LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (06/06/04)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Thanks for editorial on resolutions

Dear Editor:

Thank you for your excellent editorial: "Ukraine's election: Congress Points the Way" (May 23) concerning the House and Senate resolutions on the Ukrainian elections and the Helsinki Commission leadership's role in introducting this legislation. Your support and understanding of the importance of this resolution, which urges the Ukrainian authorities to ensure a democratic, transparent and fair election process for the upcoming presidential election are greatly appreciated.

In addition to the Helsinki Commission's role on this issue, I'd like to emphasize the leadership of Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.), the chairman of the House International Relations Commit-tee (HIRC), who introduced the House resolution, along with Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (R-Ill.) and Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on HIRC.

On the Senate side, Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), the top Senate Democrat on the Commission and Joe Biden (D-Del.), the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.) in sponsoring the Senate resolution. This underscores both the bipartisan nature of the resolution and the fact that its Senate and House sponsors are among the leading voices on foreign affairs in the U.S. Congress.

The $64,000 question remains: will the Ukrainian authorities begin to heed the calls for free, fair, open and transparent elections from not only Congress, but also from the executive branch, prominent Americans who have visited Ukraine, the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe, European Union, Council of Europe and others, and, more importantly, will they heed the wishes of the Ukrainian people for a brighter future?

Orest Deychakiwsky
Washington

The letter-writer is staff advisor to the U.S. Helsinki Commission.

Recalling Chornobyl at the United Nations

Dear Editor:

This is my first year as a World Federation of Ukrainian Women's Organizations representative at the United Nations. It has been stimulating to see and learn and participate in events such as some of us experienced on April 27.

This was the day chosen to commemorate the 18th year since the Chornobyl Reactor exploded, resulting in devastation and death. The tragedy continues in the malformations of children who were not even born when the nuclear power plant exploded, however, their parents were there as children, and it is the children who suffered most from this accident.

The Ukrainian Mission at the United Nations has not allowed the world to forget Chornobyl and its people. To that end, Ambassador Valeriy Kuchinsky initiated an unforgettable program that was witnessed by over 1,000 people in the General Assembly of the U.N. Assistance was rendered by the dedicated staff of the Ukrainian Mission, particularly Oksana Boiko, and Alla Kuchynska, wife of the ambassador.

Prior to the evening program, the missions of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine participated in a bazaar held in the lobby of the Secretariat of the United Nations. This bazaar, now in its 10th year, was an idea spearheaded by Liuda Zlenko, former Ambassador Anatolii Zlenko's wife, and Dr. Marta Kokolskyj. This year was the first that the WFUWO and Ukrainian World Congress were involved in co-sponsoring the bazaar. Enough money has been raised over the course of the years to purchase medical equipment for hospitals treating Chornobyl's children. Most importantly, awareness of the plight of the children of Chornobyl is raised during the day of the bazaar in this highly trafficked area of the United Nations.

This particular commemoration was made all the more memorable because of the screening of the Academy Award-winning documentary "Chernobyl Heart." The movie, the viewing of which was arranged by the Ukrainian Mission, took one's breath away. It was shocking scene after shocking scene, incredible statistic after incredible statistic. Maryann DeLeo, the director and producer of the film, promised before the viewing "You will never forget these children!" I don't think we could.

Larysa Melnyk Dyrszka
New York

Keep fighting battles, both large and small

Dear Editor:

I would like to comment on the letter from "Let's focus energies on something vital," that appeared in the April 18 edition of The Ukrainian Weekly. Mr. Pihut states that he does not care if Dr. Vitalii Klitschko is called Ukrainian or Russian. Although I agree that it is important to fight for greater causes like getting our American political leaders to discuss Ukraine, it is also important to fight for "small issues," such as when important Ukrainians are misidentified as being Russian.

Should we really let things like getting nationality correct slide by? No! Although, it is important to fight the big fight for Ukraine, believe it or not, the little battles count, too.

As I noted in my letter to The Ukrainian Weekly titled "Sports Illustrated's misrepresentations," which appeared in the February 22 edition, this was not the first instance (nor likely the last) where a sportsperson of Ukrainian nationality was misidentified as being Russian. In almost back-to-back articles Sports Illustrated identified Vitalii Klitschko and Oksana Baiul as being Russian, not Ukrainian. Their attention was called to each of these misrepresentations after each one was published. The first time that such an error occurred, it may have been a mistake, but the next time that such an error occurred - it was an insult. Each one of these little battles is important, because we educate those who may not know or correct those who may be malicious.

Therefore, even if someone does not choose to write to Sports Illustrated that Dr. Klitschko is Ukrainian, one should at least care that Ukrainians, and Ukraine for that matter, are being misrepresented. I say keep fighting the big battles and the small battles, too.

Andrew Dmytrijuk
Alexandria, Va

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