Ukraine is a country close to both our hearts. We both lived and worked there in the past, forming some of our closest personal and professional relationships in that time. We also have friends in Russia, which is why the recent events have been so painful for us to watch.
When we founded Lokalise, our goal was to bring people together, no matter what language they spoke. Invading a country and starting a war does the opposite, sowing division and creating hatred between closely related peoples. War is never the answer, so many should not suffer for the ambitions of so few.
Our fully remote team includes employees that work from 41 countries right now. Those in Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus are already partially evacuated. Our #1 priority is making sure everyone is safe and has everything they need to get through this, no matter how long it takes.
What we’re doing
Tomorrow in a post, we’ll share how we’re helping our team. More importantly, today is about sharing what all of us can do to ensure a safer world.
- Besides our private donations since last week, Lokalise is donating $500,000 as a company to various causes listed on helpukrainewin.org
- We have decided to suspend our service to our customers from Russia until the invasion ends. We’re sure that they both understand and are already doing everything they can to push their government to withdraw. Localization can wait.
- We are offering our Lokalise Messages and Translation Platform to affected communities for free until it all ends. This way, fast and effective communication across all languages can support the people of Ukraine and others in the region. For details, contact us via the chat widget at the bottom of the page or reach out to hello@lokalise.com
- We are working with several translation partners that have agreed to provide translations to Ukrainian free of charge.
What we’d encourage others to do
This is not a time for silence. Every human, every company can and should have an impact in the current crisis, no matter how small they perceive it to be. Take action now:
- Donate to the numerous vetted causes providing support to Ukraine listed on helpukrainewin.org .
- Put pressure on the Russian government by suspending services to customers from Russia.
- Look around, take inspiration from initiatives started by other people and companies.
- Be creative and invent your own ways to help.
We truly hope that your actions and ours can help those caught up in this terrible tragedy and that peace can once again be restored in Europe.
