NEWSLETTER

UKRAINIAN WORLD CONGRESS

№ 3 (52) – March, 2003

UWC PRESIDIUM MEETS IN PLENARY SESSION

The UWC Presidium met on February 8, 2003. In addition to hearing the reports of officers, councils and committees the following decisions were made: to urge its member national central representations to forge better relations between Ukraine and their governments; to urge a diplomatic solution to the Iraq crisis; to oppose any attempts at formalizing the Russian language in Ukraine; to coordinate a worldwide effort aimed at government recognition of the 1932-33 Famine as genocide; to form a special United Nations’ Committee consisting of A. Lozynskyj, V. Pedenko, O. Danylak, J. Darewych, N. Luciw, Marta Kokolsky, Borys Potapenko and Andrіj Semotiuk and to convene on April, 5, 2003 in Toronto at 3PM.

The following anniversaries were marked for observance in 2003:

• the Year of the Family,
  
• 70^th anniversary of the Famine 1932-33,
  
• 90^th anniversary of the death of Lesya Ukrainka and the formation of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen;
  
• 60^th anniversary of the formation of the Ukrainian Division Halychyna;
  
• 40^th anniversary of the death of the poet Vasyl Symonenko;
•  the 10^th anniversary of the death of His Holiness Mstyslav Skrypnyk, Patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The next limited Presidium session was scheduled for April 5, 2003 at 9:30AM.

UKRAINIAN FAMINE 32-33 WAS GENOCIDE

In our statement regarding the 70^th anniversary observances we paid some attention to the need for recognition of the Famine as genocide. Since then as we have noted in an earlier Bulletin, the Canadian Senate is considering a resolution to that effect. We urge all of our national central representations to have similar resolutions introduced in their respective parliaments. A sample resolution is included herein for your convenience. Additionally, we have conferred with Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations who suggested that Ukraine would introduce a “the  Famine was Genocide” resolution at the next UN General Assembly in September 2003. It would be most helpful if the Ukrainian delegation could point to several foreign governmental resolutions as evidence of support.

UWC URGES UKRAINE-WEST RECONCILIATION

In a statement issued to its member national central representative organizations the UWC urged efforts aimed at forging better relations between Ukraine and the West. Full text of the statement is enclosed.

UWC URGES DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION TO IRAQ CRISIS

The UWC recently issued a statement to the press concerning the imminent war on Iraq issue. In our statement we wrote that war should be the last option; that war will result in tremendous human losses, political instability and economic woes. In addition we pointed out that Iraq does not present a clear and present danger, possessing no nuclear arms and whose weapons of mass destruction can be contained through inspections and diplomatic channels.

IN DEFENSE OF THE UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE

In two separate letters addressed to Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chair of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, and the VR members, the UWC took a position in defense of the Ukrainian language. The first missive was in response to Council of Europe demands for legislation on regional bi-linqualism in certain regions of Ukraine. We suggested that this proposal be tabled until such time as the Ukrainian language is firmly entrenched within Ukrainian society. Secondly, we unequivocally opposed a recent effort by communist deputies to have Russian declared a second state language. 

90^TH ANNIVERSARY OF UKRAINIAN SICH RIFLEMEN

This year marks the 90^th anniversary of the formation of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen. In this regard we have issued an appeal to our member organizations to mark this significant date with solemn and festive events, symposia, conferences and appropriate school curricula.

UKRAINIAN WORLD COORDINATING COUNCIL UWCC) HOLDS MEETING

The UWCC held its annual meeting February 18-19, 2003 in Kyiv. The meeting was attended by community representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Canada, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, Russian Federation, Transdniester, and the United States of America. The meeting passed resolutions urging recognition of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists/ Ukrainian Insurgent Army as legitimate forces of the Ukrainian struggle for independence during World War 2 and to participate in the Ukrainian Famine 1932-33 Memorial-Museum complex initiated both by the diaspora and by Ukraine. A committee was designated to review the By-laws and the organizational functioning of the UWCC. The resolutions of the III Forum were highlighted as the basis for future activity and the need for consultation and cooperation between the UWCC and the UWC was stressed.

UWC GENERAL SECRETARY VISITS UKRAINIANS IN BERLIN

Victor Pedenko, UWC General Secretary visited the Ukrainian community in Berlin, February 26 to March 2, 2003. Mr. Pedenko met with Ukraine’s ambassador in Germany as well as community leaders and addressed a community gathering. Some 25,000 Ukrainians currently reside in Berlin and environs with about 80,000 throughout Germany. These numbers represent the legal residents with illegal immigrants/labourers numbering an additional 120,000 in Germany. Several Ukrainian organizations are in existence as well as a Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. During the community meeting several proposals were made to organize a Berlin branch of the Central Representation of Ukrainians in Germany.