By Chris DL1MGB, President Bavarian Contest Club
It is hard to find correct words for the current situation we are witnessing in Ukraine these days. We often remain in a mood of anger, sorrow, and anxiety. Many of us live far away from the events. We are worried about the affected people and grieve with them about their losses. Beyond our donations to relieve a small part of the distress, our options to help are limited. Economical embargos, boycotts, and political statements which are focused to hit governments and people in charge, are certainly necessary but do not always meet our expectations.
Lately, the CQ Communications, Inc. decided to limit contest participation from Russia, Belarus and the Donbas region in their sponsored CQ World Wide DX and WPX Contests. Logs from these regions will only count as check-logs and contacts with them will count zero points for all of us.
The Bavarian Contest Club considers this decision as inappropriate and not helpful for anybody within the Contest Community.
Among other noble principles, Amateur Radio is of non-political nature. Amateur Radio is a hobby, a spare time activity. Amateur Radio was always proud of connecting different countries, cultures and people with different opinions and views. Amateur Radio was never intended as application of political pressure.
The Bavarian Contest Club feels that is not an appropriate understanding of competition, to offer plaques as prize when excluding a great number of contesters at the same time. To exclude a group of contesters only because they are led by a regime which currently is disputed and accused heavily is not our understanding of Ham Spirit.
Therefore, the Bavarian Contest Club will temporarily stop the plaque sponsoring for the upcoming CQ World Wide WPX SSB and CW Contests. This includes four plaques for the Rookie and Youth category overlays. The Bavarian Contest Club is also sponsor of four other plaques in CQWW DX Contest and CQWW RTTY DX Contest. This sponsorship will be evaluated at a later time.
Consider comments closed.
WTF? Brainwashed Russian Dyma preaches to the free world behind the Russian firewall about brainwashing and Nazi propaganda of the Ukrainian government. Bravo. It would be a good joke if it weren’t for the blood of Ukrainian civilians attacked by a Russian assassin.
I’ve been fighting the nonsensical sanctions of hams against other hams since the beginning. I still hope the vast majority of Russian radio amateurs don’t support this terrorist war against Ukraine, they just can’t speak out about it in their increasingly unfree country. But at least they can keep quiet and not blast this Putin shit to the world. .
To M3OZP
Thank you for the golden words Chris!
Time will tell who is right or wrong in this war. But amateur radio should not suffer from this. If the sanctions have already reached even big sports, then do not touch our small and non-commercial and non-profit hobby, please leave it alone.
Very smart decision of BCC unlike RSGB CQ CEPT UCC QRZ.com and etc etc ! If you can’t protect people from Nazi propaganda and washbraining and manipulating Ukranian Goverment – please at least protect our great Ham Radio Hobby from dirty politics. My respect !
If that sort of action had been taken against US Amateurs when their Government illegally invaded Iraq, there would have been World wide condemnation. So next time the US illegally invades another Country, we should consider banning US Amateurs from taking part in Contests etc. It’s ridiculous, banning Russian Amateurs for something that is NOT their fault.
Next, either the RSGB or ARRL Bureau will refuse to deal with Russian QSL Cards. What these people don’t seem to realise, by treating Russian and possibly Ukrainian Amateurs like this, it not only affects them it affects ALL Amateurs Worldwide.
Yes, this is the ham spirit, suppot decision.
Marlo – ka2irq NO Women and children are slaughtered in China, that’s nonsense
Right decision!
And Marlo – ka2irq,who told you that bullshit!
Thanks BCC for this statement and decision!
Women and children are slaughtered every single day in countries of Africa. China. Iran. Pakistan… the list goes on. If a legit operation from North Korea came on the air right now you’d be all over it, regardless of how many families were slaughtered in a prison camp in the name of the Dear Leader.
If you bring politics and human rights into our “hobby” we would have no one left to communicate with.
Ham radio was one of the last bastions of peace to bring the world together. Sadly, along with sports, that has now ended.
Welp sad for German Club to take a stance.. I love what Ukraine Contest Club took after their post.. Way to go Germany.. Yall look pretty bad based upon what the Ukrainian Contest Club is doing ..even though they are at war with Russia
Thank-you BCC – a very sensible decision
Paul – vk4ma
Our “hobby” is tainted by your noble principles while woman and children are slaughtered. Your pathetic little hobby is apparently more important than humanity.