| СВІТОВИЙ КОНҐРЕС УКРАЇНЦІВ |
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UKRAINIAN WORLD CONGRESS | ||
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| СВІТОВИЙ КОНҐРЕС УКРАЇНЦІВ |
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UKRAINIAN WORLD CONGRESS | ||
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NEWSLETTER UKRAINIAN WORLD CONGRESS № 12 (16) – December, 2004
UKRAINE’S
FLEDGLING DEMOCRACY TAKES HUGE STEP BACK
As reported
extensively, Ukraine’s
presidential runoff held on November 21, 2004 was marred by widespread
and
flagrant violations. UWC president and secretary general together with
numerous
international observers from the Diaspora were in Ukraine for the
elections. In
fact over the course of the election process, the Ukrainian Diaspora
through
the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) with a substantial
Ukrainian
Canadian Congress (UCC) contingency, and the UWC fielded more than four
hundred
international observers. On Monday, November 22, 2004 at a press
conference
held in Kyiv, the Diaspora observers issued a bilingual statement
decrying the
election process and concluding that fraud substantially affected the
result,
since Viktor Yushchenko would have been the winner had the election
been fair.
Subsequently, over the course of a week, the UWC issued an appeal to
the
Ukrainian Diaspora to stage rallies throughout the world at Ukraine’s
diplomatic missions, protests at Russian Federation venues and urging
their
governments to denounce the fraud, rebuke Russia and declare Mr.
Yushchenko the
winner. Sample letters to foreign governments, leaflets, a position
paper and
action item were prepared by the UWC. All material is bilingual and
available
from the UWC office in Toronto. Ukrainian communities from North and
South
America, Europe, the Russian Federation, Australia and even Mozambique
in
Africa are participating in this global effort.
UWC
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETS The UWC Executive Committee convened on Sunday, December 5, 2004 to address several time sensitive issues. The most significant decisions made were: to encourage active participation of Ukrainian citizens, international monitors and media in the second presidential runoff scheduled for December 6, 2004; to adopt as the Diaspora hallmark for 2005: “Together we are many. There is no defeating us!”; to intensify year-end fund raising activity, in particular, among Ukrainian financial and our national central representations to meet budgetary goals; to schedule visits in the spring 2005 to South America, including Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela; to confirm Myron Wasylyk as the UWC’s representative in Ukraine. In connection with the December 26th runoff, the UWC issued an appeal, which reads: “On Friday, December 3, 2004, the Supreme Court of Ukraine voided the results of the runoff election held on November 21 and mandated that a second runoff be held within three weeks. The following day, the Central Elections Commission announced that the runoff would take place on December 26, 2004. In light of this information, irrespective of the ultimate composition of the CEC or the supervision over the second runoff, the Ukrainian World Congress calls upon all Ukrainians in the Diaspora to prepare for the elections as scheduled. According to Ukraine’s Law on the Election of the Presidents, lists of voters utilized during the runoff election will undergo corrections/additions. We urge Ukraine’s citizens abroad who did not participate in either previous rounds, to communicate immediately with the election precinct nearest them, to ascertain whether they appear on the existing list. If not, we urge them to visit that precinct no later than by December 18, show their passport for travel abroad and sign a statement in order to be included in the list of voters. We encourage non citizens of Ukraine, who are not accredited as international observers, but have the capacity to serve as such in the next round either in Ukraine or in the precincts abroad, to communicate with any of the following providing your name, surname, patronymic, address, profession, number of passport, issuing country, citizenship, place of work, expertise on election monitoring as well as anticipated duration of stay in Ukraine: UWC at (416) 323-3020 or congress@look.ca; Ukrainian Congress Committee