War in Ukraine. Refugees from Ukraine thank Poles. Spot “Without you there would be no us”

“Without you, there would be no us” is the idea of ​​a social campaign in which Ukrainians thank Poles for the extraordinary support provided since the outbreak of the war. “The scale of this assistance has already made history not only in Europe, but also in the world,” emphasizes the Partnership Hub, which helps Ukrainian refugees in Poland.

The heroines of the short film created by Partnership Hub are Ukrainian women currently living in Poland. We can see them in everyday situations: one on the street, another at work in a confectionery shop, another playing with a child on the playground.

“Despite the images and sounds of the war that are still stuck in their minds, it is thanks to our compatriots that they manage to forget, at least for a moment. Ukrainians in Poland always have the war in the back of their minds, and that is why they came to Poland,” emphasizes Partnership Hub.

– Every time I talk to the person we help, I see in their eyes the nightmare they have gone through and still experience. At the same time, I see and hear more and more negative emotions and false information on the Internet and in conversations with friends, says Maia Mazurkiewicz, an expert in the fight against disinformation, the originator and initiator of the campaign, founder of Partnership Hub and Alliance4Europe. According to her, our approach to Ukrainian women and men is changing.

– Through the “Without you there would be no us” campaign, we want to restore Poles’ empathy for Ukrainians and remind them that this drama is still ongoing – he adds. Mazurkiewicz reminds that “after a year and a half of war, a refugee is still a refugee who was forced to flee from his home by an unimaginable tragedy.”

– Poles don’t like the fact that Ukrainians started living “too normally”, as if they had completely forgotten about the war. That’s why we want to remind you that this supposed “normality” is lined with tragic memories and longing. In fact, it is just an attempt to temporarily arrange your life away from your home, your homeland and your loved ones – explains Mazurkiewicz.

“Without You, There Would Be Us” evokes strong emotions: emotion, compassion and pride. The authors of the spot emphasize that they want to strengthen Poles’ feeling that their work and good heart are noticed and appreciated by Ukrainian refugees.

“The campaign gives Ukrainian women a chance to express what they feel and remind Poles of their humanity. All the more so because as a nation we want and are able to help selflessly, as evidenced by all social collections for people in need of support,” emphasizes Partnership Hub.

“You were with us when this hell started. And you are with us every day”; “We miss home every day, but thanks to you a little less, because you gave us a second one. Priceless”; “You allowed us to live normally and sometimes even forget. You are the best and we will never forget it” – these are some statements by Ukrainians, quoted by Partnership Hub, about the reaction of Poles since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The importance of the “Without you there would be no us” campaign is shown by the results of a study carried out in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship by the research agency Human Research & Consulting for Partnership Hub and Alliance4Europe, specializing in research in the field of human rights protection. It included both an assessment of the discourse about Ukrainians, as well as an analysis of attitudes towards them surveyed through interviews and a telephone survey. It shows a decisive change in the attitudes of Poles towards Ukrainians – to a more negative one.

On July 4-18, 2023, a survey was also conducted on a sample of 1,202 Ukrainians (CAPI method). Research shows that 93 percent of Ukrainians staying in Poland feel grateful to Poles for the help they received. When asked whether, in a situation in which Poland and Poles needed help from Ukrainians, they could count on the same support that Ukrainians received from Poles after the start of the war, 92 percent of respondents answered affirmatively.