Roselle Park passes resolution on Famine-Genocide in Ukraine (11/14/04)

Roselle Park passes resolution on Famine-Genocide in Ukraine

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - The Town Council and mayor of a Northern New Jersey town of approximately 13,000 people passed a resolution recognizing the 1932-1933 Famine Genocide in Ukraine. On October 21 the town of Roselle Park passed Resolution No. 148-04, "solemnly remembering the Ukrainian victims of the Russian Communist-engineered Famine Genocide of 1932-1933 on its 71st anniversary."

The resolution stated:

"Whereas, Ukrainian Americans form an integral part of the ethnographic map of Roselle Park and contribute to its rich cultural diversity, and ... Whereas Russian Communists deliberately confiscated grain harvests and starved millions of Ukrainian men, women and children in a policy of forced collectivization that sought to destroy Ukrainian aspirations for independence, and ... Whereas, the United States Congress formed a Commission on the Ukraine Famine on December 13, 1985, to conduct a study with the goal of expanding the world's knowledge and understanding of the famine, and ... Whereas, the commission's formal report concluded that the victims 'starved to death in a man-made famine' and that 'Joseph Stalin and the Russian Communist leadership committed genocide against Ukrainians in 1932-1933.'

"Be it resolved by the governing body of the Borough of Roselle Park that: 1) Ukrainian victims of the Russian Communist-engineered Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933 be solemnly remembered by Roselle Park residents on its 71st anniversary. 2) The United Nations and all the governments of the world should recognize the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933 as an act of 'crimes against humanity.' "

Arlene M. Triano, borough clerk of Roselle Park, N.J., said the decision to pass the resolution was made by the mayor and Town Council, but the original idea came from a Roselle Park Ukrainian American.

"We have a resident here, Alexander Balaban, who is very involved with Ukrainian issues and he brought it to the attention of the mayor and the Town Council," Ms. Triano said. The borough clerk also said it was not the first time that Roselle Park passed a resolution on the Famine-Genocide, but she could not say how many times such a resolution was passed previously.

Town Council members Loren Harms and Kevin Murphy signed the resolution, along with Mayor Joseph DeIorio. The other members of the Town Council who passed the resolution were Ricky Badillo, Sam V. D'Errico, Richard Matarante and Robert Zeglarski.

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