To the attention of the President of the University of Toronto,

On February 24th 2022, our brothers and sisters of humanity in the Republic of Ukraine have been attacked by the army of the Russian Federation. This is in total disrespect of the territorial sovereignty of the Ukrainian nation and international law.

The last military invasion of such scale of a sovereign state by its neighbor on the European continent dates back to the invasion of Poland on September 1st 1939 by Nazi Germany.

An institution of the stature of the University of Toronto should be promoting an ever-advancing global civilization based on the universal values of peace, freedom, respect of human dignity and the unity of the humankind.

Instead, the deafening silence from the President of the University of Toronto is received as indifference and an insult to our fellow members and alumni currently in Ukraine, or with family there, and, in extenso, the 1.3 million Canadian citizens of Ukrainian descent.

In these tempestuous days for world peace, it is important to keep in mind the wise words of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, “we must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

Hence, in the name of universal brotherhood, the President of University of Toronto should take side for peace. This can be done by communicating the importance of peace to the entire University of Toronto community and by supporting, through scholarships and grants, all students’ initiatives that aim at promoting international amity and peace. Such initiatives include international roundtables, cultural and academic exchanges, etc. These examples are drawn from the President of University of Toronto’s response to the flight PS752 tragedy on January 8th 2020.

Additionally, the University of Toronto can express its support with the Ukrainian nation by mandating a minute of silence. The University College building can also be illumined to the colors of Ukrainian flag, following the examples of the CN Tower in Toronto, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

Furthermore, the University of Toronto can respond to this lugubrious event by creating an open-source database documenting all the violations committed in this war as well as other conflicts. This initiative, inspired by the Coronavirus Resource Center at the John Hopkins University, is crucial in the combat against misinformation and will serve as a principal source of evidence for research and international justice. This can be done with the support of the third largest library system in North America at the University of Toronto in collaboration with the Munk School of Global Affairs and other organizations.

The time calls for unequivocal actions, now.

Let’s not wait for others to act. Let it be us and let it be today.