This reading group takes its name from the Ukrainian word for peace, and is intended to both raise money for Ukrainian refugees seeking peace and to understand the ideologies and forces behind the Russian invasion. We meet every three weeks to look at texts which may include fiction, reportage, essays, history, philosophy and even film. Attendance is £3 with all funds going directly to the Refugee and Migrant Centre, and its Ukrainian refugee fund. Copies of the set texts will be circulated via email prior to each meeting. Sometimes the texts will cover the Russian/anti-West side, but the issuing of scans mean that the authors of those texts will receive no financial benefit from the reading group.

First Meeting: Peter Handke, Journey to the Rivers

Russian journalist Masha Gessen argues that to understand the Ukrainian conflict means going back to the 1990s war in Yugoslavia, and the NATO bombings. Putin, not then in power, was horrified by what he saw as Western aggression in a former USSR controlled region, and thus began a lifelong hatred of NATO and desire to end its influence in the region, which extends to his fears of Ukraine's inclusion within the organisation. Nobel Prize winning novelist Peter Handke's Journey to the Rivers was a controversial account of his travels in Serbia, described by him as an attempt to understand the maligned region, but by others as a defence of nationalism and a war which led to war crimes and ethnic cleansing. This latter view was somewhat supported by his appearance at the funeral of Milošević. Taking his characteristic word play into a travelogue and meditation on the biases of Western media, Handke's text offers a skewered version of the beliefs that led up to the conflict, but one which perhaps gives insight into the feelings of those who support Russia's antipathy towards NATO and the West. 

About me: Paul Clinton is a writer on art, politics and culture. I have no specialism in Ukrainian-Russian history but will be doing a lot of research in the process of organising the group, and hope to learn along with the other readers. 

The Refugee and Migrant Centre (RMC) provides an open door drop-in service to all new arrivals. Its service includes advice on immigration, housing, welfare, benefits, employment and health. The service is free and delivered across Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Walsall offices. RMC have also been at the forefront of response for recent events such as Afghan relocation, Syrian resettlement and bringing the Windrush Scandal to the nations attention.Now, with the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, RMC is offering advice and guidance to Ukrainians and their families on safe passage and available routes to those fleeing. It is also supporting an international collaboration of immigration advisors to provide advice overseas.