As we look towards the second half of  2023, it is important to take a critical look at the state of mental health in Ukraine. Of the 41 million Ukrainian citizens, approximately 7 million are refugees, 2 million are actively involved in the war effort, and 12 million belong to families who have been disrupted somehow by the current crisis. This means that the majority of Ukrainians are dealing with some sort of mental health issue.

   One significant challenge facing Ukraine’s mental health care system is a lack of resources. This includes inadequate access to trained mental health professionals and a dearth of psychiatric facilities. According to some research, Ukraine has one of the lowest ratios of psychiatrists to the population in the world. Inadequate funding has been identified as a significant contributor to this lack of resources, which has led to limited investment in mental health services infrastructure.

Another issue impacting mental health in Ukraine is a general lack of public awareness and acceptance of mental health issues. Many individuals in Ukraine are hesitant to discuss mental health concerns with family, friends, or even doctors.

Enter Generative AI. The current crop of AI platforms, starting with ChatGPT, are already being used to transform the way mental health services are delivered.    Save Ukraine Network is working with partners to create systems which employ text, email, Telegram, and Whatsapp to reach the most vulnerable. In some cases communication will be with certified  counselors; in other cases trained volunteers and AIs will be utilized.  Though the systems will begin in Ukraine, eventually they will roll out worldwide.

The Save Ukraine network is holding a video challenge which will provide a positive counterpoint to the suffering many Ukrainians are experiencing due to loss of electrical power this winter.  Russian missile and drone attacks have damaged or destroyed between  30-40%  of Ukraine's power generation infrastructure.

   This has led to millions suffering extreme cold, in a country where January temperatures can reach 20 degrees below zero.  All indications are that the Russians plan to continue this bombardment throughout winter, with the result that by March 100% of the country's energy infrastructure may be damaged.  Approximately 15 million Ukrainians will be subjected to unprecedented freezing temperatures.

  Our hope is to  add some optimism and laughter to people's lives during this unprecedented catastrophe.  We are inviting members of the CalArts community and Ukrainian universities to submit 15 second or one minute TikTok-style videos devoted to the themes of dealing with cold, hacks to circumvent the cold, inventions designed to create warmth, etc.  Of course this can not prevent Russian missile attacks, but it can serve as a mood enhancement campaign, in a country which desperately needs

reasons to hope.   We will offer 40 cash  prizes, up to $1000, for videos which combine the latest popular TikTok music and memes to create dances or skits around the topics of shivering, bundling up, etc.  Thousands of Ukrainian citizens will see the videos, and will know that the rest of the world cares about their plight.

  Members of the greater CalArts community are central to the project, more than any other university in the world except Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv.

How to proceed: Make a 15 second, one minute, or three minute video and submit it to your TikTok channel, or to Youtube Shorts, Facebook, or Instagram Reels.

(All rights belong to you because you are submitting on your channel, not ours).  If videos show signs of going viral, we will boost them through our channels.

  Send detailed instructions on how to access your videos to  videosubmission@saveukraine.network. (Keep in mind that our judges are in many cases older professionals who don't typically use TikTok, and whose first language is not English,  so offer clear directions).

    Also, send links to videos to this email, so entrants can be properly added to the rolls of Орден Героїв Небесної Сотні, the Hundred Heroes of Ukraine.

If you have questions or suggestions reply to this email, or write to svetlana@saveukraine.network.

Svetlana Shevchenko, Pavel Melnyk, John Toomey, Amy Chang,

 Soani Gunawan, Ivan Petrov

Save Ukraine Network

SAVE UKRAINE NETWORK USING AI-OPTIMIZED AGGREGATE PREDICTIONS TO GUIDE CIVILIANS IN AVOIDING AND RECOVERING FROM DRONE AND MISSILE STRIKES

Dec 23, 2022 

KYIV, UKRAINE, December 23, 2022 — The Save Ukraine Network, in cooperation with experts from Taras Shevchenko National University and Lviv Polytechnic National University, is assisting citizen scientists in building an online prediction engine that can help Ukrainian and Moldovan citizens avoid and recover from current Russian missile and drone attacks. “We are using available forecasting software and the power of swarm intelligence to allow civilians to make better informed choices about where to go when attacks are likely,” says SUN co-founder John Toomey.

For months, group members have been listening to Russian soldiers talking to each other on unencrypted radios through various websites, like https://9gag.com/gag/ang7R15. When they can pinpoint where particular Russian troops are located, they can monitor their movements using the map provided by the Centre for Information Resilience, at eyesonrussia.org.

