Communities need to come together. - by Cllr Andy Patmore
As chair of Hastings and Rother Voluntary Association for the Blind I had great pleasure in hosting the women from The Bexhill Choir of Ukraine at our annual general meeting on Monday. Dressed in national costume, they sang folk songs with such passion it brought a tear to the eye. It was heart-warming to hear some of their stories about how they are being helped by our community, along with desperate stories of family loss due to the war.
The war in Ukraine has touched us all in some way. The conflict had economic consequences, including fluctuations in energy prices and the stability of financial markets affecting energy bills and the cost of living in the UK. Indirectly, it has caused tensions between communities, with increased incidents of anti-Russian sentiment.
The effect of war abroad on community cohesion at home is a complex interplay of solidarity, debate, side taking, and emotional responses. While wars can foster a sense of unity and shared purpose, they can also lead to divisions and challenges that our community must navigate to maintain social cohesion.
The news is currently being dominated by the conflict in Israel and Gaza after the horrendous attacks by the terrorist organisation, Hamas. We have seen demonstrations in Hastings supporting the plight of Palestinians but demonstrators on all sides must be vigilant not to stray into language that could make other ethnic minority communities feel vulnerable or marginalised.