GREAT FAMINE OBSERVED

During the month of November many communities held their preeminent Great Famine observances. Particularly significant were the observances in New York, cosponsored by Ukraine’s Permanent Representation to the United Nations, the UWC and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) as well as many Ukrainian American organizations. The week long observances from November 10-15, included a scholarly conference at Columbia University, an exhibit put together by The Ukrainian Museum in the United Nations (UN) pavilion, showing of the documentary film Harvest of Despair at the UN, a requiem concert at the UN by the New York Ukrainian Chorus “Dumka,” a solemn procession through the streets of New York, and an ecumenical panakhyda service and ceremony in St. Patrick’s Cathedral during which statements of both Ukraine’s and the United States’ presidents were read. Significant as well was the reading into the record of the UN General Assembly proceedings of a Statement on the Famine by almost thirty countries initiated by the Ukrainian Permanent Representation. The UWC circulated a Statement among the UN member-countries and some NGOs, a copy of which is enclosed.

We have received word of November observances in Australia, Canada, France, Hungary, and Lithuania and throughout the United States. Other communities are asked to notify the UWC’s main office so that theses observances may be included in a Summary to be prepared by the UWC. 

SUCCESSFUL PULITZER CAMPAIGN DENIED

On Friday, November 21, 2003 the Pulitzer Prize Board decided not to revoke the Pulitzer Prize given to the notorious Walter Duranty in 1932. The Board stated: “…a Pulitzer Prize for reporting is awarded not for the author’s body of work or for the author’s character but for the specific pieces entered in the competition. Therefore the Board focused its attention on the 13 articles that actually won the prize, articles written and published during 1931…the Board concluded that there was not clear and convincing evidence of deliberate deception, the relevant standard in this case…The famine of 1932-1933 was horrific and has not received the international attention it deserves. By its decision, the Board in no way wishes to diminish the gravity of that loss. The Board extends its sympathy to Ukrainians and others in the United States and throughout the world who still mourn the suffering and deaths brought on by Josef Stalin.”

The UWC would like to commend the many groups involved in this effort, in particular, the UCCA that initiated and spearheaded the campaign as well as the Canadian Ukrainian Civil Liberties Association for its participation. Our position is that the battle is far from over.

COMMENTARY

The 70^th anniversary observances of the Great Famine were respectful and successful. They honored the victims appropriately with solemnity, and raised public awareness about this most forgotten tragedy, which was unparalleled both in terms of numbers and methodology. More significantly, perhaps, the preparations and actual observance exposed several glaring deficiencies. International recognition of the Ukrainian Famine 1932-33 is grossly inadequate. The Statement submitted to the UN General Assembly by Ukraine and almost thirty cosigning governments evidenced this most poignantly. The Statement was diluted dramatically by political considerations of its Russian and other co-signers. It did not refer to the Great Famine as genocide, nor even a crime against humanity, but merely a tragedy and included Russians among its victims.

Further, only five diaspora communities, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Hungary and the United States were successful in enacting famine commemorative resolutions by their respective legislatures. It is difficult to assess at this time, whether this resulted from a lack of political support or from community neglect. Most importantly, the effort in Ukraine, both governmental and non-governmental, was less than diligent. While the President did issue several proclamations, the Verkhovna Rada (VR) passed a resolution to the Ukrainian people, the hearings conducted in the VR were poorly attended, democratic forces, not to mention the left, and even those spearheading famine committees were less than productive, cooperative or united. The idea of a memorial in Kyiv, initiated by the UWC, but assumed proprietarily by Ukraine showed remarkably little progress.  Finally the Pulitzer proceedings, while hugely successful in terms of bringing recognition to the Famine and its victims fell short of its goal. The decision by the Pulitzer Prize Board did indeed diminish the Famine of 1932-33 and offended the memory of the victims. Irrespective of when the prize was awarded, Walter Duranty received it for reporting on the Soviet Union and Stalin’s policies. The Great Famine was the resulting nadir of those policies. If the Pulitzer Prize Board insists genuinely or disingenuously on clear and convincing refutation of the 13 articles from 1931, we need to prove Duranty’s mendacity in those articles and how this relates to the Famine. Essentially in summary, what we suggest is that much more work remains to be done.

SEASON’S GREETINGS

As always at this time, we extend greetings to the Ukrainian people wherever they may reside as well as their religious and political leadership. We look to the newly born Son of God, Our Lord Jesus Christ for special guidance and hope. On the eve of the New Year, we take stock of the prior year and look forward to the future with new dreams. Besides our personal lives and those of our nearest family, we reflect on the well being of our extended relations, the Ukrainian people. As in the past the previous year was replete with significant events resulting in highs and lows. In Ukraine, we note two factors in particular, the economic growth over the last three years, and the renewed hope of still better times because of a new opportunity, the presidential elections scheduled for the fall of 2004. On the other hand, we dare not ignore the continued struggle with corruption and Ukraine’s seeming inability to solve political crimes. In the Diaspora, while we are buoyed by the huge success of the recent VIII Ukrainian World Congress attended by Ukrainians from over thirty countries, we must be concerned with what can only be deemed intentional attempts to diminish us, as evidenced by recent census in Poland and the Russian Federation. Finally, on a day of new beginning, we remember our brothers and sisters from another time, victims of the greatest tragedy in our already tragic history, the Great Famine of 1932-33, and commit ourselves to further effort so that those victims will never be forgotten. With inveterate Ukrainian pietism and optimism, we reach out to the Baby Jesus and proclaim: Christ is born, let’s glorify Him!