UCCA holds 19th Congress
UNA delegates attend first congress since1980
by Roma Hadzewycz and Andrew Nynka
PHILADELPHIA - Under the theme of "Strength in Unity," the 19th Congress of Ukrainians in America took place here on September 24-26 and re-elected Michael Sawkiw Jr. as president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, made several notable changes to the umbrella organization's by-laws and elected three representatives of the Ukrainian National Association to positions on the UCCA National Executive Board.
It was the first time the UNA participated in a UCCA conclave since the 13th Congress of 1980 that severely divided the Ukrainian American community.
As a result of a by-laws change made on the first day of the congress, UNA President Stefan Kaczaraj assumed the post of first vice-president of the UCCA's National Executive Board. UNA Treasurer Roma Lisovich and Dr. Myron B. Kuropas assumed two of the three members at large posts.
The first vice-president of the UCCA's National Executive Board also serves as the chair of the organization's National Council, which, during the period between congresses, is the UCCA's highest ruling body.
Thus, Mr. Kaczaraj is the new chair of the National Council, which, "within the guidelines of the by-laws and the directives of the Congress of Ukrainians in America, develops and approves action plans of the UCCA, approves the activities of the Executive Board of the UCCA and, if necessary, offers corrections in its plans and activities," according to the UCCA By-Laws.
Also elected to positions on the National Executive Board were Larissa Kyj, executive vice-president; Ihor Smolij, Orest Baranyk, Luba Siletska, Lev Futala, Bohdan Mychajliw, Teodor Oleshchuk, vice-presidents; Marie Duplak, executive secretary; Stephen Kerda, treasurer; and Myroslav Shmigel, member at large.
The congress also drafted a resolution that dealt with the renewed relationship between the UCCA and the UNA. It read:
"The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America acknowledges the steps taken by the Ukrainian National Association at its convention in May 2002 in Chicago to undertake the process of renewing its relationship with the UCCA and acknowledges the decision by the UNA General Assembly in November 2003 to vote unanimously to re-establish its membership with the UCCA.
"The 19th Congress of the UCCA further appreciates the contribution of the UNA and appreciates the good faith efforts made so far which have led to the participation of the UNA in the 19th Congress of the UCCA. The Congress also acknowledges that further refinement of outstanding issues must take place, which will serve to strengthen the relationship and will serve as a means by which to unify Ukrainian American organizations in our community under one central umbrella organization."
Other notable resolutions during the congress came out of the Financial Committee, which offered up a number of binding resolutions for the congress to vote on. The congress passed resolutions mandating that the UCCA National Executive Board make all documents relating to UCCA assets public, that financial statements be published and distributed at the next congress, and that appraisals be conducted of UCCA-owned buildings in Arizona and Bayonne, N.J.
The 19th Congress was opened with remarks by UCCA President Sawkiw, who noted the conclave's theme, pointed out that the UCCA had redoubled its efforts to seek unity among the Ukrainian American community and expressed the hope that "this congress will become a turning point" for the organization.
Following the singing of the American and Ukrainian national anthems and the invocation delivered by Archbishop Vsevolod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A., congress delegates heard a greeting from Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, Mykhailo Reznik.
Ambassador Reznik underscored the fact that the Ukrainian American community had never forgotten about Ukraine and noted that it is praiseworthy that the community today is turning its attention to new immigrants from Ukraine. After all, "all of us together are working for the same cause," he stated.
Turning his attention to Ukraine, the ambassador went on to state that "Ukraine today has a democracy, albeit a weak democracy." Nonetheless, "that democracy is functioning," he said, as evidenced by three presidential and four parliamentary elections. He assured his listeners that the people of Ukraine have hope for a better future.
Next to address the delegates was UNA President Kaczaraj, who delivered best wishes on behalf of the UNA Executive Committee and General Assembly, and noted the fraternal organization's resolve to restore unity to the Ukrainian American community.
"Only from a position of strength and cooperation can we, as a community, speak with a united and strong voice on the national and international arenas," Mr. Kaczaraj stated. "Batko Soyuz [the UNA], as the oldest community organization, unites 45,000 members of diverse opinions and backgrounds; it believes in the necessity of nurturing a spirit of unity and cooperation in our community. In unity there is strength."
