Ukrainian World Congress session marked by some revival, some disputes (06/22/97)

Ukrainian World Congress session marked by some revival, some disputes

by Andrij Kudla Wynnyckyj
Toronto Press Bureau

TORONTO - The Ukrainian World Congress officially marked its 30th anniversary on May 30-June 1. Internally, the UWC showed signs of inner institutional revival. External relations with another umbrella body, namely the Kyiv-based Ukrainian World Coordinating Council headed by Ivan Drach, continued to be a source of frustration.

In opening the jubilee sessions of the UWC's plenum of the Secretariat and Presidium, President Dr. Dmytro Cipywnyk read from the 10-point "credo" of diaspora self-preservation and development penned by the late editor and World Congress of Free Ukrainians (the UWC's predecessor) activist Ivan Syrnyk. Dr. Cipywnyk spoke of all diasporans' commitment to the citizenship and democratic values of their adopted countries, and of the unifying "holy of holies" of Ukrainian spiritual and cultural heritage.

At the concluding gala banquet on June 1, the keynote speaker, Canadian Sen. Raynell Andreychuk, celebrated Ukrainian diaspora values in a similar spirit. The Saskatchewan-born jurist said Ukrainians outside Ukraine have a special duty to perform in reminding their compatriots that "however hard it is to gain freedom, the task of maintaining democracy is greater."

Sen. Andreychuk said that love for one's adopted country and a love for Ukraine do not conflict. "My heritage should be woven into the fabric of my country," Sen. Andreychuk said. "If I did not respect my roots, if I didn't find that others respected them, then I would not be loyal with the same ferocity."

Ukraine's Ambassador to Canada Volodymyr Furkalo, also his government's official liaison officer to the UWC, conveyed greetings from President Leonid Kuchma. Mr. Furkalo read a letter from Minister of Foreign Affairs Hennadii Udovenko, who thanked the diaspora for its ongoing concern for Ukraine and assistance in ensuring that cordial relations between the newly independent state and other countries are maintained.

Mr. Furkalo said the UWC's anniversary coincides with a personal milestone - the 30th year since he enrolled in what was then the Ukrainian SSR's Institute of Foreign Relations. He marvelled at the transformation of that institution's estimation of the diaspora - from enemy to friend. "In 1967, there could not be a more dangerous crime than to speak in favor of Ukrainian independence," the envoy said. "Today, accept our expression of deepest gratitude to you who contributed to the realization of this goal."

Institutional revival, but conflict with UWCC

Thanks in part to the UWC's continuing success in eliminating its deficit and shoring up its financial base, a revamped Commission on Human and Civil Rights (CHCR, formerly known as the Human Rights Commission) is scheduled to resume operations in December (see sidebar).

A familiar face has returned to take up the mantle: Christina Isajiw, the HRC's former executive director. Ms. Isajiw also agreed to take up some managerial duties at the UWC's headquarters in Toronto. Joining her as stewards of the revived agency will be UWC Vice-President Oleh Romanyshyn and longtime HRC activist Alexandra Kowalska.

In fact, this good news appeared to be the silver lining on a gathering cloud in relations with the UWCC. The relatively swift decision to revive the CHCR, which gained renown in the 1970s-1980s for its human rights monitoring and lobbying efforts, came in part as a result of general recognition that the UWCC is abysmally poor in defending the interests of Ukrainians living in Russia, Poland, Slovakia and elsewhere.

Just under three months before the UWCC's Second All-World Forum much remained unclear, and dissatisfaction was nearly unanimous. Dr. Cipywnyk opined that "it's [the UWC's] duty to attend as a co-founder of the UWCC," but that UWC representatives should be prepared for non-cooperation and should be strong and uncompromising in making the Western diaspora's views known. The only person with enthusiasm for continuing interaction with the Kyiv-based body was UWC General Secretary Yaroslav Sokolyk.

Critics of the UWCC pointed to its persistent dependency on the Ukrainian government by a supposedly independent non-governmental organization; the meddling of the Ukraina Society (whose president is also Ivan Drach) in the UWCC's affairs, and an apparent inability to abide by a single set of by-laws, as pointed out by Dr. Cipywnyk, Mr. Romanyshyn, Ukrainian Congress Committee of America President Askold Lozynskyj, UWC Chief Financial Officer William Sametz, UWC Treasurer Vasyl Veryha and the Association of Ukrainians of Great Britain President Dr. Lubomyr Mazur.

