Courage Through Crisis
As with the COVID crisis, the racial justice uprising, and the steadily mounting threats of climate change, Russia’s war in Ukraine is once again shaking our humanity to its core and spotlighting the economic and cultural power of brands to help create a future we can believe in.
But what is an appropriate response to the war in Ukraine? Many companies are choosing to divest from, or halt operations, in Russia. Some are?distancing themselves?from anything Russia-related, however illogical. Meta went so far as to?allow hate speech?aimed at Russia as if fanning the flames of nationalism would bring us closer to a true and lasting peace.?
As we’ve seen before, the immediate reaction from brands may be to signal support, to send donations. That’s certainly essential. And yet, the real work comes in the months that follow, reckoning with how fragile our systems are, revealing and rooting out our biases, and pushing for genuine change. And just as COVID prompted us to rethink the stability of our social safety nets and our supply chains, this latest global crisis in Ukraine will have its reckoning for brands. It calls on us to question where our money is invested, where we get our fuel and our food, and why White middle class people fleeing war is any different than Brown and Black people fleeing war in other destabilized regions of our world.
In this consequential moment, brands have the power to shape the systems and stories that determine who we are and what we can be together.
And we expect brands to use their scale and influence to move things in a positive direction.?Note how?AirBnB?with its purpose to?create a world where anyone can belong anywhere?was able to quickly help Ukrainian refugees by offering free, short-term housing.?
See the links below for some lesser-known places you can donate to support humanitarian efforts in response to the war in Ukraine. And look out for the brands who take this crisis moment as an?opportunity for regeneration?to nourish our people, communities and planet for the long run.
In community,
The BBMG Team
“As we move through this beautiful and troubled world, may we vow to be a beacon of peace, a fearless carrier of respect and loving kindness for all life, a teller of truth, a voice for justice, a protector of those who are vulnerable or targeted. May the power of wisdom, integrity and compassion be our guide.”
Jack Kornfield
More Ideas on The Future We Want...
What female leadership can achieve for egalitarianism: This is what a nation run by women looks like >>
How ditching oil and gas for renewables could disarm Russia for good: This is how we defeat Putin and other petrostate autocrats >>
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(And for a deeper dive on 9 sustainable behaviors, read?The Pull Factor Report)
What's Bringing Us Joy and Hope
????Jess, Hannah, Ashley, Chia, and Mai?recently visited the?Poster House?museum of poster art in NYC. People anywhere can join their?virtual events?including?Women in Posters?on March 20th, a special edition of Poster Kids in honor of Women’s History Month.
????Liz?LOLed more than once watching the YouTube show?Climate Town. Hey, getting smart about sustainability and climate change doesn’t have to be a drag, and this comedy series is as hilarious as it is insightful.
????Mai?watched the film?Fantastic Fungi?on Netflix and was fascinated to learn just how important mushrooms are to the world's ecosystem.
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How to Help Ukrainians
Here’s a few organizations to whom we’re sending our financial support, and you may find one that you can support as well:
BBMG is a branding and social impact consultancy that works with leaders who won’t wait on things that can’t wait. Learn more, see our work, and get in touch at?bbmg.com