The Heroes of the 21st Century

Abstract

Like many of you, I closely follow the horrifying situation unfolding in Ukraine. Russia has launched a full-scale attack against Ukraine with an unimaginable magnitude. The news and pictures from Kyiv, Kharkiv, and elsewhere, with indiscriminate attacks of airstrikes and missiles hitting hospitals and universities, rockets dropping in residential buildings, are almost unbearable to watch. The stories of untold death of civilians, including children, and colossal destruction by creating millions of refugees are hard to absorb. And the prospect of much worse to come tragically real lies in front of us. This war occurs in a period where authoritarian regimes are surging globally within a highly interconnected world, with the consequences extending well beyond Ukraine. Many hazards lie ahead based on the nature of the conflict, but all the odds are on the Ukraine’s side. The valiant Ukrainian population is willing to fight to the end, and the West has found the unity and resolve to aid it. At this moment, the important thing is to move with scale and urgency in support of such an insurgency. Since February 24, 2022, Ukrainians have written a new chapter in global history by defending the truth and their freedom. Every individual who would like to stand on this golden side of history has a remarkable job. As an engine of genuine democratic progress, physicians, including oral and maxillofacial surgeons, their healthcare institutions, academic organizations, and journals, have a clear role. In the frontline facilities by directly providing advanced oral and maxillofacial surgical care and humanitarian assistance, and on the backstage, by mobilizing the communities worldwide as trusted voices of truth.