LIMITED AND FULL PRESIDIUM TO CONVENE

The UWC presidium will convene in limited session on Saturday, July 19, 2003 at 10:30AM at the UWC headquarters in Toronto. The final pre congress full Presidium session will take place at the Congress venue in Kyiv, on Monday, August 18, 2003 at 3 PM.

VIII UWC CONGRESS NEWS

In connection with the upcoming VIII Ukrainian World Congress, August 18-21, 2003 in Kyiv, the following exhibits will be displayed within the halls of the Ukrainian House during the course of the Congress: the World Scholarship Council, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America marking 125 years of Ukrainian settlers in the United States with an exhibit of Ukrainian American painters artisans,  the Shevchenko Scientific Society, the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, the World Educational Coordinating Council’s exhibit of children’s art dealing with the Great Famine. The following round table discussions will proceed on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 from 1-3PM: Session 1 Ukrainian communities in the Eastern Diaspora – membership in the Ukrainian World Congress, current status and future perspectives; Session 2 The new emigration from Ukraine; from 3:30 to 5:30 PM: Session 3 Status, role and future of the Ukrainian language in the Diaspora; Session 4 Participation and role of youth in the Ukrainian Diaspora. We have been informed by the Kyiv office of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America(UCCA) that the office has negotiated a discount on rooms in the Hotel Kyiv starting at 54 $US. Those interested should contact the UCCA Kyiv office at e-mail address: ucca@i.kiev.ua.

CANADIAN SENATE PASSES FAMINE WAS GENOCIDE BILL

The Senate of Canada unanimously adopted the motion of the Honorable Senator Raynell Andreychuk calling upon the government of Canada to recognize the Ukrainian Famine/Genocide of 1932-33 and to condemn any attempt to deny or distort this historical truth as being anything less than genocide; to designate the fourth Saturday in November of every year throughout Canada as a day of remembrance of the more than seven million Ukrainians who fell victim to the Ukrainian Famine/Genocide of 1932-33; and to call on all Canadians, particularly historians, educators and parliamentarians, to include the true facts of the Ukrainian Famine/Genocide of 1932-33 in the records of Canada and in future educational material. The UWC congratulates Senator Andreychuk, the Canadian Ukrainian Congress and urges our member central representations to initiate the passing of similar resolutions in their countries’ parliaments.

UKRAINE TO SEEK FAMINE WAS GENOCIDE DECLARATION IN UN

Ukraine is preparing a resolution in which it intends to ask the UN to declare the famine, which occurred in Ukraine in 1932-33 as an act of genocide. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry press service recently announced that Ukraine is holding bilateral consultations with other countries in order to draft the relevant resolution, which is to be submitted for consideration at the fifth-eighth session of the UN General Assembly in September. As reported earlier, the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada declared the 1932-33 famine as an act of genocide in mid May. Recently the Canadian Senate passed a similar resolution. In 1988 the U.S. Congressional Commission on the Famine found the Ukrainian Famine 1932-33 to fall within relevant definitions of genocide. A resolution based on those findings has been introduced in the U.S. Congress this year. We have been informed by our constituents in Estonia that a resolution is planned as well. We urge our constituent organizations everywhere to expedite passage of similar resolutions in their countries, furnish us with a copy so that they may be submitted in support of the proposed UN Resolution. 

ROUND IV OF UKRAINE’S MATURE STATEHOOD QUEST CONFERENCE SCHEDULED

We have been informed by the UCCA Washington office that Ukraine’s Quest for Mature Nation Statehood: Round table IV: Ukraine’s transition to a developed market economy will take place in Washington DC on October 7-8, 2003. Specifics on venue and program will be provided no later than the September bulletin. Please mark the dates.