Recently conversations have been monitored which involve Iranian advisors discussing best practices for using Iranian drones, including the Shahed 131 and Shahed 136, as well as Iranian-supplied missiles like the Geran-2, Fateh-110 and Zolfaghar ballistic missiles. “It’s apparent from these communications that cooperation between Russia and Iran is increasing, as both are pariah nations who have valuable aid to offer each other” says Save Ukraine’s Svetlana Shevchenko. “According to sources who have been reliable in the past, more than one Iranian consultant has claimed that Iran’s regular army, as well as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, are monitoring results of the attacks closely, seeing them as a ‘dry run’ or dress rehearsal for attacks on Iran’s putative foes, especially Israel and Saudi Arabia.”

Save Ukraine Network members are using Metaculus, an online forecasting platform and aggregation engine which works to improve human reasoning and coordination on topics of global importance. In bringing together an international community and keeping score for thousands of forecasters, Metaculus is able to deliver machine learning-optimized aggregate predictions that both help partners make decisions and benefit the broader public. The more Ukrainians and others participate, the more accurate the predictions will be.

“Both the Ukrainian and Russian militaries make extensive use of machine learning to predict the movements and performance of opposing forces,” says Save Ukraine’s Soani Gunawan. “But there is no equivalent capability for civilians, such as those who live near an electrical power plant likely to be attacked by both Russian and Iranian missiles and drones (And based on present evidence, the percentage of such plants the Russians will attack is close to 100%).” This is the challenge the new effort endeavors to address.

In addition to Metaculus, plans are to use unanimous.ai, another platform that optimizes the power of swarm intelligence to derive answers to important questions.

For more information contact info@saveukraine.network. To help Ukranian citizens and refugees go to https://help.rescue.org/donate/ukraine

December 1, 2022

  The Save Ukraine network is initiating a 24 hour online Hackathon to create and refine new technologies to help Ukraine.  According to co-founder John Toomey, the project will bring together businesses, startup incubators, and students from Stanford, Berkeley, Oxford, and  Taras Shevchenko National University and Lviv Polytechnic National University in Ukraine to develop new technologies and refine existing ones.

 "We are interested in supporting every kind of tech which will help Ukraine defend itself and rebuild, including Cybersecurity, sustainable building materials, drones, AI,  personal security, winter clothing, autonomous vehicles, aviation, and transport".

   Traditionally a hackathon is held during a weekend on a college campus.  Students arrive with ideas and inventions, and brainstorm ways to improve them.  "That has worked well in starting a lot of successful tech companies"  says Save Ukraine's Soani Gunawan, "but we see no reason why the whole thing can't be done online, 24 hours a day, so that any entrepreneur or student inventor in the world can participate at any time.  Ukraine desperately needs solutions for all kinds of problems, and we seek to bring genius from around the globe together to build and collaborate."

  Participants don't need to be inventors or startups themselves to participate.  They can also promote existing tech products, vote in surveys to determine which technologies are most worthy, assist in crowdfunding campaigns, help in translating, and offer assistance with importing,  Customs, and regulatory issues.

  "We are open to all ideas" says Toomey.  "What's really necessary is a passion for helping Ukraine recover and rebuild, knowing that what we learn here will undoubtedly be usable for future crises, and for peacetime."

For more information email info@saveukraine.network.

October 29, 2022

   The Save Ukraine Network is building a database of companies in Europe who are willing to hire, on a temporary contract basis, Ukrainian refugees.  There are more than 7 million Ukrainians living  in Europe now, and many have advanced technical skills.  We are especially interested in companies involved in AI, Robotics, Neural Networks, Space tech, Green energy,  Sustainable Construction, Desalination technology, Avionics, and autonomous vehicle technology.  If you own or work for such a firm please contact John Toomey or Svetlana Shevchenko at info@saveukraine.network.

  Here is some background information from the UNHCR to explain why we are doing this.

Staying put for now 

Seven months after the start of the conflict, Ukrainian refugees remain grateful for the warm reception that they have received across Europe, and most plan to stay put for now, said Matthew Saltmarsh, a UNHCR Spokesperson in Geneva. 

The majority, 81 per cent, intend to return home to reunite with their families, but only 13 per cent plan to do so in the next three months. 

“Large parts of Ukraine remain devastated, with towns and livelihoods destroyed in many areas. The onset of winter and spiralling energy prices – or the lack of power - make return home at the moment difficult for many of the displaced,” he said. 

