UACC executive discusses urgent community issues (02/01/04)

UACC executive discusses urgent community issues

by Oksana Bakum

NEW YORK - The executive of the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council met here on December 13, 2003, to discuss several urgent matters.

UACC President Ihor Gawdiak reported, among other matters, on his participation in the meeting of the executive of the Ukrainian World Congress. Under discussion and consideration were matters relating to the UWC's Eighth Congress, held in August in Kyiv, as well as the proposal of the UWC to erect a monument to the victims of the Holodomor of 1932-1933 within a government-planned memorial complex. The upcoming presidential elections in Ukraine also were discussed.

Mr. Gawdiak affirmed the need to continue gathering signatures on a petition to the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Richard Lugar, urging passage of Senate Resolution 202, which recognizes the Ukrainian Famine as a genocide. While 27 U.S. senators are its co-sponsors, the Bush administration is not in favor of this resolution.

Mr. Gawdiak also reported on his conversation with the president of the Ukrainian National Association, Stefan Kaczaraj, regarding the recent decision of the UNA to become a member-organization of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America.

Mr. Gawdiak emphasized that the fundamental need is unity of the entire Ukrainian community in the United States and that such an umbrella organization must have a structure acceptable to all, which should be different from the present-day structure of the UCCA.

He also noted that there is another large association, the Ukrainian Fraternal Association, which supports the concept of unity on commonly accepted organizational principles.

Regarding the UACC convention that had been planned for November 15-16, 2003, the conclave was canceled in view of the large-scale commemorations of the 70th anniversary of the Famine-Genocide. A future date for the convention will be announced.

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