In order to achieve this unity, he continued, the UCCA needs to do three things: "update the UCCA By-Laws in order to foster democracy; choose persons who are open to compromise as delegates and as officers; and not permit anyone to have a monopoly on decision-making."
"It is time for us to set aside our quarrels and to work together for the good of our entire community and Ukraine," he exhorted the congress. "We call on this congress to extend its hand and begin negotiations with all Ukrainian organizations that are not members of the UCCA, and to be willing to compromise."
Amendments to the UCCA By-Laws
In his capacity as chairman of the 19th Congress, Askold Lozynskyj proposed that the agenda for the morning session also include amendments to the UCCA By-Laws so that the proposals of the UNA could be brought before the congress. He explained that no proposed changes to the by-laws had been submitted in advance to the By-Laws Committee (established in accordance with the organization's by-laws by the first meeting of the National Council after the most recent congress), but that the by-laws do provide for amendments to be presented from the floor during a congress. The presidium's proposal to add this agenda item was approved by the delegates.
The first amendment proposed that the post of first vice-president on the National Executive Board be reserved for a representative of the largest, both in terms of membership and branches, central national organization within the UCCA system. The amendment was adopted.
A second amendment dealt with the number of delegates to a UCCA congress to which an organization is entitled. The proposal provided that a central or national organization has the right to send additional delegates to the Congress of Ukrainians in America - as UCCA congresses are formally called - based on the number of its members. Thus, an organization is entitled to one delegate for the first 5,000 or less members; two delegates for up to 10,000 members; and additional delegates for each additional or partial 5,000 members. This amendment, too, was approved.
The third amendment adopted by delegates stipulated that each national central organization with 2,000 or more members and with a minimum of five branches is entitled to the seat of a vice-president on the National Executive Board.
A fourth proposed amendment, which would have defined precisely what constitutes a national organization based on the number of members and branches, did not receive the required number of votes to be approved. Delegates discussed several variations of the equation: that a national organization is one that has at least 250 members and three branches; 250 members or three branches; 150 members and five branches; 150 members or three branches; 100 members and three branches; 100 members or three branches, etc.
Delegates first voted on the formulation "150 members and five branches," but that proposal did not pass. Ultimately, the equation "75 members and three branches" appeared to be acceptable to the majority of delegates. However, it received just over 70 votes, while the congress chairman stated that the proposal needed 88 votes to pass.
At this point a discrepancy between the Ukrainian-language and English-language versions of the UCCA By-Laws was pointed out by attorney Julian Kulas who read the English text: to approve changes to the by-laws from the floor "requires a three-fourths majority vote in the presence of two-thirds of the registered delegates to the Congress of Ukrainians in America convention."
Mr. Lozynskyj, also an attorney, pointed out that the Ukrainian text takes precedence and that it defines the threshold for an amendment's passage as "three-fourths of registered delegates."
In effect, if the English-language version of the UCCA By-Laws had been deemed correct, the threshold for passage of the fourth amendment would have been met.
It must be noted that at the time of the voting on the by-laws changes the Verifications Committee had not yet reported to the congress on the actual delegate count. It was estimated that there were 121 delegates present, though 151 had been expected to register. Ultimately, the Verifications Committee reported on Sunday, during the concluding session of the congress, that 120 delegates were registered.
Mr. Kulas insisted that the congress minutes show the discrepancy between the two versions of the UCCA By-Laws. The issue of the legality of the vote on the fourth amendment proposed by the UNA was not revisited.
UCCA officers' reports
Next on the agenda were the reports of UCCA National Executive Board members, with President Sawkiw first to take the podium. Noting the significant growth of the Ukrainian community in the United States, as reflected in U.S. Census figures for 1990 (740,803) and 2000 (893,055), he said the UCCA had opened its first information center for new Ukrainian immigrants in New York City.