However, neither the torrent of opprobrium leveled at the UWCC nor the UWCC's disregard for an ultimatum issued by the UWC after a November 1996 meeting of its Presidium (which essentially stated: provide us with an agenda at least three months prior to the All-World Forum or we're not going) seemed to dampen anyone's willingness to go to Kyiv in August.

Mr. Lozynskyj told The Weekly, "Of course it will be a farce, but it's Ukraine, we have to go."

The plenary sessions

The 30th anniversary plenary sessions did not get off to an auspicious start, as barely 20 people showed up on the evening of May 30 at the UWC's headquarters in Toronto's West End.

Canada's Ukrainian Catholic Metropolitan Michael Bzdel, bypassing the anniversary, spoke of the tribulations suffered by the Ukrainian community in Manitoba following the recent flooding in his home province.

Ukrainian Orthodox Bishop Yuriy Kalishchuk brought things back on track by praising the UWC/WCFU's role in bringing far-flung and disparate organizations together into a single Ukrainian family.

Towards the end of his initial address, Dr. Cipywnyk outlined some issues he believed the UWC should take up in ensuing years, including the expansion of direct relations with the Eastern diaspora (in Russia and elsewhere), championing Ukrainian minority rights in former Soviet-bloc countries, calling individuals to account for their participation in crimes perpetrated by the Soviet regime, and cooperation with Jewish agencies that have secured the establishment of funds to compensate victims of all nationalities of the Nazi regime.

Mr. Sokolyk reported on his peripatetic efforts as general secretary, highlighting his visits to the Ukrainian community in South America. The general secretary insisted that he paid his travel expenses personally, and decried as "slander" any suggestions he did so out of the UWC's purse. The Toronto-based activist also conveyed the good news that Ukrainian organizations in France have overcome past divisions and have united to form a single Representative Committee of the Ukrainian Community in France.

Mr. Sokolyk announced that the UWC would soon have an e-mail address and a site on the World Wide Web, but could not offer further details.

Financial solvency or miserliness?

Mr. Sametz, the UWC's chief financial officer, continued his trend of bringing fiscal good news to the table. Under his stewardship the UWC has moved from a six-figure deficit to being just over $250,000 (Canadian) in the black. He added that the last $5,000 owed to the Hrushevsky translation project (part of a total $25,000 willed in trust to the UWC) would soon be paid, thus clearing that debt.

Mr. Sametz said this was made possible by sharp reductions in general spending and UWC headquarters overhead, coupled with a surge of revenues from bequests.

The UWC's financial manager said a contingency fund is being built up to pay an executive director for his/her work in preparation for the upcoming seventh congress, to be held in December 1998. He also said that $20,000 had been set aside for UWC commission work.

Mr. Sametz's presentation occasioned praise, but it was all but drowned out by accusations from Mr. Lozynskyj that the CFO was being miserly and by protests raised by Evhen Czolij, head of the Conference of Ukrainian Youth Organizations (CUYO), who demanded that $10,000 previously appropriated by the UWC Presidium be handed over to him. The CUYO rep said the monies would be used to pay travel, accommodation and "administrative" costs for the participation of four youth organization representatives in the August forum of the UWCC.

In the end, Mr. Czolij was informed that such demands depart from UWC precedent, which bars payment costs associated with traveling to meetings or conferences. He was also reminded that his initial bid for $10,000 was based on the CUYO's willingness to prepare and conduct a survey of youth participation in diasporan organizations.

According to the report Mr. Czolij filed for these sessions, the sum total of that effort was as follows: "The CUYO obtained, from the World Ukrainian Coordinating Educational Council, the results of a questionnaire, circulated in July 1989 in cooperation with parents of a Ukrainian elementary school in Chicago. The CUYO also received, from the World Federation of Ukrainian Women's Organizations, a questionnaire used by the WFUO ... but the CUYO has not received the results of this survey."

Apart from that, the CUYO head stated that an organization long known to be moribund, the Central Union of Ukrainian Students (known by its Ukrainian acronym TseSUS) "is dead." Mr. Czolij reported that this has prompted the CUYO to accept into direct membership national student organizations, such as the Canadian Ukrainian Students Union (SUSK).

