<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /></head><body style='font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif'>
<p>Dear Markus,</p>
<p>Dear list,</p>
<p>It takes a lot of courage to have carried this voice which unfortunately seems to be lacking among our compatriots in Western countries.<br />I also read Alexander's Despair. How can we be indifferent to what happens? How can we not see the threat hanging over us all?</p>
<p>Giving money doesn't give the right to pay our silence or inaction.</p>
<p>As our coward governments do not want to fight to protect a neighbour who just wants to have the same values and right as us, who wants to choose its own destiny, it is our duty to fight with all our strength and with all the means at our disposal.</p>
<p>We have to remember that freedom is not priceless, our fathers and grand fathers have fight for it. And unfortunalty, it is maybe the time for us to do the same.</p>
<div id="v1_rc_sig">So I agree with you Markus.<br /><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div>Remi</div>
<p><br /></p>
<p id="v1reply-intro">Le 2022-02-25 20:50, landconsult@freenet.de a écrit :</p>
<blockquote type="cite" style="padding: 0 0.4em; border-left: #1010ff 2px solid; margin: 0">
<div id="v1replybody1">
<div>
<p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dear Andreas, dear list,</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Andreas, you wrote "</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><em>If we start excluding countries and organizations on such assumptions</em>" I wished you could understand that Putin´s aggression is not stopping in Ukraina (starting in Afghanistan, Chechnya, Georgia, Syria, Ukraina, ...whats next). The only non-atomic power that can stop this is the Russian people. <br /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">And yes, I know, Russia is not a democracy, and maybe some Russians are "suffering from Putin´s politics" (if it were the "majority" like you say, I had no need to write this letter and Putin never dared to invade the Ukraine).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I can also imagine, that many of the Russian QGIS users really appreciate the freedom they feel when they co-operate with the QGIS community. But I am sure the invasion of their army into Ukraine is not a reason for them to start thinking about the legality to kill civilians in independant neighbouring countries.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">It´s not a reason unless we (the free, democratic and peaceful QGIS community) give them such a reason, which is the boycott of Russian members as long as their troops are in the Ukraine.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">And, Andreas, when you are asking where to draw a "<em>red line</em>", you are not seriously comparing the bombing of Kiev with the "oil exploration" ???? This is cynical.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">We must not be passive and hoping "</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><em>that this situation can soon be deescalated</em>" is not enough. The time is now to make it absolutely clear that military force against democratic countries will have consequences for the agressors.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">And finally to all Russian QGIS users: I like your country and your culture and really appreciate all Russian colleagues I met in the scope of my professional work, this includes all the great QGIS Plugins and Tools that came from you. <br />Please help us to stop this war and make your contribution to secure freedom and peace in Europe and wordlwide!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Best regards,</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Markus </span></p>
<br />
<div class="v1v1moz-cite-prefix">Am 24.02.2022 um 13:29 schrieb Andreas Neumann:</div>
<blockquote type="cite" style="padding: 0 0.4em; border-left: #1010ff 2px solid; margin: 0">
<div dir="ltr">
<div>Dear Markus,</div>
<div> </div>
<div>This is a really difficult topic that you raise here. While I agree that the aggression from the Putin regime should be condemned, I am against excluding Russian QGIS contributors and sustaining members. If we start excluding countries and organizations on such assumptions - where do we draw the line? The majority of today's world population unfortunately has to live in problematic conditions, when it concerns democracy and dictators. Also - where should be draw the line on what is ethical use of QGIS and what not? Is oil exploration utilizing QGIS software allowed, as an example?</div>
<div> </div>
<div>As the current <a href="http://QGIS.ORG" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">QGIS.ORG</a> treasurer I can say that we had a sustaining member from Russia last year - there is no indication that this company is collaborating with the Putin government - though it is of course a bit hard to judge - of course - for outsiders.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The vast majority of the Russian population is probably suffering from Putin's politics - my guess is that the majority of the Russian population would like to live in peace and prosperity and not be involved in such war and aggression. But do they have a real choice? Fair elections? I doubt it ... In that sense I am against excluding Russian QGIS users and contributors based on these events.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>We also have QGIS contributors from Ukraine who are now affected by this aggression - let's be supportive when there could be Ukrainian refugees in the coming months - and let's hope that this situation can soon be deescalated.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Greetings,</div>
<div>Andreas</div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="v1v1gmail_quote">
<div class="v1v1gmail_attr" dir="ltr">On Thu, 24 Feb 2022 at 10:09, <a class="v1v1moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:landconsult@freenet.de" rel="noreferrer">landconsult@freenet.de</a> <<a class="v1v1moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:landconsult@freenet.de" rel="noreferrer">landconsult@freenet.de</a>> wrote:</div>
<blockquote class="v1v1gmail_quote" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid #cccccc; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div>
<p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dear List,</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">like all free people in the world I totally condemn the Russian invasion in Ukraine this morning. This is an attack on the free world and especially on Europe and on all values of freedom which we all represent in a global, peaceful open source community.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Verdana;">- So, what can each individual do to defend this freedom? <br />- What can the QGIS community do?<br />- How can we be sure, that the know-how we develop will not be used for Russian military purposes against the Ukraine?</span></p>
<p id="v1v1gmail-m_-1625811684074762361tw-target-text" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The invasion was confirmed by the Duma, the Russian parliament which is the representative body of the Russian people. Consequently the Russian population bears responsibility for the invasion and we should led them know, that <span>military force against an independent, free and democratic European country goes against all the values we stand for in the open source community.</span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span>The least we can do is starting to think about a boycott of Russian products and Russian co-operations to express our opinion to all Russian companies and partners we know. Finally its up to the ordinary Russian man to change this unbearable situation which is becoming a permanent threat to free Europe. <br /></span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span>With this respect the QGIS developer community should also think about excluding Russian partners and sponsors from all QGIS activities as long as Russian troops are in the Ukraine. <br /></span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span>I think, the values of freedom we stand for, is the highest good we must defend!</span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span>How do you think about it?</span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span>Very concerned greeting.</span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span>Markus Weidenbach<br />landConsult.de<br />Bühl/Germany</span></span></p>
</div>
_______________________________________________<br />Qgis-user mailing list<br /><a class="v1v1moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:Qgis-user@lists.osgeo.org" rel="noreferrer">Qgis-user@lists.osgeo.org</a><br />List info: <a class="v1v1moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user</a><br />Unsubscribe: <a class="v1v1moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user</a></blockquote>
</div>
<br clear="all" /><br />-- <br />
<div class="v1v1gmail_signature" dir="ltr">
<div dir="ltr">
<div><br />--<br />Andreas Neumann</div>
<a href="http://QGIS.ORG" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">QGIS.ORG</a> board member (treasurer)</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="v1pre">_______________________________________________<br />Qgis-user mailing list<br /><a href="mailto:Qgis-user@lists.osgeo.org" rel="noreferrer">Qgis-user@lists.osgeo.org</a><br />List info: <a href="https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user</a><br />Unsubscribe: <a href="https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-user</a></div>
</blockquote>
</body></html>