Keen to contribute 

Many refugees surveyed mentioned positive factors in their host countries, such as their links to family or friends, security and stability, the availability of medical services, access to education, and the overall economic situation. 

Most are highly educated, willing to work and want to contribute.  Some 70 per cent possess higher education qualifications, and two-thirds were previously working in Ukraine.  

“Refugees are eager to reenter the labour market, which would lessen their reliance on welfare, but currently, less than one-third are employed or self-employed,” said Mr. Saltmarsh. 

They want to play a more active role in their new communities, he added, but need support such as language classes, formal recognition of skills, and, importantly, assistance with childcare services so they can work outside the home. 

Struggling to survive 

Three-quarters of those surveyed said they intended to send their children to local schools, while 18 per cent preferred remote learning using the Ukrainian curriculum. 

Without work, many are struggling to make ends meet and find adequate housing. Nearly half, 41 per cent, are staying with host families, and 20 per cent are living in collective sites or hotels.  A quarter are renting.  

“Many are deeply concerned about finding alternative sustainable solutions ahead of winter,” said Mr. Saltmarsh. 

Meanwhile, psychological support and specialized help for children with disabilities and older people, are among their remaining pressing needs.  

The majority of the refugees, 87 per cent, are women and children, and almost a third have a family member with at least one disability. 

Support at home and beyond 

With more than 7.4 million Ukrainian refugees across Europe, UNHCR is urging continued support from host countries to ensure they have access to adequate assistance, as well as socio-economic inclusion. 

The agency also continues operations in Ukraine, where nearly seven million people have been uprooted. 

As winter approaches, staff are conducting repairs and insulation on homes for vulnerable families. 

More than 815,000 have received food and non-food items, including winter clothes, while more than 31,000 have received emergency shelter materials.  

UNHCR aims to distribute emergency shelter kits for over 100,000 people by the end of the year. 

See https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/09/1127661 for information and to learn how to help.

October 5, 2022

  The Save Ukraine Network, in collaboration with our partners, will be holding a live Conference in Kyiv on November 5, 6, and 7 to discuss economic survival of Ukrainian enterprises during this difficult winter. The event will be held at a location in suburban Kyiv, and may be attended live or on Zoom. The venue will be named later, as the area is still subject to Russian missile attacks. There will be live speakers, Masterminds, and ample opportunities for networking. Our goal is to help Ukrainian businesses make it through the difficult times ahead, as 15% of our country is still under occupation, and missile and rocket attacks from thd occupiers still occur daily.

For details write to info@saveukraine.network

September 20 (update to May 21 postP

The Save Ukraine Network claims that according to intercepted Russian Armed Forces communications, which are often sent out unencrypted, there is a commonly cited figure for the percentage of civilians who must perish in a given oblast (roughly equivalent to a county) in Ukraine, before Russian political control can be affirmed. It's 5%.  The claim was first made by adjutants to Lt. General Yakov Rezantsev, Russia's 49th Combined Arms Army Commander,  and later was repeated by Lt. General Andrei Mordvichev, Commander of the 8th General Army of the Southern Military District. Ukrainian forces claim that Lt. General Mordvichev has been killed in battle, though Russia denies this.

  Says Svetlana Shevchenko, of the Save Ukraine Network, "It may be a rumor. But it's a common rumor according to our correspondants in the field. We kept hearing this number repeated throughout Russia's invading forces,including from brigade commanders, and even Colonels and Senior Lieutenants. We use sites likehttps://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/t39toj/you_can_listen_to_russian_troops_talking_to/ to listen to their exchanges.

Sometimes they communicate through Armed Forces radio, sometimes through cell phones, but to a surprisingly large degree their communications are not encrypted.  They would say "Remember 5%". Eventually, through dozens of intercepted calls, we found what they mean. In Mariupol, a city of over 400,000, the invaders had to kill 20,000 before military control of the city was assured. This figure is not disputed by either Russian or Ukrainian authorities."

  Save Ukraine believes that  a common claim among the Russian armed forces is that 5% of a city or oblast's civilians must die, before military control by Russia can be consistently maintained. This is largely to be achieved by firing long range Iskander and Kaliber missiles (another fact the Russian forces don't even try to hide) at civilian targets. These are the weapons that have largely decimated Mariupol.

