Chicago Friends of UNIS host 28th annual fund-raising event (06/19/05)

Chicago Friends of UNIS host 28th annual fund-raising event

by Walter Bratkiw

CHICAGO - The Chicago Friends of the Ukrainian National Information Service once again mobilized their efforts this year to organize and host the 28th annual UNIS fundraiser event in Chicago on May 25.

The event was held at the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Chicago and, as in the past many years, it was graciously sponsored by the Heritage Foundation of First Security Federal Savings Bank and Selfreliance Ukrainian American Federal Credit Union.

The Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS), of course, is the Washington office of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA). It has been serving the Ukrainian American community for 28 years.

During those years of representing the Ukrainian American community in Washington, the UNIS office has established visible relationships with members of the U.S. Congress, administration officials, U.S. ambassadors to Ukraine, media personnel and various think-tank organizations.

Each year, the Chicago Friends of UNIS strives to bring a key person from the U.S. administration to Chicago to give a straightforward view of the matters at hand. Past events have featured such guest speakers as the current U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, John Herbst, and former U.S. ambassadors to Ukraine, William Green Miller, Steven Pifer and Carlos Pascual.

This year, UNIS' distinguished guest was Ambassador John Tefft, former deputy assistant secretary of state for European affairs, former U.S. ambassador to Lithuania, and currently U.S. ambassador-designate to Georgia.

Ambassador Tefft spoke of the challenges that President Viktor Yushchenko and his administration face in light of the current U.S.-Ukraine relationship.

His presentation, titled "The Many Challenges Ahead - Our Common Task," was extremely enlightening to the audience and very insightful.

Ambassador Tefft began by noting that our task "in Kyiv, in Washington, and with the help of all of you here tonight, is to make sure that President Yushchenko's visit becomes the foundation for a stronger, deeper relationship between the United States and Ukraine - not the high point in a relationship that gradually erodes again."

"The Ukrainian people have surely set themselves on a new path of freedom. But I know all of you would agree that the choice for freedom is only the first step in a long journey. After the exhilaration of the Orange Revolution, now comes the less dramatic but no less important work of reforming the Ukrainian polity, economy and society, and preparing Ukraine to become a full-fledged member of the Euro-Atlantic community," he continued.

"The challenges, to be sure, are many. For one, the Orange Revolution lifted expectations very high," Mr. Tefft noted. "Meeting those expectations will require hard work and sustained implementation of political and economic reform. I am confident President Yushchenko has not only a vision of a new Ukraine but the sense of commitment that is necessary to push through difficult reforms."

President Yushchenko's anti-corruption policies, Mr. Tefft said, "will directly challenge those Ukrainians who have made a living from corrupt practices. The new government has begun to prosecute some offenders and to remove government officials who abused their positions to enrich themselves. It is vital that members of the new government not succumb to temptations of corruption. President Yushchenko and his team will have to work hard to ensure the honesty of his government."

Turning to the 2006 Rada elections, the ambassador commented that Mr. Yushchenko "will try to maintain a working majority in the Rada of those who support his legislative agenda. At the same time, he and his government must avoid measures that may in the short term curry favor with voters, but in the longer term threaten his efforts to reform and liberalize the economy and secure for Ukraine membership in the World Trade Organization, designation by the U.S. government as a market economy, or other priorities."

"In the long run, the tested free-market reforms we have witnessed elsewhere are what will boost the Ukrainian people's prosperity, not short-term populist measures. Further complicating this is the fact that Yushchenko's government is a coalition, with ministers and others drawn from different parties with different philosophies and different political interests. Still, adopting measures that the country will later come to regret - or postponing critical reforms out of short-term political expediency - only harms the interests of Ukraine and its people," he cautioned.

Among the challenges facing the Yushchenko team, Ambassador Tefft pointed to "the deep-seated legacy of Soviet communism." The years of Soviet domination, he said, "exacted a terrible toll on the Ukrainian people. Events such as the deliberate murder of millions of Ukrainians in the Great Famine in the 1930s created a deep, deep wound in the Ukrainian psyche and cannot - and should not - be forgotten. At the same time, Soviet attempts to create a 'New Soviet man' undermined the moral system and deprived the Ukrainian people of a normal work ethic. Ukrainians have made great strides in reclaiming their diverse religious and moral heritage, but I don't need to tell you how difficult is the task of eliminating the last vestiges of totalitarianism."

Mr. Tefft underscored that "Ukraine can count on the support of the United States." As evidence he cited the fact that Presidents George W. Bush and Yushchenko signed a joint statement in Washington outlining the "New Century Agenda for the American-Ukrainian Strategic Partnership." That statement, he added, "avoides platitudes and focuses on concrete areas for our cooperation."

"The United States and Ukraine will work together to strengthen democratic institutions in Ukraine and to advance freedom in Europe, its neighborhood and beyond. We will work to defeat terrorism wherever it occurs and to advance economic development, democratic reforms and peaceful settlement of regional disputes. We will also work together to back reform, democracy, tolerance and respect for all communities, and peaceful resolution of conflicts in Georgia and Moldova, and to support the advance of freedom in countries such as Belarus and Cuba."
"In the area of economic policy, the United States and Ukraine will continue close cooperation on the issues that are vital to Ukraine's growth and prosperity. As a first step, the Ukrainian government will seek expeditious U.S. recognition as a market economy. We are committed to working together to achieve Ukraine's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and to moving as rapidly as possible to lifting the provisions of the Jackson-Vanik amendment. We are initiating an energy dialogue to advance Ukraine's plans to restructure and reform its energy sector to encourage investment, diversify and deepen its energy supplies, bolster commercial competition, and promote nuclear safety."
"In terms of international relations, the United States pledges to support Ukraine's NATO aspirations and to help Ukraine achieve its goals by providing assistance with challenging reforms. Our support, however, cannot substitute for the important work that the Ukrainian government itself must undertake."
"The fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery is one of the most important issues facing the international community today. The United States and Ukraine will deepen our cooperation on non-proliferation, export controls, border security and law enforcement. We hope to deter, detect, interdict, investigate and prosecute illicit trafficking of these weapons and related materials. We also hope to enhance the security of nuclear and radiological sources and responsibly dispose of spent nuclear fuel."
"The security and stability of nations increasingly depends on the health, well-being and prosperity of their citizens. The United States and Ukraine therefore, have committed to cooperate on a broad agenda of social and humanitarian issues, including halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and TB; fighting the scourge of organized crime, trafficking in persons and child pornography; and completing the Chornobyl Shelter Implementation Plan. We also support a bold expansion of contact between our societies. To this end, the United States and Ukraine will work to lower the barriers that separate our societies and to enhance citizen exchanges, training opportunities and cooperation between business communities of both countries."

Ambassador Tefft's presentation was concluded with a detailed question-answer period with the audience, after which he was given an ovation as a trusted ally and believer in Ukraine's future relationship with the U.S.

The evening continued with a presentation from Michael Sawkiw Jr., president of UCCA and director of UNIS. Mr. Sawkiw gave his presentation on the dramatic events in Ukraine's presidential election in the autumn of 2004; as well as how it challenged the UCCA, its limited staff and its limited resources in coordinating, registering and accrediting the large number of election observers from the entire diaspora.

Mr. Sawkiw stressed UNIS' commitment to the concerns of the Ukrainian American community, and the fact that it has significant achievements thanks to the financial support given by Ukrainian American communities.

This event by the fund-raising committee of Chicago raised $60,000 for UNIS' continued operating expenses for the balance of this year. The committee expressed our deep appreciation to all those who have consistently been loyal and supportive of UNIS' work.

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