of America at (212) 228-6841 or ucca@ucca.org; Ukrainian Canadian Congress at (866) 942-4627 or ucc@ucc.ca. The significance of these elections is overwhelming. We appeal once again to Ukrainian citizens abroad who have been included in voter lists and who will do so by December 18, 2004, to come out and vote on December 26, 2004. We urge accredited international observers to sacrifice their time once again, travel to Ukraine, in particular to locations where in the past falsification was particularly flagrant, or, at the very least, participate as observers at voting precincts abroad. Since the election has been scheduled during the holiday season, we urge our central national representations to appeal to their governments, non governmental organizations and the media in their countries to participate notwithstanding the inconvenience. We continue to insist that the elections must be supervised by the international community, with a CEC of new composition, elimination of wandering ballots and allowance for equal media access both to the two candidates and all voters. Finally, it is imperative that the international community ensure Russia’s non-interference in the electoral process.” JOINT UKRAINE-DIASPORA FILM PROJECT TO PREMIERE IN EASTERN U.S. The Company of Heroes, a full length feature film, depicting the struggle of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, produced jointly by Olesfilm in Ukraine and Borec Realty from Australia will premiere in New York on Sunday, December 12, 2004 at 2:30 PM through the efforts of the UWC and the UCCA. Subsequent showings in the United States include: East Hanover, New Jersey on December 17 at 7 PM; Philadelphia and Yonkers on December 18 at 1 PM and 6 PM respectively; and Northport, Florida during the week of December 19th. Theses events will be followed in the ensuing months with showings in other communities throughout the Diaspora as well as numerous international film festivals. SEASON’S
GREETINGS
We
extend our heartfelt Christmas
greetings to our brothers and sisters in Ukraine and in the Diaspora.
As we
take stock on the eve of a new year, 2004 has been remarkable,
hopefully, a
watershed in the democratization of Ukraine. Ukrainians in Ukraine and
in the
Diaspora have been united as perhaps never before.
Our brethren on Independence Square in Kyiv, spearheaded
by the
younger generation, have manifested a resolve and strength, which has
been the
character of our nation over centuries. Whatever ensues, it will be
good for
Ukraine because it will result from the will of the people themselves.
It seems
that the birth of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Savior, comes at a very
opportune
time. The new born baby Jesus will smile upon our people as we welcome
him with
the traditional: Khrystos Rodyvsia! Slavimo Yoho!
UKRAINE’S FLEDGLING DEMOCRACY TAKES HUGE STEP BACK
As reported
extensively, Ukraine’s
presidential runoff held on November 21, 2004 was marred by widespread
and flagrant violations. UWC president and secretary general together
with numerous international observers from the Diaspora were in Ukraine
for the elections. In fact over the course of the election process, the
Ukrainian Diaspora through the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America
(UCCA) with a substantial Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC)
contingency, and the UWC fielded more than four hundred international
observers. On Monday, November 22, 2004 at a press conference held in
Kyiv, the Diaspora observers issued a bilingual statement decrying the
election process and concluding that fraud substantially affected the
result, since Viktor Yushchenko would have been the winner had the
election been fair. Subsequently, over the course of a week, the UWC
issued an appeal to the Ukrainian Diaspora to stage rallies throughout
the world at Ukraine’s diplomatic missions, protests at Russian
Federation venues and urging their governments to denounce the fraud,
rebuke Russia and declare Mr. Yushchenko the winner. Sample letters to
foreign governments, leaflets, a position paper and action item were
prepared by the UWC. All material is bilingual and available from the
UWC office in Toronto. Ukrainian communities from North and South
America, Europe, the Russian Federation, Australia and even Mozambique
in Africa are participating in this global effort.