UCCA notes new realities

Mr. Lozynskyj, in delivering his report on the state of the diaspora in the U.S. from his umbrella organization's perspective, noted that "the community is contracting in traditional areas and expanding in others." The UCCA president said Ukrainian organizations have to be ready to adapt to their communities' changing demographics. Placing the issue in startling relief, he pointed out that "new arrivals from Ukraine are already larger in number than that of the so-called DP emigration following World War II."

Mr. Lozynskyj said that while traditional Ukrainian enclaves such as urban New Jersey have become inactive, communities of recent Ukrainian immigrants have emerged in Washington state, Portland, Ore., and California centers such as San Francisco, Sacramento and San Diego.

The New York-based activist offered no suggestions as to how current organizations could serve the new arrivals or how the latter could mesh with the existing community infrastructure, but did demonstrate an awareness of conditions on the ground.

The UCCA president then moved on to his lobbying efforts in Washington. Mr. Lozynskyj took off his jacket, pointing out that it was made in Ukraine, but that such imports are limited by U.S. unwillingness to grant Ukraine most favored nation trade status. He spoke of his success in securing the support of Congressman Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) to the cause of rectifying this situation, and his efforts to neutralize the influence of Rep. Sonny Callahan (R-Ala.).

Mr. Lozynskyj also reported on successful meetings held with the Polish American Congress and the Ukrainian diaspora's endorsement of Poland's bid for NATO membership was secured in return for the Polish umbrella body's agreement to condemn Operation Wisla of 1947 (during which hundreds of Ukrainians were killed and deported by the Polish Communist regime). Mr. Lozynskyj related that he conveyed news of Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski's pronouncements on the issue to U.S.-based Poles.

Mr. Lozynsky made no mention of recently intensified negotiations with the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council (UACC) to reunite organizations that went their separate ways after an acrimonious split in 1980. However, John Oleksyn, filling in for UACC President Ulana Diachuk, did so.

Report of Canadian congress

Ukrainian Canadian Congress President Romaniw reported on meetings with Canadian Jewish Congress President Goldie Hershon to initiate formal joint consultations on matters of mutual concern, a meeting with Canadian Unity Minister Stéphane Dion to focus concern about redress for the internment of Ukrainians earlier in the century, and the UCC's adoption of a new strategy on multiculturalism to contend with the current federal government's attempts to gut the policy.

Mr. Romaniw's report also included an outline of the UCC's efforts to counteract a recent campaign portraying Canada as a haven for war criminals.

The UCC president said his organization's relations with Ukraine were furthered by meetings with Foreign Affairs Minister Udovenko during his March visit to Canada, and by the participation of a UCC representative in the fall 1996 delegation to Ukraine led by Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy.

Religious Council

The Religious Council's representative, Bishop Kalishchuk, said that since the ecumenical body was revived in May 1996, the council's members have agreed that "there is good will and we've come to a common line of thought," but other than issue greetings on the fifth anniversary of Ukrainian independence, Christmas and Easter, little has been undertaken and less done.

Members of the council did officiate at a May religious service held in Toronto in memory of Operation Wisla's victims.

A Ukrainian Russian view

Among the more compelling reports delivered was that of Vasyl Kolomatskyi, the representative of the Union of Ukrainians of Russia, who brought greetings from UUR President Oleksander Rudenko-Desniak (see story on page 4).

Mr. Kolomatskyi provided an overview of his umbrella organization's history, its surprisingly positive relations with the Russian Federation's government, and the tasks it faces in securing the Ukrainian minority's rights to education and cultural autonomy in the largest post-Soviet state.

While he welcomed the warm sentiments expressed by the Western diaspora and activists and politicians in Ukraine, Mr. Kolomatskyi was dryly unsparing in his assessment of their inadequacy.

UWC President Cipywnyk said that internal political uncertainties in Russia's Ukrainian community - the Moscow-based Ukrainian Slavutych Society, headed by former astronaut Pavlo Popovych, continues to resist membership in the UUR - make the Western diaspora body cautious about engaging directly with any side to the disputes.

However, Dr. Cipywnyk said that Mr. Kolomatskyi's presentation had been "most informative." The UWC president accepted the UUR's invitation, saying it is "our duty to visit Ukrainians living in Russia, and I expect we will."

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