Ukrainian World Congress Secretariat discusses preservation of identity in diaspora (07/21/96)

Ukrainian World Congress Secretariat discusses preservation of identity in diaspora

by Andrij Wynnyckyj
Toronto Press Bureau

TORONTO - The latest plenary meeting of the Ukrainian World Congress's Secretariat at its headquarters here that took place on May 31-June 1 had a decidedly philosophical cast.

While the previous two sessions of the international umbrella body dealt with brass-tacks issues of debt reduction and relations with the Ukrainian World Coordinating Council, at this one members addressed the broad questions of "preservation of Ukrainian identity in the diaspora."

By contrast, one salient practical matter was finally resolved. The UWC's Religious Council was re-established, barely a month after the passing of the man who had dedicated so much energy to making this event a reality: Metropolitan Maxim Hermaniuk of the Ukrainian Catholic Church of Canada, who died in Winnipeg on May 3.

Bishop Yuriy Kalishchuk of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada was chosen to head the newly formed five-man secretariat of the council.

The presentations on the matter of preservation of identity demonstrated the broad consensus that exists among the UWC leadership. Everyone recognized the widening gap between the diaspora's institutions and organizations and the younger generation, as well as the paradoxical role played by the recent achievement of independence by Ukraine in distracting the community's attention away from the growing crisis.

Ulana Diachuk, president of the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council, also pointed to the activities of professional and business associations as the best building block for the community's transformation, and highlighted the need to attract immigrants who have recently arrived from Ukraine into community life.

Eugene Ivashkiv, who spoke on behalf of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, offered statistics on the 22 percent drop in Ukrainian speakers in the U.S. and on the effects of difficult economic times that led many to travel away from areas where Ukrainians had concentrated (New York City, New Jersey, Pennsylvania).

However, he fell back on the traditional forms of community life, saying that existing youth organizations and educational institutions did not have to change - they simply had to be more aggressive in recruitment.

An opposite tack was taken by Ukrainian Canadian Congress President Oleh Romaniw, who said institutional change is essential. He said that, while traditional insistence on fluency in Ukrainian had to be relaxed in order to stem the disaffection among those who did not possess it (he touted the UCC's adoption of official and operational Ukrainian-English bilingualism), networks had to be established to better coordinate available educational resources that can teach Ukrainian.

Mr. Romaniw said that "family centers" around Ukrainian schools could provide effective centers of gravity that could attract young children, seniors and newly arrived immigrants.

Evhen Czolij of the Conference of Ukrainian Youth Organizations pointed to the holding of the Ukrainian Youth Association (SUM) world jamboree at this year's Olympic Games in Atlanta as an effective means of both bridging the generation gap that exists in the community and providing a forum for closer contact with youth from Ukraine whose participation organizations can sponsor.

"We live in a critical time," Mr. Czolij said. "Just as Ukraine cannot let slide its God-given opportunity of independence, because it won't get another, so the Ukrainian diaspora cannot live sustained by illusions."

He said pressure should be placed on Ukrainian parents to use Ukrainian in the home with their children, and that Ukrainian Church leaders should exert their influence to insist on the preservation of Ukrainian traditions.

Lesia Chraplyva-Schur presented the position of the World Ukrainian Coordinating Educational Council, prepared by Dr. Iroida Wynnyckyj, outlining how the definition of "Ukrainian" has evolved in the diaspora and its proposal that a permanent think-tank devoted to the question be established.

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