The editorial was written for the introduction of The Wine Hour #18 with Joseph Calleja.

Today is a grim day.
As Russian troops and tanks are entering Ukraine, we watch helpless what could become the biggest war on European soil since World War II. The problem with war is that you know how it starts but you never know how it ends.

I am based in Lebanon, a country that has had its share of wars, strife, and economic and social meltdown. Through all these turmoils, it’s always the innocent who suffers the most. When greed and power get together in an insatiable thirst for gain and dominance, the worst becomes possible.

And war is the ugliest expression of that thirst.

What we can do now is pray and send our thoughts to the population of Ukraine.

What we can also do is to relentlessly oppose hatred and oppression with the beautiful side of mankind. Music, art, and culture are just examples of what connects us.

When freedom of expression and thoughts, and the celebration of culture are threatened, we enter dark times. They are essential to our humanity. And if they go away, hope disappears.

In the West, we are used to peace and democracy. And we tend to forget that it is vital to defend these rights.

Each one of us with our own abilities and means, we can do our parts. This is how we create hope, because at the end, hope is all we have.