UWC
EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE MEETS
The UWC Executive
Committee convened on
Sunday, December 5, 2004 to address several time sensitive issues. The
most significant decisions made were: to encourage active participation
of Ukrainian citizens, international monitors and media in the second
presidential runoff scheduled for December 6, 2004; to adopt as the
Diaspora hallmark for 2005: “Together we are many. There is no
defeating us!”; to intensify year-end fund raising activity, in
particular, among Ukrainian financial and our national central
representations to meet budgetary goals; to schedule visits in the
spring 2005 to South America, including Brazil, Argentina,
Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela; to confirm Myron Wasylyk as the UWC’s
representative in Ukraine. In connection with the December 26th runoff,
the UWC issued an appeal, which reads:
“On Friday, December 3, 2004, the Supreme Court of Ukraine voided the results of the runoff election held on November 21 and mandated that a second runoff be held within three weeks. The following day, the Central Elections Commission announced that the runoff would take place on December 26, 2004. In light of this information, irrespective of the ultimate composition of the CEC or the supervision over the second runoff, the Ukrainian World Congress calls upon all Ukrainians in the Diaspora to prepare for the elections as scheduled. According to Ukraine’s Law on the Election of the Presidents, lists of voters utilized during the runoff election will undergo corrections/additions. We urge Ukraine’s citizens abroad who did not participate in either previous rounds, to communicate immediately with the election precinct nearest them, to ascertain whether they appear on the existing list. If not, we urge them to visit that precinct no later than by December 18, show their passport for travel abroad and sign a statement in order to be included in the list of voters. We encourage non-citizens of Ukraine, who are not accredited as international observers, but have the capacity to serve as such in the next round either in Ukraine or in the precincts abroad, to communicate with any of the following providing your name, surname, patronymic, address, profession, number of passport, issuing country, citizenship, place of work, expertise on election monitoring as well as anticipated duration of stay in Ukraine: UWC at (416) 323-3020 or congress@look.ca; Ukrainian Congress Committee of America at (212) 228-6841 or ucca@ucca.org; Ukrainian Canadian Congress at (866) 942-4627 or ucc@ucc.ca. The significance of these elections is overwhelming. We appeal once again to Ukrainian citizens abroad who have been included in voter lists and who will do so by December 18, 2004, to come out and vote on December 26, 2004. We urge accredited international observers to sacrifice their time once again, travel to Ukraine, in particular to locations where in the past falsification was particularly flagrant, or, at the very least, participate as observers at voting precincts abroad. Since the election has been scheduled during the holiday season, we urge our central national representations to appeal to their governments, non governmental organizations and the media in their countries to participate notwithstanding the inconvenience. We continue to insist that the elections must be supervised by the international community, with a CEC of new composition, elimination of wandering ballots and allowance for equal media access both to the two candidates and all voters. Finally, it is imperative that the international community ensure Russia’s non-interference in the electoral process.” JOINT
UKRAINE-DIASPORA FILM PROJECT TO PREMIERE IN EASTERN U.S.
The Company of
Heroes, a
full length feature film, depicting the struggle of the Ukrainian
Insurgent Army, produced jointly by Olesfilm in Ukraine and Borec
Realty from Australia will premiere in New York on Sunday, December 12,
2004 at 2:30 PM through the efforts of the UWC and the UCCA. Subsequent
showings in the United States include: East Hanover, New Jersey on
December 17 at 7 PM; Philadelphia and Yonkers on December 18 at 1 PM
and
6 PM respectively; and Northport, Florida during the week of December
19th. Theses events will be followed in the ensuing months with
showings in other communities throughout the Diaspora as well as
numerous international film festivals.
SEASON’S
GREETINGS
We
extend our heartfelt Christmas greetings to our brothers and sisters in
Ukraine and in the Diaspora. As we take stock on the eve of a new year,
2004 has been remarkable, hopefully, a watershed in the democratization
of Ukraine. Ukrainians in Ukraine and in the Diaspora have been united
as perhaps never before. Our brethren on Independence Square in
Kyiv, spearheaded by the younger generation, have manifested a resolve
and strength, which has been the character of our nation over
centuries. Whatever ensues, it will be good for Ukraine because it will
result from the will of the people themselves. It seems that the birth
of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Savior, comes at a very opportune time.
The new born baby Jesus will smile upon ourpeople as we welcome him
with the traditional: Khrystos Rodyvsia! Slavimo Yoho!
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