Dear Colleagues
Dear Readers
It’s been a (long!) while, yet we are back!
Let us begin with an explanation for our silence, our stance on the current situation and a little programming note for what you may expect of the blog in the coming months.
THE WAR IN UKRAINE
Our writing hiatus started on February 24th, 2022; when the world as we knew it ceased to exist, with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Gorbachev’s dream of a “common European home” – our dream of building a joint future based on the shared Central and Eastern European experience – in an instant proved just that, a dream.
The initial shock and paralysis quickly turned into an “action mode”. We got involved in helping our Ukrainian neighbours in personal and professional capacities (by participating in great legal tech projects such as Immigration4Ukraine, welcoming Ukrainian refugees into our homes and volunteering).
On an emotional level, with the pain caused by the violence, divisions and a new sense of helplessness previously unknown to our generation, we withdrew and just started to… get by. The horror of seeing our continent again ravaged by war was doubled by the realisation that the war was happening almost in our homeland and the Blog’s region. The region we sought to unite – by creating a project with Ukrainian and Russian and Belarussian colleagues who suddenly became enemies – was now torn apart.
This high emotional toll and all the unknowns have allowed for a “survival mode” existence, shutting all creativity and still leaving so many Big Questions unanswered. So… we just paused.
Since February 24th, 2022, we found ourselves torn and thought deeply and hard on what to do, given our topics of interest and projects span Ukraine, as well as Russia and Belarus and the personal connections formed along our journey.
Now, after over nine months, having discussed and processed the situation, we’re coming back, hoping that you are still with us.
CONDEMNING RUSSIA, NOT CANCELLING OUR COLLEAGUES
There’s no doubt in our hearts and (legal) minds that Russia’s war against Ukraine is an illegal, unprovoked act of aggression. We know who is the aggressor – Russia – and who are the victims – Ukraine and its people. We wholeheartedly and firmly condemn this war and all the despicable atrocities committed on the civilian population and targets.
Yet, we draw the line between the aggressor country – or more so its regime and all the instigators and perpetrators – and its population, amongst which just as there are individuals supporting the invasion, there are also those fully against it. And here, we recognise that speaking up and protesting is not an easy task and we cannot expect bravery from all. The Russian regime is not only targeting its neighbours but also oppressing its own citizens.
We also know how important communication is, not to further deepen the line between “them” and “us”. Without any dialogue, especially if applying some form of collective responsibility and the cancel culture, we are heading only for more, and prolonged, divisions. Cutting all communication would only help dictators create echo chambers, worsening matters in the long run.
We uphold democratic values and are responsible for respecting those who do the same to the best of their abilities.
That is why we decided to keep the lines of communication open, albeit in a modified form.
The current situation is in no way (back to) normal, yet we must lay the groundwork for what’s hopefully to come – the end of the hostilities, restoration of peace, just punishment and reintegration.
We hope you understand and want to join us in the dialogue. After all, we are still dreamers!
Lastly, we wish to emphasise that the position expressed above belongs to the editorial team and does not, in any way, bind authors who publish on this Blog. Our team members and contributors have the right to their own opinions, and we wholeheartedly respect that.
COMING SOON TO OUR BLOG
When February came, we were preparing a series of events shining the spotlight on each of our CEE countries’ legal tech scenes. Now, we are going back on course to deliver the webinars to you, starting in early 2023.
We’re also getting on with writing, as a lot has happened. In our content – continuing our interviews, FutureProofLegal and TechForLaw series – we hope to give more space and help our colleagues from Ukraine.
We are also expanding our team.
So, stay tuned and see you shortly!
Karolina & Theodora
Thank you for being with us and creating this community!
Karolina, Theodora and Radu.