EDITORIAL: Why a Famine memorial in DC? (06/22/03)

EDITORIAL

Why a Famine memorial in DC?

This years marks 70 years since the genocidal Great Famine of 1932-1933 took the lives of 7 million to 10 million in Ukraine, and a number of actions are under way to commemorate this solemn anniversary. However, our community is also looking ahead, preparing to appropriately mark the Famine's 75th anniversary in 2008.

Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.), a staunch supporter of our community's concerns, in January of this year introduced a bill (H.R. 591) "to authorize the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America to establish a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia to honor the victims of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933." The language in the bill notes that "The United States Commission on the Ukraine Famine found in its report filed in 1988 pursuant to Public Law 98-473 that the Ukrainian Famine was a deliberate policy of the Soviet government" and that "the Ukrainian Famine is considered an unprecedented heinous crime of genocide as defined by the United Nations Genocide Convention." The bill now has nearly 40 co-sponsors.

Exactly a month ago the proposed Famine memorial was the focus of a hearing before the National Capital Memorial Commission of the National Park Service. In written testimony, Rep. Levin stated: "Only through remembrance and recognition can we stop such acts of senseless cruelty and violence against humankind from happening again." UCCA President Michael Sawkiw Jr. testified that not only would the memorial recall those who perished, but it would also serve "as a tool to help educate the global community about such heinous crimes." He explained that even today the world knows little about this genocide and added that at the very time the Famine was ravaging Ukraine the United States granted formal recognition to the Soviet Union.

Another perspective was provided by Volodymyr Yatsenkivskyi, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of Ukraine, who argued that "Building a Famine-Genocide monument would be an act of justice." Church leaders, too, weighed in, with Metropolitan Stefan Soroka of the Ukrainian Catholic Church writing in a letter addressed to Rep. Levin that the erection of such a monument "will boldy reflect this nation's commitment to freedom and democracy for all peoples ... and its intolerance for the annihilation and/or abuse of people of any nation." He added that the monument will also "provide an information vehicle to those tourists and visitors who would otherwise have no knowledge of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide."

Nearly 30 letters were received from various Ukrainian community organizations and institutions. The president of the Ukrainian National Association, Stefan Kaczaraj, underlined that "it is imperative that the memory of all these innocent victims does not vanish," adding that a Famine memorial in the U.S. capital "will serve as a constant reminder that the world cannot rest if there remain any oppressive regimes" and "will demonstrate again that our great nation will always fight for the oppressed."

As well, there were letters from Ukraine. Minister for Foreign Affairs Anatolii Zlenko underscored that a monument "will serve as a reminder that the battle for human rights is a global issue that cannot and must not be forgotten." Echoing his words in Washington was Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States Kostyantyn Gryshchenko who argued that the "Holodomor" (literally, death by forced starvation) is not only a Ukrainian tragedy, but "a tragedy of all civilized society."

What is needed right now on the part of all segments of the Ukrainian American community - both organizations and individuals - is additional letters in support of the proposed Washington memorial to the Famine-Genocide. We add our newspaper's voice as an advocate of H.R. 591 and urge readers to add theirs also by writing to their representatives in Congress.

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