  "It turns out that "5 percent" sounds almost the same in Russian and Ukrainian" says Save Ukraine's Oleg Kravchuk, "so even Ukrainian civilians and military personnel who do not speak Russian are familiar with this concept. And in the few cases where Russian soldiers have been able to speak freely with Ukrainians, they do not deny that this is policy, which came from the top. We don't know exactly how far up 'the top' is, but we have more than enough evidence that a large enough number of Russians believe this, so as to constitute possible evidence for War Crimes."

  Towns in the Donbas region allegedly mentioned as being subject to this policy include Kramatorsk, Rubizhne, Sieverodonetsk, Kreminna, Popasna, and Sloviansk.

  "Knowing that this may be Russian policy is important not just for Ukraine" says Shevchenko, "but for Moldova too, as this is the country Putin has mentioned as next on his target list."

April 8  Memorializing Sloviansk before the destruction:  One of the bizarre things about the Russian invasion of Ukraine is that the Russian Military  makes no effort to hide its impending plans.  Western Intelligence agencies knew the exact date and scope of the invasion before it started.  They knew in short order that Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson would be assaulted, and that Mariupol would be bombed into oblivion, before these things happened.

  So we at  Save Ukraine thought "Why not start creating memorials to buildings in a Ukrainian city, BEFORE the Russians obliterate it?"   Russian ground commanders have announced that, as part of the pivot to the Donbass region, they will bombard the city of Sloviansk, located at a crucial crossroads.  Indeed, they have already begun, though the brunt of the assault is expected next week.  So we are documenting what is still existent in Sloviansk, (below) hoping against hope that these cultural artifacts will remain un-bombarded, but also realizing sadly that this may not be preventable. If and when these structures are destroyed, we will post those photos also.   In any case, if the Russians do level Sloviansk as they have threatened,  they will not be able to claim that photos of death and damage were staged and faked, as they have done concerning the Bucha massacre.

Bucha,  2022  Pencil Drawing based on Photographs  Cameron Burke, Professor of Art Emerita, University of Missouri 

  Untitled  (in memory of Bucha) Lawrence Gipe  From an NBC News screenshot   Courtesy Lawrence Gipe Studio

The juxtaposition of the images is meant to show the similarities of the two tragedies.  It is especially aimed at Russian President Putin and his supporters, because Putin is a native of St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) and often speaks of his family  members who suffered horribly during the Siege.  We, the Ukrainian people, are carrying this image physically throughout the country, and through Russia,  and sharing it on social media, as a way of asking the question:  "Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin,  what is the difference between these photos?   Are the victims different?   Why must we repeat the mistakes of the past in the present? What is the purpose of this invasion?"

 In Medieval times itinerant priests carried the old-style Diptychs from town to town in Ukraine (Russia too) to explain their religious message.  Our campaign is not specifically religious in nature, but is meant to  pose these questions to the occupiers.

  March 25 is the Feast of the Annunciation in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and there will be processions of people carrying this modern Diptych, sometimes also with photos of family members and friends who have been killed, through the streets of Mariupol.  There will also be a lengthy march  from Kharkiv to Kyiv featuring up to 30,000 participants.   Another group of 15,000 will walk from Kherson to Odesa. 

Similar processions featuring thousands of Ukrainians will occur (depending upon what the Russian military does) on the Jewish Passover  beginning April 15, on Ukrainian Orthodox Easter on April 24, and on St. Theodosius Day, May 3.

Demonstrations are also planned in Tokyo, Sao Paulo, Amsterdam, London, Mexico City, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Capetown, Nairobi, Mumbai, Jakarta, Miami, San Francisco, Calgary, Kathmandu, Delhi, Bangkok, Lima, Amman, Rome, and Cairo. The world is behind this movement.  The World wants to know: Vladimir Vladimirovich, what is the point of this killing of thousands of people?

In addition thousands of Ukrainians will post the Diptych to social media, especially Vkontakte, OdnoKlassniki, and Moi Mir, the three largest Russian social media networks.  Others will share the photos on Tiktok, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, though these are unlikely to reach many Russians due to government interference.

Our message may not sway Putin, who seems determined to exterminate the Ukrainian nation as efficiently as possible, but we hope to reach the millions of Russians, both military and civilians, whose assistance is necessary for him to carry out his brutality.  Our question for them is: Why?  WHY?

If you want to add your own images, perhaps of deceased loved ones, to our processions, send them to info@saveukraine.network. Provide names and other relevant information if you want us to commemorate your loved one.  If you  wish to support the project go to https://www.givesendgo.com/G2ZHA