Ukrainian World Congress reduces massive debt (12/01/96)

Ukrainian World Congress reduces massive debt

by Andrij Kudla Wynnyckyj
Toronto Press Bureau

TORONTO - An intriguing method of deficit-reduction came to light at the November 22-23 meetings of the Presidium of the Ukrainian World Congress's Secretariat at its headquarters here: ignore or act very slowly on requests for budget appropriations.

Thanks to the persistent queries of Evhen Czolij, chair of the Conference of Ukrainian Youth Organizations (CUYO), even the UWC's president, Dr. Dmytro Cipywnyk, learned that the diasporan umbrella body's financial officers had reduced the massive debts incurred by the previous administration, in part, by earmarking a certain amount for committees "pro forma," then either not processing applications or disbursing only fractions of "available" funds, and finally using the monies "freed" in this fashion to pay off arrears.

To his credit, the UWC's Chief Financial Officer William Sametz has engineered a minor miracle in bringing the organization fully into the black for the first time in about a decade. According to the "Proposed Budget for 1997" statement filed by Mr. Sametz, the "plus deficit" field under miscellaneous now reads "Not Applicable."

As the fact and reason for the withholding of funds was finally ascertained, the furor Mr. Czolij threatened to ignite subsided into compliments for the CFO. The UWC's precarious financial position had crippled many of its activities over the years, leading, for example, to the shutdown of one of its most effective lobbying bodies, the Human Rights Commission.

In the end, Mr. Czolij came out a double winner. After a typical harangue on the need for the UWC to learn how relevant it is to average Ukrainians in the diaspora, he secured a pledge of "up to $10,000" for CUYO to defray some costs of conducting a study whose results would be presented at the world body's seventh congress in 1998.

The Montreal-based lawyer was seconded in his urgent call for such a study by Ukrainian Congress Committee of America President Askold Lozynskyj, who said the revival of Ukrainian émigré community life had to be placed above assistance to Ukraine as a priority.

Oleh Romaniw, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, said the UCC had conducted a national survey similar to the diaspora-wide one called for by Mr. Czolij, and said it could serve as a model and initial information base. Ironically, Mr. Czolij (currently a UCC vice-president) expressed surprise that such a survey had been conducted.

Two anniversaries

The UWC will be marking two anniversaries in 1997. One is the 50th anniversary of the notorious "Akcja Wisla," the Polish government's operation involving the forcible internal deportation of Ukrainians from ethnographic territories in the Lemko and other regions to points in western Poland.

Using the Ukrainian Insurgent Army's (UPA) assassination of Gen. Karol Swierczewski in late March as a pretext, on April 17, 1947, the Polish State Committee on Public Security issued an order that Akcja Wisla (named after Vistula River) be implemented.

In the months following, 20,000 troops of the regular army, supplemented by internal security forces, militiamen and armed civilians, loaded all Ukrainians, who were deemed collectively responsible for the actions of the UPA, onto freight trains and deported them.

Yevhen Ladna of the "Zakerzonnia" organization (a reference to the "Curzon Line" that has come to mark Poland's eastern border) gave a presentation concerning the events of a half-century ago and of Ukrainian community preparations to commemorate those who suffered in them.

The other anniversary that will be marked by the UWC in 1997 is its own 30th anniversary, as it was constituted as the World Congress of Free Ukrainians on November 16-19, 1967, in New York. UWC General Secretary Yaroslaw Sokolyk and Dr. Cipywnyk concurred in urging that a conference sponsored by the UWC be held at which scholars would discuss how best to combat assimilation. Mr. Sokolyk said specifics of such commemorations would be presented at the Presidium's next meetings in February 1997.

In his president's report, Dr. Cipywnyk expressed disappointment at the treatment received by delegations to Kyiv from the West (i.e., the UWC) and from the Eastern diaspora during this past summer's celebrations of Ukraine's fifth year of independence, and in meetings with representatives of the Ukrainian World Coordinating Council (UWCC). However, he expressed satisfaction about meetings held with Minister of Nationalities and Migration Volodymyr Yevtukh and Kyiv Mayor Oleksander Omelchenko.

The presence of UWCC Vice-President Mykhailo Slaboshpytsky at the November 23 sessions served as a lightning rod for the dissatisfaction shared by many in the UWC.

Mr. Lozynskyj criticized the UWCC's anemic response to problems of discrimination against Ukrainians beyond its borders. Others joined him in a chorus of denunciation of the UWCC's inadequate preparations for the Second World Conference, now scheduled for August 1997 instead of May, and constant deviations from its by-laws. Many expressed exasperation with UWCC President Ivan Drach's "administrative incompetence."

The UWC effectively issued an ultimatum to the UWCC that it would not participate in the world gathering unless an agenda was set by late January at a meeting in Kyiv attended by Dr. Cipywnyk and Mr. Lozynskyj.

Dr. Cipywnyk said that if the level of disorganization persists, the UWC should seriously consider withdrawing from the Kyiv-based body UWCC.