Ukrainian World Congress presidium meets (12/07/97)

Ukrainian World Congress presidium meets

by Andrij Kudla Wynnyckyj
Toronto Press Bureau

TORONTO - The presidium of the Ukrainian World Congress has decided to up the tempo of its dance with the Kyiv-based Ukrainian World Coordinating Council by sending it a "report card" on the UWCC's activities and accountability, and stating that payment of dues would be suspended until a full budget and statement of accounts has been received, according to a resolution passed at the most recent meetings, held November 21-22 at UWC headquarters here.

Reports submitted by UWC President Dmytro Cipywnyk, Vice-President Vasyl Veryha, General Secretary Volodymyr Sokolyk and Christina Isajiw, executive director of the UWC headquarters, were all critical of the UWCC's inability to communicate effectively, while UWC Chief Financial Officer William Sametz pushed for the application of financial pressure.

Criticism was directed also at resolutions of the World Forum of Ukrainians, which, according to the UWCC's by-laws, are to provide direction and policy initiatives for its executive and member-organizations. The resolutions were characterized by UWC officers as "unusable."

Dr. Cipywnyk indicated that, given the competing interests involved in formulating Ukraine's policy towards the diaspora and the seeming inability of Ukrainians to understand the necessity of governmental non-involvement with non-governmental organizations, there will be no quick fixes. He said that what is needed is "time, endurance, understanding and patience."

UWC Vice-President Oleh Romanyshyn added that a conference of UWCC and Ukrainian government representatives held in North America would be far preferable to future consultations in Kyiv. "In Ukraine," Dr. Romanyshyn said, "a perplexing emotional and patriotic haze always seems to descend on proceedings." No formal proposal to hold such meetings was adopted, but general agreement was reached that the possibility should be explored.

Contacts with Ukrainian government

Dr. Cipywnyk, Mr. Sokolyk and Ms. Isajiw also noted an increased effort on the part of Ukraine's government, particularly through the office of Andrii Popok, chief of administration at the Ministry of Immigration and Diaspora Affairs, to encourage the UWC to participate in its policies.

Last year, the presidential administration in Kyiv had proposed a vaguely worded program, titled "The Ukrainian Diaspora up to the Year 2000," to "examine the needs of the Ukrainian diaspora in the areas of education, science and culture." A new set of directives recently signed by President Leonid Kuchma has allegedly given new impetus to the effort. These developments were greeted with guarded enthusiasm by the UWC presidium, and a letter of agreement with the program's general principles was sent out.

The UWC offices also received a letter from Ukraine's ambassador to Canada, Volodymyr Furkalo, requesting that the diaspora body "examine the possibility of providing financial assistance to Ukraine ... by way of the creation of a special fund or any other means" to defray the cost of his country's decision to accept the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly. This request was turned down. Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Hennadii Udovenko was elected to that post in September.

Human rights commission active

Mere months after being reactivated, the UWC's Commission on Human and Civil Rights (CHCR), led by Ms. Isajiw, is back in the swing of things. The Toronto-based activist reported that the commission has been monitoring the situation of Mikolaj Siwicki, author of a study of Polish-Ukrainian conflicts, currently on trial in Poland on charges brought in connection with its publication.

In connection with the forcible takeover of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Noginsk, Russia, the CHCR has written letters of protest to Max von der Stoel, high commissioner on minority rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ; Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, chair of the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; Keston College in England; and other institutions.

OSCE materials concerning the rights of minorities were sent to the second Congress of Ukrainians of Russia in order to provide an international legal framework within which to pursue their rights to freedom of religion, preservation of culture, and to secure individual and collective rights.

In a related development, the UWC voted to invite the re-elected president of the Association of Ukrainians in Russia, Oleksander Rudenko-Desniak, and defray the costs of his accommodations in North America. Mr. Desniak is expected to arrive in the new year.

World Ukrainian Games

UWC Sports Commissioner Vsevolod Sokolyk reported that the first phase of plans to hold World Ukrainian Games in Kyiv in the summer of 1999 has been set in motion. He said that a committee of activists has been formed and their first meeting has been scheduled for January.

Based in part on the Maccabiah Games held since 1929 to gather representatives of the world's Jewish community, Mr. Sokolyk said the Ukrainian games would have a cultural as well as sporting character and are intended to attract Ukrainians from the West, Kazakstan, Russia and other countries.

The committee will debate the question of whether or not to work with Ukraine's government, Mr. Sokolyk said, but is likely to be in favor of such an arrangement, since it would ensure access to stadiums, accommodations and other facilities.

Turning to the Olympic effort, the sports commissioner highlighted the efforts of Roman Dekhnych of Sydney, Australia, head of the committee struck to assist Ukrainian athletes arriving in his country to participate in the 2000 games. The current focus is on the formation of an acclimatization camp for athletes.

Mr. Sokolyk said that, in a departure from recent practices by host countries, the Australian government has offered serious financial support to all groups preparing for the Olympiad, and the Ukrainian committee has already received a list of 45 to 50 sites to choose from for training camps.

Little on-site support is foreseen for competitors travelling to Japan for the upcoming winter Olympics in Nagano, given the virtual absence of a local Ukrainian community there, but fund-raising efforts by the Friends of Ukraine's International Olympic Committee are ongoing.

Having led with the good news, Mr. Sokolyk raised questions about Ukraine's Olympic movement and the funding gathered in support by the diaspora. He reported having received a list of candidates that would be going to Japan, and was surprised to find that only 35 of the proposed 130-member delegation would be athletes. "This ratio of bureaucrats to athletes is exceeded only by China," Mr. Sokolyk said.

The sports commissioner also pointed to the extravagance of the promoter who bought up $1 million of tickets to a recent Kyiv Dynamo game in the Ukrainian capital and distributed them free of charge among its citizenry. "If individuals and enterprises in Ukraine can afford to be so generous," Mr. Sokolyk said, "it is difficult for the diaspora not to be skeptical of pleas of poverty from Ukrainian sports officials."

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