The UCCA president also reported on the organization's Ukrainian Days in Washington, during which members visited their representatives in Congress; the roundtable conferences held annually in Washington to focus on Ukraine's development as a nation and state; plans to build a famine-genocide memorial in Washington; voter education projects in Ukraine; the establishment of the UCCA's Kyiv Bureau in March 2002; and steps taken toward re-establishing community unity.
The UCCA's chief financial executive, Mr. Kerda, who was tapped for the job after the death of UCCA Treasurer Michael Spontak, reported that the operations of the Ukrainian National Information Service, which needs $130,000 for its operations, were never recorded in the UCCA's books. Nor were assets legally owned by the UCCA, such as several buildings, reported on any financial reports. He also noted the drop in income at the National Fund from an annual sum of $120,000 in the late 1990s to a sum of approximately $92,000 during the past four years.
All the reports of UCCA National Executive Board members were published in book form and distributed to congress participants.
Reports were delivered during the session also by Viktoria Hubska, director of the UCCA's Kyiv Bureau; Oksana Lykhovid, director of the Ukrainska Svitlytsia Center for new immigrants in New York; and Tamara Gallo Olexy, director of the UCCA National Office, based in New York.
Also addressing the conclave with brief reports were Drs. Wolodymyr Stojko and Taras Hunczak, respectively, former and current editors-in-chief of The Ukrainian Quarterly, a scholarly journal which this year marks its 60th anniversary; and Dr. Eugene Fedorenko, chairman of the UCCA Educational Council, which oversees schools of Ukrainian studies nationwide and last marked its 50th anniversary.
Orest Baranyk, chairman of the UCCA's External Relations Committee, also reported to the congress, noting that attempts to establish contacts with the White House were unsuccessful and that the UCCA had succeeded only in securing lower-level meetings with Bush administration officials.
The report of the UCCA Auditing Committee was delivered by Yaroslaw Fedun, who noted several deficiencies in recording the UCCA's finances and presented the committee's recommendations to remedy the situation.
Following a discussion of the reports and various issues confronting the UCCA during the last four-year term, the delegates approved the Auditing Committee's proposal for a vote of confidence in the outgoing National Executive Board and National Council.
Sen. Durbin addresses congress
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), member of the Appropriations Committee, addressed the Friday morning session. Speaking in support of the Democratic presidential candidate, he said, "I believe in John Kerry and I think he can lead our country in a better direction."
Sen. Durbin, whose grandmother and mother (then age 2), immigrated to the United States from Lithuania in 1911, also paid tribute to his audience by noting: "You're proud Americans, but you're also proud of your roots." He credited "your fraternal organizations and your churches [which] meant so much for new immigrants."
He recalled annual meetings of Captive Nations Week, saying "people thought we were out of our minds ... we were taking on the mighty Soviet Union." And, then he remembered "what an amazing day [it was] when the mighty Soviet Union started to collapse."
Sen. Durbin also expressed his opinion that "Ukraine should be in NATO." Citing recent events in Russia, such as President Vladimir Putin's consolidation of power and his control of the media, he said, "If he keeps sacrificing democracy, what does that mean for the neighbors?"
"That's why Ukraine needs NATO," he underscored.
Workshops focus on diverse issues
During eight workshops on Saturday, delegates and guests had an opportunity to discuss a number of issues that affect the Ukrainian American community. Topics during those panel discussions included: "Maintaining/Preserving our Identity," "Unifying the Ukrainian American Community," "Using the Mass Media to Get Your Message Out," "Advocacy: Your Voice in American Politics," "Support for Ukraine: Furthering Democracy and Ukrainianization," "Outreach Programs for New Immigrants and Youth," "Ukrainian Saturday School System" and "Development of Ukrainian Studies in the Western Diaspora."
The workshops were designed to facilitate discussion of issues, while some concrete proposals from the panels were put before the entire congress on Sunday during a session that determined the focus of the UCCA's work for the next four years.
During Saturday afternoon's panel on participating in U.S. politics, Roman Popadiuk, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, spoke of the need to reorganize the lobbying efforts of Ukrainians in Washington.
"To have impact, the Ukrainian community must re-evaluate itself. We have to get ourselves organized and evaluate the work we want to do within each congressional district," the former ambassador said.
