Three seconds to say goodbye

Three seconds may not sound like much. It’s the average attention span we give to a social media post, but in Ukraine, three seconds is also the time it takes from stepping on a landmine until it detonates. Three seconds between life and death. Three seconds to say goodbye. 

Today in New York, I joined friends from Ukraine’s Superhumans Center and Virgin Unite to launch a powerful new campaign, Three Second Goodbye. 

AnnAnn Puttithanasorn c/o Studio.One | Three Second Goodbye

Ukraine is now the most landmine-contaminated country in the world, with thirty per cent of its land (an area the size of New York State) littered with hidden explosives. Every day, men, women and children risk their lives simply by walking across a field or down a street. The Three Second Goodbye  space we just opened in Manhattan, is a  reminder of this reality. Inside the gallery are powerful testimonies from Ukrainians who have lost limbs and loved ones - bringing home the human cost of this brutal war.

Among those at the launch was my friend, Eddy Scott, a British humanitarian volunteer who lost his arm and leg in a drone attack. I met Eddy back in July when, alongside the Bridgeway Foundation, we launched a wider initiative – Ukraine: Defending Freedom. The movement shines a spotlight on the extraordinary resilience of Ukrainians rebuilding their lives after unimaginable loss. Eddy’s courage and insistence that we keep talking about Ukraine, no matter how tired the world may feel, deeply moved me then and moved everyone in the room today.

I cannot emphasise enough that Ukraine’s fight is not just for its own future, but for freedom and democracy everywhere. Freedom is never free, and Ukraine is paying a heavy price on all our behalf.

More than 80,000 people in Ukraine are estimated to need prosthetics because of this war. Thanks to recent advances and places like the Superhumans Center, it’s possible for them to live with dignity and independence, but they need global support to make that happen.

To everyone who can, please visit the installation while it is in New York ( 262 Mott Street, New York, NY 10012 | Tues 23rd September 10am - 6pm / Weds 24th September 11am - 6pm). Alternatively, you can take part online by e-mailing your video to 3seconds@defending-freedom.org

AnnAnn Puttithanasorn c/o Studio.One | Three Second Goodbye

We must remind the world that this war is not over, and that behind every statistic lies a human life forever changed. Let’s honour those who have sacrificed everything for freedom and recommit ourselves to standing with Ukraine until peace is secured.