On the 86th anniversary of the Holodomor
On Saturday, November 23, 2019, Ukrainians around the world will light a candle of remembrance in their homes with a prayer for the victims of the Holodomor – a genocide perpetrated against the Ukrainian people in an attempt to destroy the Ukrainian national identity.
The candle unites us in a vow to remember, and to share the story of the Holodomor while working tirelessly toward the recognition by every world state of the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people. In 1932-33, at the height of the deliberately orchestrated famine that took millions of innocent lives, only a few were brave enough to speak the truth. Fewer still were willing to listen. In 2019, fear of the truth must no longer be tolerated.
Despite the decades-long efforts by communist authorities to eradicate the Ukrainian people, and modern day attempts by other forces to disinform, and erase from human memory the crimes of the Holodomor, the Ukrainian people have demonstrated their resolve time and time again to overcome the challenges to the nation’s dignity and inalienable rights.
The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) and the 20-million strong Ukrainian diaspora urge the international community to join Ukrainians around the world in remembrance of Holodomor victims and acknowledgement of the truth. The crime of the Holodomor and the motive of the perpetrator, Stalin’s totalitarian regime, are well documented. Therefore, every individual in the free world who enjoys fundamental human rights and freedoms has an obligation to heed the lessons of the Holodomor and protect democratic principles and values.
On Saturday, November 23, 2019, International Holodomor Memorial Day, let us pray for every individual that senselessly perished during this genocide. May the candle that flickers in our window remind the world of the past while brightening the beacon of hope for all peoples who remain oppressed in the present.
- Remember the victims of the Holodomor with a moment of silence and prayer at 19:32 local time.
- Light a candle of remembrance in your home.
- Participate in commemorative events and memorial services in your local community.
May our memory of the victims of the Holodomor remain eternal.
