Youma has been invited by a local university to give lecture on foreign policy, and the need for the United Kingdom to remain active in today’s world

Professor, students, friends one and all, thank you for the honour of granting me the opportunity to speak to all of you today to reflect on the importance of not only making our nation’s thoughts known in the world, but to as well provide active dialogue as a global citizen. The world is not one to wait for the faint of heart, it is those who may champion the cause of the values we hold dear that may see their vision for a better and prosperous world come to light. Through this talk, I hope that I can address why we need to remain active in the global sphere, how we can achieve this, and the path we must follow.

Look back just over two years ago, just prior to the full invasion of Ukraine by Russia. As with all conflicts, this war did not begin suddenly, as with nearly all disputes of this nature, this conflict holds a long history. If we turn the page back only a month prior to the invasion, we witnessed the increase in aggression, the tone of language used, the justifications made by politicians and leaders, these are the changes that one must notice within global policy. Anyone wishing to take an action on the global stage will always wish to seek it to be justified, rightly or wrongly. If the United Kingdom wished to negotiate fishing licences with France, it would seek to back up its argument with various reasons and discussions on what would work best for both parties. Looking at the reasons for Russia’s invasion, we may look at history, as President Putin stated himself, with the history of tensions and rising conflict going back hundreds of years. Following the revolution of dignity and the illegal annexation of Crimea, we saw some global backlash to this illegal activity, however this was short lived. To tyrants, this is justification that they can get away with this. The same language that was used to justify the invasion of Crimea was used again in the full scale invasion, and in the illegitimate and illegal annexations of four further regions of Ukraine last year. Where an action is illegal, justifications will change, just as it did with these annexations.

Why do I bring this up, one may ask. Why should we reflect upon this? It is because this is not new language, and it is not the first time we have seen these strategies used to incite violence, and it will not be the last. Wars, coups and conflicts have been waged on these kinds of words and less, with those lower down the ladder at home and abroad seeking to try to fathom what has occurred. Tyrants will use this language to try to expand their power, to test democratic nations to see how they may respond, and to determine if further actions may be worth any costs associated. There is a saying that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Time and time again, we are failing to learn from history. The world is failing to learn, and as generations pass, we no longer remember. From these justifications, to the reemergence of the far right, to increasing levels of hatred across the world, we must learn from the mistakes of the past, or we are doomed to repeat conflict once more. Putin knows this, which is why he chose to announce the invasion the way he did, to use our failed lessons against us, and to turn any response from the world into a weapon he could use to try and destabilise us. As it stands, we as a world are close to learning a lesson, but we may soon forget it again. Following World War Two, the United Nations forbade wars of annexation, a philosophy enshrined in the Liberal Democracy that we enjoy today. If Ukraine is to fall, if we are to stand silent as authoritarians invade neighbours to seek territory and commit crimes against humanity, then we are doomed for conflict. There are those who say that we should abandon our allies, who argue our isolation will somehow resolve every issue in the world, that one can not care for their nation and its people without giving up on others. To them, and to the politicians across the world who are seeking to destroy the peace and unity that has been so hard-fought for, you are wrong. We can support our allies across the world, through NATO, in partnership with the EU, from Kiev to Canberra, it is through these alliances that our presence may continue to deliver a better world. Through organisations such as the United Nations and the Coalition for Freedom, it is imperative that the world does not forget the mistakes and tragedies of the past, and instead works together to deliver tangible solutions and actions to address the problems we face. President Zelenskyy of Ukraine spoke well during the start of the 2022 Russian Invasion, where he chose to stand up to a tyrant, and chose to stay in Ukraine. In his words, he needed ammunition, not a ride. This one sentence saved Ukraine, restored morale, and brought much of the world on side to the cause of his nation.

Looking forward, and as you leave this hall, I ask you to reflect. Reflect on the past, the present, and the future. Reflect on what has occurred, the language used before, and what we must be wary of. Reflect on what is being said now, those who are suffering, those who are seeking to seek totalitarian control. Reflect on what can be done from now on, learning the lessons, and ensuring our future generations do not make the mistakes that we have done. The past can not be changed, but we can and must learn from it, for all of our sakes. It is united, as a nation, as a world, that we may build a stronger future, and that we may deliver a vision of hope and peace.

Youma concludes with a short question and answer session, before leaving the hall to see a campaign poster stuck to a community notice board outside.

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