ACTION ITEM

Famine Monument in Washington

Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.), co-chair of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, introduced a bill (H.R. 591) to erect a monument to the victims of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933. This bill proposes to allocate a plot of land in Washington, to honor the memory of the millions of victims of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide. The monument will be unveiled during commemorations of the 75th anniversary of Ukrainian Famine-Genocide in the year 2008.

Currently, more than 30 additional members of Congress have co-sponsored the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide Memorial Bill. The Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS) is requesting that members of the Ukrainian American community contact their representatives and urge them to co-sponsor this bill. Below is a sample letter. For further information readers may contact UNIS via phone, (202) 547-0018, or e-mail, [email protected].

SAMPLE LETTER

The Honorable (Name)
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Representative (Name):

As a member of the Ukrainian American community, I was pleased to learn of H.R. 591, introduced by Rep. Sander Levin, which would allocate a plot of land in Washington. for the Ukrainian American community to erect a monument to the victims of Ukrainian Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933.

This artificial famine was created by the Soviet regime, which in those years of plenty established unrealistically high quotas for foodstuffs and confiscated Ukraine's abundant harvest. Having flooded Ukraine with Red Army troops, who guarded the food storage facilities and Ukrainian borders, the Stalinist government methodically starved to death over 7 million Ukrainians - a quarter of Ukraine's rural population. Through physical elimination, the Soviet regime intended to suppress the Ukrainian nation and its desire for freedom and independence. However, the Ukrainian people continued to resist Communist oppression and after, 70 years of struggle, regained their freedom in 1991.

It is important that the memory of the innocent victims does not vanish. Knowledge of the horrors suffered by the Ukrainian nation will serve as a constant reminder that the world cannot rest as long as there exist oppressive regimes. It is our duty to prevent similar genocides from ever again happening. A monument to the victims of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide in the capital of the United States will demonstrate that our great nation will always fight, for the oppressed.

I respectfully urge you to join the co-sponsors of this bill and support its passage.

Sincerely,

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, April 6, 2003, No. 14, Vol. LXXI

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