UNIS announces plans to hold Ukrainian Days on local level (05/08/05)

UNIS announces plans to hold Ukrainian Days on local level

by Serhiy Zhykharev
Ukrainian National Information Service

WASHINGTON - Later this month, the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS) is coordinating local "Ukrainian Days" as an occasion for Ukrainian American community members to meet with their senators and representatives in their local district offices.

During the past two years UNIS, the Washington office of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), has organized Ukrainian Days in Washington. The purpose of this event is to bring community representatives from throughout the United States to the nation's capital to meet with their elected officials in the U.S. Congress and to discuss issues of importance to the Ukrainian American community.

The "Ukrainian Days" program traditionally involves briefing sessions, where participants have an opportunity to meet with governmental and non-governmental officials and hear their opinion of the issues at hand; a breakfast with members of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus (CUC); a reception at the Embassy of Ukraine to the United States; as well as numerous meetings with members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

Ukrainian Days participants, as well as members of the U.S. Congress and administration officials, have given very positive reviews to these events. An increasing number of the members of Congress encourage continued communication with the Ukrainian American community on the local level.

Taking into consideration their requests, UNIS is initiating Ukrainian Days on the local level on Friday, May 20, and Monday, May 23.

According to the UCCA, extensive participation in this event is especially important in the context of the recent Orange Revolution in Ukraine, as well as the recent visit by President Viktor Yushchenko to the United States. During meetings with President George W. Bush and in his address to a joint meeting of Congress, President Yushchenko outlined an expanded plan for U.S.-Ukraine bilateral cooperation. The Ukrainian American community is a natural liaison between the U.S. government and Ukraine, which can maintain permanent contact with officials and encourage their active stand on issues related to Ukraine.

As with Ukrainian Days in Washington, UNIS will provide the community with briefing papers that describe the issues that interest the Ukrainian American community. Community members are asked to contact their local congressional and senatorial offices and set up appointments for the above-mentioned dates.

For additional information, readers may contact the UNIS office in Washington by phone at (202) 547-0018 or e-mail at [email protected].

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