Here is the appeal letter read by Jacek Kusmierczyk, president of the Association of Polygraphs of Poland, to journalists present at the “Shaping the Future” conference on 9 and 10 March in Brussels, to talk about the catastrophic situation in Ukraine.
Printers and publishers of Europe, we believe that we can address you with the words Dear Friends!
Our Motherland was attacked by the Russian Federation, thousands of our heroic defenders and civilian were killed, women were raped, hundreds of Ukrainian children were abducted to Russia for Russification. The aggressor deliberately destroys hospitals, schools, residential buildings, roads, bridges, power plants and factories to subject our people to tyranny. According to Putin’s criminal plan, Ukraine must cease its existence as an independent state.
The dictator’s cruel plans will not bring the desired results. We are defending ourselves and democratic values, we are defending the integrity of Europe and we will fight until the last Red Army soldier leaves our land, dead or alive. The efforts are huge, unbearable even for one heroic nation! Therefore, we ask you for help.
We, academics and students of the Ukrainian Academy of Printing in Lviv, the largest university of publishing and printing in Central Europe, Ukrainian printers and publishers, employees and employers on behalf of the nation, including 25,000 people engaged in printing and publishing industry, we address you, Brothers and Sisters, for any support you can offer to us. We needed it yesterday, we need today and we will need tomorrow, because the war will not end in a while. Many innocent people will be killed and injured, our businesses will not be able to produce books or packaging, and students will have to study in shelters. We need your help with medicine, bandages, vehicles that take the wounded from the front to hospitals and the dead to their families, so that they can bury them with the support of families who are losing brothers and parents. These needs are huge and it is impossible to enumerate all of them. Literally every cent is vital and every little help can save a human life.
And when the guns fall silent, we hope that you will be willing to take part in the biggest reconstruction project since the Second World War, the reconstruction of our Motherland, European Ukraine. Remember that our men, who sacrifice their lives every day at the front, will no longer be able to stand at the machine tools, the wounded in battles will not be able to fulfill their professional duties and those whose psychological state cannot withstand the atrocities of captivity will not run companies anymore. We, together with you, will have to teach children and youth, rebuild factories from ruins and create a foundation of trust and security destroyed by Russian bombs. Keep your hearts open so we can survive, please.
Not being able to stand before you in presence, we thank Mr. Jacek Kusmierczyk, president of the Association of Polygraphers of Poland, who has visited Ukraine many times since the beginning of the attack and organized essential assistance to spread this letter.
Listen to our announcement with attention and understanding, please
Glory to Ukraine, glory to democratic Europe.
Signed by
Rector of the Ukrainian Academy of Printing – Bohdan Durniak
Head of the student self-government body of the Ukrainian Academy of Printing – Anastasiia Melnykova
Chair of the publishers and book distributors association of Ukraine – Olexandr Afonin
