#002: Everyone Needs A Little Help Sometimes.

We are living in strange times.

IPCC's dire warnings on climate change. The third year of the pandemic. Ongoing and escalating armed conflict.

Now, the possibility of a global food supply shortage. According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), food prices rose to their highest in February 2022.

It shows that well-being, social and environmental issues are no longer contained in a geographical area or within a specific population.

When one is affected, everyone is affected.

Currently, I'm based in Malaysia, far away from the devastations of the Ukrainian-Russian war.

Yet, I cannot help but become involved.

You see, I have a friend who escaped Ukraine a day before Russia's attack. Another friend is seeking asylum in Paris, with family trapped in Ukraine and Russia. In Portugal, friends and loved ones fear price hikes on fuel and food shortages.

When your people you know are affected by the war, even if they are not at the epi-centre, how can anyone not become emotionally or mentally involved?

Despite the doom and gloom, never before in our human history have we seen such wide-scale solidarity. People have become more empowered and are willing to take individual action to help a complete stranger.

The most significant benefit to a profoundly interconnected world is that helping others in a different geographic area is much easier now than in the past century. Technology has advanced tremendously to connect people and transfer resource almost instantly. If you decide to help, you might want to consider these steps.

First, find a cause that speaks to you, a cause that tugs at your heartstrings. Then, learn as much as you can about the cause. Next, identify your skills or resources that you can offer support. For most people, offering a donation is the easiest. Yet, if you can not offer financial aid, you can consider offering your time, skills, social media following, or whatever you can think of.

Finally, reach out to an organisation or a friend in need. Start talking about what they need most, what you can offer and how you can help. It does not have to be a big gesture. The smallest gesture can have a big impact.

If you're interested in supporting the Ukrainian relief efforts with a donation, check out this list of organisations here. Otherwise, find a cause that you believe in and extend your support.

Every little help counts. 💖

Take care and stay safe, my friends,
Ling Ling

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Culturally Cool Stuff

If you've got a site or link about culture, society, psychology, or anything culturally cool, please hit reply!

• Aggression vs Altruism, video (10 min), Crash Course
• How to change the world, podcast (49 min), Shankar Vedantam, Hidden Brain
• Ukrainian and Russian: How Similiar Are The Two Language?, article (4 min), Neil Bermel, The Conversation

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