Ukraine grapples with alarming rise in hate crimes as it pursues EU dreams

Being a closed society for the last 80 years, Ukraine is grappling with the same problems that modern European and North American countries went through years before.

Stay firm with the law, prosecute those who do these deeds, and make an example of them. Show no tolerance or mercy to those that attack based on color or race.

Ukrainian youth need to be educated in the value of diversity not to be afraid of it. Fear still exists based on ignorance.

Ukrainian youth need to be taught the genetics of human migration so that they can understand how racism contradicts what science is telling us about human interrelatedness.

They also need to be taught that the early Ukrainian Cossack movement was rooted in ethnic diversity and attracted members from well beyond Ukraine; that the Cossacks were the first real democracy which elected its senior chiefs of staff, and that egalitarianism was a cherished Ukrainian value.

Racism is the antithesis of true Ukrainian values.

Right now Ukrainian security forces must infiltrate these racist skin head groups and start arresting the perpetrators. Ukrainian courts should mete out appropriate rehabilitation and punishment sentences.

This is not a new problem. I left Kiev in 1977, and can relay the following. The trolley line that goes to the University has it's next stop at the Zoo. It was not uncommon to hear taunts towards African students - abundant under the Soviets - exiting to go to classes: "Hey, your's is the next stop!"
It is ignorance! Bobo and Stefan are right, the only hope is education and agressive prosecution of law violators, and those who induce the violence.
You guys are in Canada, a much more gentle nation, than most, in the US, as you know we still strugle with this...

Stefan wrote:

Being a closed society for the last 80 years, Ukraine is grappling with the same problems that modern European and North American countries went through years before.
Stay firm with the law, prosecute those who do these deeds, and make an example of them. Show no tolerance or mercy to those that attack based on color or race.
Ukrainian youth need to be educated in the value of diversity not to be afraid of it. Fear still exists based on ignorance.

Not so Stefan…....The problem of hate crimes in Ukraine has taken root during WW2 when many of the Ukrainians adopted and practiced Nazi ideology which included the belief in untermensch. They themselves committed horrific crimes against humanity and have set an example to their offspring.
Most of the incidents of hate crimes occur in the Western regions of Ukraine where many of the troubled Ukrainian youth had this hate instilled into them by their forefathers. This resulted in the genetic makeup of Western Ukrainians today who practice intolerance towards other people of the world.
Prosecuting, setting examples, and staying firm on the law will not help simply because they are just being Ukrainians now.
The world will just have to put up with them.

Western Ukrainians had to defend their culture, their land and their well being, against others for centuries. This created a class of people who trusted no one but their own. They certainly did not trust Poles or Russians and certainly not Jews.

They stayed as a tight group, fearful to expose and open up to others. This lack of worldly outlook certainly is the problem.

Ukrainians as a whole have traditionally certainly not been tolerant of Black people. It was caused by ignorance. I have seen it in my own grandmother. I don't think that the Soviet system changed any of this. It is up to the Ukrainian system to do so in the future.

It has nothing to do with the Nazis, who simply stroked the flames of ignorance.

Much of this editorial publicity is designed to cast Ukraine in a negative light . Neo-Nazis , Skin heads , Gay bashers , racists , holocaust and holodomor deniers are a problem everywhere. All countries suffer from fringe elements. Even in Canada 40 years ago when I tried to attend a West Ukrainian Catholic scout camp,I was told to go find an Orthodox camp by some of the adult leaders . Ignorance and stupidity , sadly , is found in every country in the world . Excessive nationalism and ethnocentricism is an evil thing and excessive pride of one's origins must be kept in check with moral priciples , civilty and law if necessary.