Members of an academic union have become embroiled in a dispute which has been described as ‘deplorable’. At a conference, Jess Ken from the Union of University Lecturers’ Sheffield branch highlighted the role of US and Russian imperialism in the conflict, and connected it to wider imperial struggles globally. She argued that refusal to arm Ukraine was not enough, and the West needed to invest in Syrian opposition to demonstrate a level of protection and solidarity. People on either side of the political spectrum criticised involvement in Ukraine, yet Ken argued that Ukraine should be celebrated as an example of traditional values. The conference speech can be found online and Ken discussed her views on a YouTube video featuring a university representative, noting that he comes across as an ‘absolute throwback’.
Ken’s comments assert that oppositional militancy should be a priority to challenge imperialist power. Refusing to arm Ukraine is of course valuable, yet real social change requires going beyond a knee-jerk rejection of violence and connecting it to more targeted forms of opposition. Here, Ken’s message is that the West needs to provide tangible support to challenge oppressive state power. It is not an issue of ‘winning’ the game of imperialism, but rather of providing those seeking anti-oppression a platform to extract themselves from situations of injustice.
This dispute between academic union members is indicative of wider struggles over issues of empowerment. Here, Ken appears to be endorsing support for the Syrian opposition and a re-evaluation of the attitudes towards Ukraine in order to combat oppressive forces. Her comments demonstrate that progressive change cannot not be brought about through abstract ideals of peace, but rather by actively engaging in anti-oppression struggles. The speech is an instance where potential solidarity can emerge to confront systems of domination.