Still tangible support leaves much to the imagination. Additionally, UWC efforts over the current term have resulted in UWC’s inclusion within the world community. Recently the UWC has acceded to membership in the United Nations as a non-governmental organization. Still more vistas and greater responsibilities.

    The UWC's initiative to erect a memorial/monument to the Great Famine in Kyiv received much reaction. Almost immediately thereafter, President Kuchma issued a decree that the Ukrainian state would erect a memorial, including a monument and entrusted this task to the Ministry of Culture. UWC representatives met with Kyiv's City Council in October 2002 and received oral assurances that three locations would be designated in the centre of Kyiv for the diaspora project. Additionally UWC representatives met with the Ministry of Culture in February 2003 to inquire whether the diaspora could join the memorial project by erecting a monument at its expense. No response has been received from the Ministry of Culture. Finally in March 2003 the UWC received an incomprehensible letter from Mayor Omelchenko (in Ukrainian) which we enclose. At this juncture the UWC is uncertain of the status of this project nor of the UWC's role in it.

    Reports on the UWC President A.S. Lozynskyj’s and UWC WCUSS O. Danylak 's visits to Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Italy are enclosed. The report on the UWC Secretary General Victor Pedenko’s visit to Germany (in Ukrainian) is also attached.                                                    

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BOSNIA and HERCEGOVINA

From March 16-18, 2003 Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Askold S. Lozynskyj and World Council of Ukrainian Social Service Chair Olga Danylak visited the Ukrainian community in Bosnia and Hercegovina (hereinafter Bosnia). The community is based largely in the Serbian Republic (one of two republics that comprise Bosnia) and numbers approximately 3,500. Although Ukrainian populations reside in several villages, the community’s bases are two modest cities, Prnjavor and Banja Luka, the latter serving as the capital of the Serbian Republic. Bosnia has local elected authority from the village to the republic levels, but the federation is ruled by mandate of the United Nations’ Office of the High Representative located in Sarajevo.

The Ukrainian community in Bosnia has been there for more than one hundred years, from 1890. As in most communities, the center of its activity has been the Greek Catholic Church. Jurisdiction over this church is in Zagreb referred to as the Kryzhevatsky eparchy. However the issue of Ukrainian versus Rusyn is moot in Bosnia since there are few who consider themselves Rusyns. Ethnic self awareness is very much developed, although the Ukrainian language has deteriorated. Most communicate in Serbian, although they recite and sing in Ukrainian, and dance Ukrainian dances. Besides the churches there are three main organizations, Ukrainian Association Svit Kultury based in Prnjavor with representatives in many other locations, Kulturno-Prosvitna Spilka Ukrainciv im. Tarasa Shevchenko in Banja Luka with six affiliates and Kulturno-Prosvitne Tovarystvo im. Tarasa Shevchenka in Prnjavor. Svit Kultury publishes a periodical entitled Visnyk and the Spilka in Banja Luka publishes a hazeta named Solovijna Mova. The community in Prnjavor has its own cultural center with a museum and library. Ukrainians in Banja Luka currently use government allocated premises but are in process of constructing their own center.  The UWC delegation was invited to Bosnia and escorted throughout by the Reverend Peter Ovad pastor from Prnjavor, chair of Svit Kultury and, essentially, a legend among Ukrainians not only in Bosnia, but in the entire former Yugoslavia.

Bosnia suffered greatly over the last decade, particularly as a result of the war, which resulted not only in death but destruction as well. Although much attention is paid to Sarajevo where major reconstruction is underway, the city of Prnjavor located not far from the border with Croatia suffered much as well. Issues of relevance today are primarily assistance for reconstruction and rebuilding one’s lives. The Serbian Republic while compelled to follow the United Nations’ mandate is understandably Serb oriented. As a result little is afforded to other ethnic communities. During its visit the UWC delegation met with the Deputy UN High Representative in Sarajevo, the President and both Vice-presidents of the Serbian Republic in Banja Luka and the Mayor of Prnjavor and the International Relations Advisor to the Mayor of Banja Luka. At all meetings the UWC delegation urged equal and fair treatment of the Ukrainian minority as well as assistance for reconstruction. There appears to be an element of subtle discrimination as the authorities within the Serbian Republic tend to assist Serbian populations first, with some examples bordering on the ridiculous, i.e. local streets with Serbian residents are paved while others are in disrepair. Few if any Ukrainians are included in administrative local government. The greatest need of the community in Prnjavor is the erection of an iconostas in the recently rebuilt church at a cost of 22,000 euros and in Banja Luka the construction of a church and cultural center at a cost of 500,000 euros. Albeit reluctantly, particularly in view of the UN’s supervision, the Serbian republic is now more likely to act evenhandedly.