Mr. Popadiuk said that lobbying by Ukrainian groups in Washington should focus on finding a Ukrainian angle in issues that are being addressed by politicians in the United States. "Instead of lobbying just as a Ukrainian group, we should be lobbying for health care and education," he said.
Dr. Kuropas said Ukrainians needed to do more to be an effective voice in American politics. "There is no doubt that we have not done enough," he said. "Unfortunately we haven't been heard." He offered several suggestions, saying that Ukrainian Americans need to work with local politicians, as well as with other ethnic groups.
While the workshops were taking place on Saturday, separate meetings were held by the following congressional committees: financial, organizational, new immigrants, educational, veterans, external relations, aid to Ukraine, students and youth, verifications and resolutions.
The program that day also included a working lunch that was dedicated to the topic of human trafficking. Dr. Ulana Bodnar of the Centers for Disease Control presented delegates with information on that topic. Each year 800,000-900,000 people are trafficked across borders, Dr. Bodnar said, describing the situation as a "multi-billion-dollar shadow market" that "poses a global health risk."
In order to end human trafficking, Dr. Bodnar said prevention efforts need to be enhanced, victims need to be given support and empowerment, legal frameworks need to be established and enforced, and national mechanisms and international cooperation must be created.
Among guests of the congress were Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church; Metropolitan-Archbishop Stefan Soroka of the Ukrainian Catholic Church; Archbishop Vsevolod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A.; Bishop Basil Losten of the Stamford Eparchy of the Ukrainian Catholic Church; and members of Ukraine's diplomatic corps in the U.S.
Saturday's formal Congressional banquet included a presentation of Shevchenko Freedom Awards (see page 12), while on Friday night, following a reception, a concert of local Ukrainian talent was held. The performers included the Akkolada chamber choir of Philadelphia, Prometheus men's choir of Philadelphia, Kalynonka bandurist duo and Holubka women's vocal quartet.
Final day's program
On Sunday morning a liturgy at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia was concelebrated by Cardinal Husar and Metropolitan Soroka.
The congress sessions that day were devoted to reports by the congressional committees, elections of the UCCA leadership and adoption of congressional resolutions.
[The text of resolutions adopted by the 19th Congress will be published at a later date, when they are released to the press. In addition, the list of UCCA National Council members will be published when organizations entitled to members on the council designate their representatives.]
The congress presidium, which was chaired by Mr. Lozynskyj, also included: Andrew Diakun and Ihor Hunko, vice-chairmen; and Ms. Lykhovid, Osyp Rozhka and Jerry Kiciuk, secretaries.
The UNA's reaction
UNA President Kaczaraj said of the congress:
"We did the right thing by returning to the UCCA. The UCCA has over the last 20 years accomplished much good for the Ukrainian community. By working together with the organization, it will be easier to build on its strength while eliminating its deficiencies. With close cooperation, it will be easier to bring about the necessary changes.
"We did not return in order to take control. For this we have no time or desire. Our mission is to help transform this entity into a democratically operated organization with input from multiple voices from Ukrainian communities. We want to bring in all the Ukrainian organizations that currently are not members of the UCCA. By having one powerful umbrella organization representing all our organizations, our community will grow and prosper, and we Ukrainian Americans will have greater influence and impact on our surroundings."
UNA Treasurer Lisovich, commented:
"All in all, I think it was a positive Congress and the UNA's participation was important. I definitely felt that there was a shared sentiment among all participants that having one united strong central umbrella organization, representing the interests of the Ukrainian American community, was imperative.
"The acceptance of by-law changes proposed by UNA reflects a new air of openness and mutual cooperation. I think we have made progress, and I am pleased that the UNA is serving as the catalyst to help bring about these changes. One of the changes ensures each national central organization with over 2,000 members and five branches a permanent voice on the National Executive Board. This is a new beginning.
"One of our priorities will be the continued refinement of the UCCA By-Laws, with input from other member and non-member organizations. We are eager to begin our work within the UCCA, and we appreciate the mutual cooperation we have experienced so far."
UCCA National Executive Board for 2004-2008
Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, October 3, 2004, No. 40, Vol. LXXII
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