Board Game Arena

Hello friends,

I saw the other discussion regarding banning Russian players and would like to urge a different tact.

Play with Russian players as much as you can and tell them what is happening in their name. Tell them how their leader just destroyed any chance of a future for them in their country. The average Russian citizen is not our enemy. Help get the word out.

And understand where I am coming from. I was born in Odessa, Ukraine. My family is from there. I have family there now. I am terrified for them.

Rather than making enemies out of average Russian citizens, tell them what is happening. They are being lied to and many have no idea what is going on.

Again, I urge everyone to reach for their reserves of compassion and empathy and try to help before we make enemies of our fellow board gamers.

Slava Ukraini

I like this approach much more!

I like too

I know that a lot of news sources and websites are being blocked in Russia right now. And while I don't want to break any BGA forum rules, I am thinking that we have an unconventional way of reaching our Russian friends right here. Can we copy/paste news articles and updates in here?

Russian players- what are you hearing/seeing? What are your thoughts? We need to be communicating more right now, not less.

An excellent approach - thank you. Although whether enough Russian people read BGA forums to have any appreciable difference - I hugely doubt. But an admirable attempt.

Also, to the OP: my heart goes out to you and your family, with them being stuck there. I cannot even imagine what I would feel in a similar situation.

robinzig wrote: ↑03 March 2022, 20:49 An excellent approach - thank you. Although whether enough Russian people read BGA forums to have any appreciable difference - I hugely doubt. But an admirable attempt.

I am just talking about the Russian folks within this BGA community that we all play board games with together. Even if this reaches only one person and helps them understand what is going on, then it's still well worth it.

robinzig wrote: ↑03 March 2022, 20:51 Also, to the OP: my heart goes out to you and your family, with them being stuck there. I cannot even imagine what I would feel in a similar situation.

I appreciate that very much.

I played a game with a player who has Ukraine flag and after some players said in the chat (at the end) "God bless Ukraine" (literally), he said "don't believe fake news", after which (paraphrasing), he said that he also lives in Odessa and that his opinion is that his country's government is at fault, not the Russian (????).

I wrote this to show that people have different opinions about a thing, no matter what, unfortunately.
So perhaps there are also people in Ukraine who... could be lied to or who simply see things differently (which I find bothersome, at this particular moment).

Heynongman wrote: ↑03 March 2022, 19:04 Rather than making enemies out of average Russian citizens, tell them what is happening. They are being lied to and many have no idea what is going on.
Again, I urge everyone to reach for their reserves of compassion and empathy and try to help before we make enemies of our fellow board gamers.

The players who proposed to block players with Russian flag... I don't think they see the average Russian citizen as an enemy.
I think it was just a way to show support, yes: world SANCTIONS affect ALL RUSSIA; no one will separate the average Russian citizens who disagree on the war, from the ones who support Putin, before starting Sanctions on Russia! The players who proposed that, might consider that measure, as a WORLD-SANCTION (even if this is just a GAMING SITE).

I have not seen 1 Russian player who removed her/his flag, in order to show support (in Tennis and other Sports, Russia is either banned or accepts to have a neutral flag, with no major disagreement).
Nor have I seen a player from Russia, share a PUBLIC condemning message, about the war and what their country is doing. This is what I would do, to be frank, if my country... did this.
I am not sure that Russians are so lied to, and that they have no idea about what is going on, because there are many protests in their country, as well.
So information passes easily.

My country now is hugely helping Ukrainian folks who come in and I am sorry if I am being toxic, but I think that instead of going for Sailor Moon-ish, unrealistic strategies, one might perhaps try to actively help... or at least, I don't know... donate, in order to help. I find these things more helpful, in a time like this (https://www.facebook.com/donate/3371018 ... 831094218/).

Peace to all and hope it won't escalate further, because this is slightly possible, from what I hear near the border.

I came here looking for the familiar Ukranian flag and they are gone (for me). I want to support anyone struggling. I miss my silent fellow players...