May - Ukrainian World Congress month

The eighth Convention of the Ukrainian World Congress took place August 18-21, 2003, in Kyiv in the building where the Central Rada (Council) of the Ukrainian National Republic convened its sessions. This was truly a historic convention, as for the first time 246 delegates - 100 of whom were from the eastern diaspora - representing Ukrainian communities from 32 countries gathered from all continents of the world in the capital of Ukraine.

During the convention 10 commissions and councils of the UWC conducted their work. For the first time, the topics of the deliberations included all aspects of the issues confronting Ukraine and the Eastern and Western diaspora. Their work fully reflected the current status and problems before Ukrainians worldwide. For, wherever they may live, Ukrainians share the same sense of national pride and obligation.

The decisions taken at the convention entrusted the central bodies, councils and commissions of the UWC to bring to the attention of the president, government and Parliament of Ukraine the views and concerns of the Diaspora on the need to implement a whole range of fundamental changes to laws, executive orders and procedures in establishing a national state.

For the diaspora the convention instructed the UWC to, inter alia:

• develop a nationally conscious education program in the schools of Ukraine and in the diaspora, by establishing contacts and networks among youth, student and sports organizations, with a view to convening meetings, camps, academic conferences, etc., and to coordinate these activities through the Ukrainian national central representative organizations;
  
  
• facilitate the publishing of school textbooks for Ukraine and the Eastern and Western diaspora in order to fill in the blank pages of our history during the 20th century;
  
  
• provide assistance for the preservation of archives, community organizations and academic institutions;
  
  
• initiate the process of demanding from the Parliament of Russia compensation for former Ukrainian prisoners who were forcibly deported from Ukraine to Russia;
  
  
• in cooperation with the Association of Ukrainians in Poland and the World Federation of Lemko Associations, demand from the government of Poland and the European Union the establishment of a commission to investigate Akcja Wisla and to provide compensation for deported Ukrainians.

Following a lengthy process, the UWC was accepted as a non-governmental organization with consultative status in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. One of the issues being raised by the UWC at the UN is the international slave trade. Currently, there are over 500,000 Ukrainian girls and young women who are being held captive in the international slave trade. In this regard, the UWC established a special task force to initiate and coordinate the efforts of the organized diaspora to combat this crime.

We are appealing to you for your assistance to help us carry out these and many other decisions that the UWC pledged to implement in the following areas: social services; defending human, community and national rights; and establishing contacts and networks for Ukrainians scattered throughout the world. The UWC is in critical need of material resources in order to fulfill its mission to the benefit of the United Global Ukrainian Family.

May is the month of the UWC Fund Drive.

Please send your donations to: 145 Evans Ave., No. 207, Toronto, Ontario M8Z 5X8; or to 225 E. 11th St., New York, NY, 10003. For tax-deductible donations in Canada please make your check out to the Ukrainian World Foundation, and in the U.S. to the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America or the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council. Thank you for your support.

"In unity lies our strength."

For the Ukrainian World Congress:
Askold Lozynskyj, president
Victor Pedenko, general secretary
Bohdan Fedorak, financial officer
Olga Danylak, treasurer

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, May 9, 2004, No. 19, Vol. LXXII

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