In Solidarity with Ukraine, the people of Ukraine, and the people in Ukraine. May this war end now.
Ukraine –
The International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF) stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people facing the Russian army. We support the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. It is a matter of principle, as not only do war crimes dispossess people, workers, and those impoverished, but also waging war, in itself, is a crime. It must be treated as one. No political ambition trumps people’s right to live and to live free.
As a Federation that believes in democratic choice and the rule of the people, we hold every people’s right to self-determination, to formulate its identity, and to build its future as a core principle for healthy and prosperous human life. These rights must be inalienable and armed expansion is never justifiable. This war is not one of liberation, but one over dominance: no civilian should bear the immense price of competing geopolitical ambitions.
As a federation representing one sector of the informal economy, we know first-hand the dispossession of workers in times of crisis. They are first to bear the cost of war, as even in times of peace, their protection is not guaranteed. It is therefore our shared aspiration with trade-unionists from the ground that Ukrainian people shape their own fates, that they live in liberty, and project themselves securely into the future. It is life, a prosperous one, for workers that labor movements have fought for time and time again. Informal workers should not be collateral damage.
We also demand that all borders are open to refugees from Ukraine, citizens or not, fleeing war and persecution, that urgent humanitarian assistance is delivered to those displaced within the border. The duty to welcome and house refugees and the cost of this reception must be shared equitably by countries: there should be no added costs on people who have already lost too much amid the horrors of war.
This is not a distant event in Europe, rather, war leads to a surge in the arms trade and an increase in fossil fuel prices both directly and indirectly killing and starving many peoples around the world especially women who are already in a disadvantaged position. Wars end in destruction or negotiation. Pressure must be applied to recommit to the long-term cease-fire and reach a peaceful agreement, as policy must be shaped in negotiation, not in aggression.
In Solidarity with Ukraine, the people of Ukraine, and the people in Ukraine. May this war end now.
