STATEMENTS ON THE FAMINE-GENOCIDE

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg

Following is the text of the Proclamation issued by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York.

Whereas: This year marks the 72nd anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933, which claimed the lives of at least 5 million men, women and children in the Ukraine, in addition to an estimated 2 million people in other regions. As the horror of this atrocity recedes deeper into history, the responsibility of remembrance weighs heavier on all of us. New York City joins the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America in observing Ukrainian Genocide Remembrance Day. Together we honor those who suffered and pledge to remain vigilant against the dark impulses that triggered this genocide.

Whereas: The Famine was deliberately initiated and enforced by the Soviet regime through seizure of grain and the blockade of food shipments. Borders were sealed to prevent the population from leaving the region or receiving assistance. The purpose of the Famine was to eliminate resistance to the forced collectivization of agriculture and to destroy Ukraine's national identity. Only recently has this atrocity begun to garner international awareness and understanding.

Whereas: Today, the Ukrainian American community gathers at St. Patrick's Cathedral to pay their respects to all those who lost their lives in this terrible event. New York City honors the memory of the victims, for the sake of those who suffered in the past and to ensure that future generations will never know such devastation.

Now, therefore, I, Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor of the City of New York, in recognition of this important event, do hereby proclaim Saturday, November 19, 2005, in the City of New York as "Ukrainian Genocide Remembrance Day."

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, December 4, 2005, No. 49, Vol. LXXIII

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