo is evaporating in front of the world’s eyes.
I don’t have any easy answers either. I know that aid agencies , volunteers (likeĀ Partners Relief & Development) and many many people in Syria and from other parts of the world are doing everything they can to help. I know that many of the wonderful, heroic, sacrificial stories don’t get reported. I know that the real situation is much different than our news can show. I have been on “the other side” of the TV screen (not in Aleppo though).
What I have are friends from Syria who live in safety and peace in Riga, Latvia but who still have family back in Aleppo. Every time I see them I think of their families, their former home and beloved city. What if this was Riga! Boom, there goes Teika! Boom, there goes Jugla… and the people who lived there.
Maybe this post will get some responses with your thoughts. Of course, I believe in prayer but I also believe in resistance to injustice. And I have a strong sense that we, the global neighbors, are failing Syria.
Today I simply want to say… I am so sorry, Aleppo
Friends in Riga learning more about Syria (photos from personal archive)
Latvian:
Rakstu par SÄ«riju, bet runa nav par SÄ«riju. Rakstu par politiku, bet runa nav par politiku. Rakstu par globÄlajiem izaicinÄjumiem, bet runa nav par tiem. Rakstu par pasaules reakciju, bet runa nav par pasauli.
Runa ir par manÄm sajÅ«tÄm, domÄjot par to, kas notiek Alepo. Man sÄp sirds. Man ir skumji. Man ir dusmas. Man ir bezspÄcÄ«bas sajÅ«ta. Man nav ilÅ«ziju, un man trÅ«kst vÄrdu.
PagÄjÅ”nedÄļ es aizrakstÄ«ju kÄdam labam draugam ÄrzemÄs, kurÅ” ir jauns politiÄ·is, un diezgan labi pazÄ«st Apvienoto NÄciju OrganizÄciju. Es zinÄju, ka viÅÅ” nespÄs man dot nekÄdas vieglas vai skaidras atbildes, bet vienkÄrÅ”i gribÄjÄs kÄdam jautÄt. Vai ir kÄdas idejas, kÄ Å”o ÄrprÄtu tur izbeigt? Tik daudz jau ir teikts, bet ko var darÄ«t?
Atbilde bija tÄda, kÄdu biju gaidÄ«jusi. āTev, Inet, ir daudz labu jautÄjumu. Es domÄju, ka tiem cilvÄkiem, kuri spÄj tos atbildÄt, ir jÄpiesakÄs nekavÄjoties. DiemžÄl nav tik vienkÄrÅ”i.ā BeigÄs viÅÅ” vÄl piebilda: āVienÄ«gais veids, ko es redzu, ir lielÄka sadarbÄ«ba starptautiskÄ lÄ«menÄ«, un to valstu koalÄ«cija, kuras spÄj un tieÅ”Äm grib izbeigt Ŕīs briesmu lietas, kas patlaban notiek SÄ«rijÄ. TaÄu ir grÅ«ti iedomÄties, kÄ tas varÄtu Ä«stenoties praktiski.ā
MÄs jau redzam, kÄ tas praktiski neÄ«stenojas. SkatÄ«jos LTV interviju ar Induli BÄrziÅu, kurÅ” NATO pÄrstÄv Latviju, un viÅÅ” vismaz divas reizes atkÄrtoja to paÅ”u. Sakot, ja kÄdam rastos risinÄjums SÄ«rijas kara izbeigÅ”anai, tam vajadzÄtu tÅ«lÄ«t pat pieŔķirt Nobela Miera prÄmiju.
Te nu mÄs esam. 17. oktobrÄ« bija oficiÄls Eiropas SavienÄ«bas paziÅojums, ka āES pauž saÅ”utumu par situÄciju SÄ«rijÄ, kas turpina pasliktinÄties. PieaugoÅ”Ä vardarbÄ«ba Alepo rada nepieredzÄtas un nepieÅemamas cieÅ”anas tÅ«kstoÅ”iem tÄs iedzÄ«votÄju. KopÅ” režīms un tÄ sabiedrotie, jo Ä«paÅ”i Krievija, ir sÄkuÅ”i ofensÄ«vu, Alepo austrumu daļas bombardÄÅ”anas no gaisa intensitÄte un mÄrogs ir acÄ«mredzami nesamÄrÄ«gs, un tÄ«Å”i uzbrukumi slimnÄ«cÄm, medicÄ«niskajam personÄlam, skolÄm un ļoti svarÄ«gai infrastruktÅ«rai, kÄ arÄ« tvertÅveida bumbu, kaseÅ”u bumbu un Ä·Ä«misko ieroÄu izmantoÅ”ana katastrofÄli saasina konfliktu, un tie ir radÄ«juÅ”i vÄl plaÅ”Äka mÄroga civiliedzÄ«votÄju upurus, tostarp starp sievietÄm un bÄrniem, un tos var pielÄ«dzinÄt kara noziegumiem.
GalvenÄ atbildÄ«ba par SÄ«rijas iedzÄ«votÄju aizsardzÄ«bu ir SÄ«rijas režīmam. TÄpÄc ES stingri nosoda režīma un tÄ sabiedroto pÄrmÄrÄ«gos un nesamÄrÄ«gos uzbrukumus. ā¦ ES pauž nožÄlu par Krievijas 8.Ā oktobrÄ« pausto veto ANO DroŔības padomes rezolÅ«cijai, kuras lÄ«dzautori ir visas ES dalÄ«bvalstis un kuras mÄrÄ·is ir atjaunot karadarbÄ«bas pÄrtraukÅ”anu un ļaut humÄnÄs palÄ«dzÄ«bas sniedzÄjiem piekļūt Alepo.ā
CilvÄki turpina mirt, un Alepo austrumu daļa pÄrvÄrÅ”as pilnÄ«gos pelnos.
Man arÄ« nav atbildes. Es zinu, ka daudzi ā gan organizÄcijas, gan brÄ«vprÄtÄ«gie, gan paÅ”i SÄ«rijas cilvÄki ā dara visu, lai palÄ«dzÄtu. Zinu, ka lÄ«dz mums nenonÄk lielÄkÄ daļa Å”o stÄstu par brÄ«niŔķīgajiem, drosmÄ«gajiem un paÅ”aizliedzÄ«gajiem.
Man ir tikai draugi RÄ«gÄ, kuri tagad dzÄ«vo mierÄ un droŔībÄ, bet viÅu radinieki ir joprojÄm Alepo. Katru reizi, kad tiekamies, es domÄju par viÅu tuviniekiem un agrÄk tik skaisto pilsÄtu. Ja tas viss tagad notiktu RÄ«gÄ!? Bumbas, un nav vairs Teikas. Bumbas, un nav vairs Juglasā¦ un tÄs cilvÄku.
VarbÅ«t, ka manas sajÅ«tas izsauks kÄdu reakciju vai pÄrdomas arÄ« no jÅ«su puses. Protams, es ticu lÅ«gÅ”anu spÄkam, un cerÄ«ba arÄ« man nav zudusi, bet es ticu, ka ir jÄpretojas netaisnÄ«bai. Un man liekas, ka mÄs, globÄlie kaimiÅi, esam pievÄ«luÅ”i SÄ«rijas cilvÄkus.
Å odien es gribu vienkÄrÅ”i pateikt to, ko latvieÅ”u valodÄ nevar pateikt ar vienu vÄrdu, kÄ to var angļu valodÄā¦ I am so sorry, Aleppo. Man ir tik ļoti žÄl, Alepo, ka Ŕī netaisnÄ«ba turpinÄs.
