December 16, 2011
PRESS RELEASE
UWC PRESIDENT EUGENE CZOLIJ PARTICIPATED IN THE VIII CONGRESS OF THE UKRAINIAN-BRAZILIAN CENTRAL REPRESENTATION
On November 25-27, 2011, Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) President Eugene Czolij and his wife Anna travelled to Curitiba, Brazil, to participate in the VIII Congress of the Ukrainian-Brazilian Central Representation (UBCR).
The UWC President met on November 25 with UBCR President Vitorio Sorotiuk to discuss a range of issues, particularly those related to the state of local community life, the VIII UBCR Congress and the recent visit to Brazil by President Viktor Yanukovych.
On November 26-27, Eugene Czolij participated in the VIII UBCR Congress which summarized the organization’s activities and discussed plans for the future. These projects include activating youth, revitalizing the Ukrainian language, re-establishing the women’s organization and commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Taras Shevchenko, including the erection of monuments in his name in cities populated by Ukrainians. Participants also viewed a film documenting the participation of a large UBCR delegation to Ukraine for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of its independence. The UWC President addressed the Congress during the opening ceremony which coincided with International Holodomor Memorial Day. Eugene Czolij focused on the criminal acts of Stalin’s totalitarian regime and called upon Ukrainians in Brazil to continue working toward state recognition by Brazil of the Holodomor of 1932-33 as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people. He also greeted Brazil’s 600,000-strong Ukrainian community on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of settlement of Ukrainians in Brazil and recognized their tremendous contribution to the preservation of Ukrainian spirituality and national identity. The UWC President also attended a requiem in memory of the vicitms of the Holodomor celebrated by Bishop Volodymyr Koubetch.
Eugene Czolij attended Divine Liturgy at the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God. He also met with the parish priest, Father Illya Mareniuk, to discuss the religious life of the Ukrainian community.
Eugene Czolij then visited the Ukrainian-Brazilian Association Home where the Ukrainian museum, the newspaper Khliborob and various cultural ensembles are based.
The UWC President also viewed an emotional film by local director Guto Pasko, Ivan – nazad u mynule (Ivan – a journey into the past), about a visit by Ukrainian immigrant to Brazil Ivan Boyko to his native homeland Ukraine.
