Solidarity with Ukraine

The Executive Committee and staff of the ARL – the Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association – are utterly appalled at Russia’s war in Ukraine. There are many crises and wars in the world. And yet this attack on Ukraine, its people, its democracy and its freedom marks a historical watershed. Several international laws have been broken within a few days. At the same time, a paradigm shift has taken place in democratic countries: we are deeply impressed by the extent of the solidarity with Ukraine that has been widely demonstrated, as well as the strength of the Ukrainians themselves in resisting this huge war of aggression. We would like to express our solidarity with the people of Ukraine and all global victims of war and violence.

Spatial science and spatial planning played an active role in the legitimation and strategic development of wars during colonial times and the two world wars. The ARL has reflected on this part of its history with regard to the Nazi era. Based on the reflection of this past, we are convinced that spatial science and planning practice must be especially committed to resolving territorial conflicts by way of transparent communication and negotiation processes as well as cooperation. Peace, democracy and dialogue are firmly anchored in the values guiding how the ARL thinks and acts. 

We expressly welcome the sanctions imposed on Russia by the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany, as they are intended to preserve peace and democracy. The ARL is a network that includes experts from science and practice across all disciplines and countries of origin, including from Ukraine and Russia. We do not equate the government of the Russian Federation with the people of Russia, including the academics and professionals who think critically and democratically, and with whom we will remain in dialogue in the future.

We expressly support the positions of the following like-minded institutions:

AESOP – Association of European Schools of Planning
http://www.aesop-planning.eu/news/en_GB/2022/03/07/readabout/for-peace-and-justice

Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany
https://www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de/en/about-us/whats-new/news/forschungsnachrichten-single/newsdetails/solidaritaet-mit-der-ukraine

German Association of Town, Regional and State Planning (SRL)
https://srl.de/dateien/SRL-press_release-Ukraine.pdf

Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Development in Transition Economies
https://www.iamo.de/en/press/news/article/solidarity-for-a-respectful-peaceful-and-self-determined-coexistence-in-europe/

Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space (IRS)
https://leibniz-irs.de/en/aktuelles/2022/02/statement-on-the-war-of-aggression-against-ukraine

Leibniz-Institut für Länderkunde (IfL)
https://leibniz-ifl.de/en/institute-1/news/ifl-in-brief/details/statement-on-the-russian-attack-on-ukraine

German-Ukrainian Academic Society provides information on support for students & researchers from Ukraine
https://ukrainet.eu/2022/02/25/support-for-academics/