LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (08/22/99)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Kudos for coverage of Joint Conferences

Dear Editor:

I want to add my voice to that of Roman Wolchuk in extending kudos to you for your excellent coverage of the Synergy conference in Washington. Your extensive and thoughful reporting in two separate issues of The Weekly (July 4 and 11) underscored the significance of the conference and the potential it has of reenergizing the Ukrainian diaspora. Many conference participants with whom I spoke felt a heightened sense of shared goals. The feeling that the conference enhanced communication between our many professional, financial, cultural, political and social organizations raised expectations that it may lead to new and more fruitful directions for the Ukrainian American community in the future. Many expressed a strong conviction that we should hold such meetings every three or four years.

Congratulations also must go to the Synergy conference organizers: first to Dr. Roman Goy for his courage, perserverance and hard work in pursuing an idea that was most promising but also potentially disastrous financially. I would also like to commend all the organizations sponsoring the conference for offering so many diverse and interesting panels. The Washington Group deserves praise for the major role it played in the success of the conference and for selflessly shortening its own program to leave time for others.

Ihor Gawdiak
Washington

The writer is president of the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council.

Conferences' results must be evaluated

Dear Editor:

On June 23-27, more than 900 people attended the Joint Conference of Ukrainian American Organizations. The main theme of these conferences was to indicate to our communities that we need a change in the character of our activities, that we have common objectives and that our organizations can work together when there are clearly defined goals. However, the event was also planned to establish our presence in the center of the political life of this country, i.e., Washington.

The Joint Conferences' accomplishments were of great importance to our community in America, because new ideas and approaches were evident in every stage of the deliberations, as participants discussed what steps to take to improve all aspects of political, cultural and economic life in our communities.

Moreover, the conferences also gave ideas on how to proceed to rebuild and strengthen our ranks under the leadership of our younger generations. The mission and agenda of the Joint Conferences, which was attended by major organizations, require constant review if their cumulative results can affect the continuous growth of our influence on political life in America.

Of course, the major role in promulgating the ideas and plans articulated at the Joint Conferences belongs to our Ukrainian press. Unfortunately, besides The Ukrainian Weekly, which gave wide coverage to the event, other newspapers reduced their coverage to brief news reports.

Therefore, for the benefit of our community and Ukraine, the results of Joint Conferences should be discussed and evaluated on a continuous basis if we wish to see our organizational life is revitalized in the year 2000 and beyond.

Joseph Trush
Union, N.J.

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