The UWC’s initial contact with Ukrainians in Bosnia was in 1969 when the UWC World Council of Ukrainian Social Services provided assistance to earthquake victims in Banja Luka. Since then communication has been sporadic. To date no Ukrainian organization in Bosnia belongs to the UWC.

                                                             CROATIA

From March 19-21, 2003 a Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) delegation which included  UWC President Askold S. Lozynskyj and World Council of Ukrainian Social Services Chair Olga Danylak visited Ukrainian communities in Croatia. Ukrainians in Croatia number approximately 2,000 with another 2,500 calling themselves Ruthenians. The major organizational structure for these Ukrainians and Ruthenians is the Union of Ruthenians and Ukrainians of the Republic of Croatia (Soyuz Rusyniw i Ukrainciw) based in Vukovar, with affiliates across Croatia including: Zagreb, Slaviansky Brod, Lypovliany, Petrivci, Kaniza, Shumeche etc. The UWC delegation was invited to Croatia by the Soyuz’s Zagreb affiliate chaired by Slavko Burda. The national Soyuz is chaired by Irinej Mudri. Most affiliates in addition to the name of the national organization bear a particular appellation as well, publish local periodicals, involve themselves mostly in cultural activity, singing, dancing, etc.

Similarly to Serbia and Bosnia, the community in Croatia is organized around the Greek Catholic Church with its seat in Zagreb. The Most Reverend Bishop Slavomir Miklovs is the eparch of the Kryzhevetsky eparchy in Zagreb. While the bishop himself is a Rusyn, many of the priests serving the community are ethnically Ukrainian. The distinction is cultural rather than political. The UWC delegation met with the bishop and discussed pastoral issues and financial support for Ukrainian parishes. Unfortunately, the eparchy itself is quite impoverished. The delegation also visited two monasteries belonging to the Ukrainian Basilian sisters in Vukovar and Zagreb. 

The Rusyn bastion in Vukokhvar, a cultural center with an administrative staff and editorial board publishing a periodical entitled Nove Dumke is amply funded by the Croatian government which has enacted national minority legislation which the Council of Europe has described as a model. The Croatian Parliament (Sabor) has established a Committee on human rights and nationalities with the Sub-commitee on nationalities chaired on behalf of Ukrainians, Ruthenians, Austrians, Germans, and Jews by a Ukrainian Borislav Graljuk. Money is allocated for Ukrainian language studies and such classes are in existence in Petrivci, Lypovliany and other villages on a grade school level and in Zagreb on the college level.

One of the more amazing events witnessed by the UWC delegation took place in Zagreb where the Ukrainian bard Taras Shevchenko was honored by first year mostly non-Ukrainian philosophy students. The performances were quite amazing, all in Ukrainian and on a very high artistic level. The director of the class is a Ukrainian lady originating from Kharkiv.

The UWC delegation met with Ukraine’s Ambassador Victor A. Kyryk serving both Croatia and Bosnia. Issues involving, in particular, moral and financial support for the community, trafficking of Ukrainian women in Bosnia and others were addressed. The Ukrainian embassy appeared sensitive and in tune with most matters considered important by the community itself.

Naturally, the Ukrainian-Ruthenian dichotomy is at issue with a Ukrainian Soyuz separatist movement in existence. Soyuz is not a member of the UWC as this issue is being debated currently among Soyuz Ruthenians.