Former U.S. Rep. Sander Levin honored for his long-time support of Holodomor issues
PHILADELPHIA – Delegates from across the United States and Canada met Friday, October 4, to Sunday, October 6, in Philadelphia at a Holodomor Forum organized by the U.S. Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor-Genocide Awareness.
Rather than an academic conference, the forum was organized as a working session for advocates to jointly lay out a blueprint to build on recent efforts to increase awareness of the Holodomor as follows: introduce a Holodomor curriculum at the state or local level; maintain a drumbeat of advocacy efforts for recognition of the Holodomor as a genocide; revoke New York Times correspondent Walter Duranty’s Pulitzer Prize; and increase media exposure of the Holodomor.
On Friday evening October 4, following registration and a meet and greet reception, U.S. Holodomor Committee Chairman Michael Sawkiw, Jr. moderated a U.S. Holodomor Committee general meeting. The agenda of the meeting was focused on discussing methodologies for expanding awareness of the Holodomor in American society, as well as in the Ukrainian American community.
On Saturday, October 5, delegates attended a plenary session chaired by Mr. Sawkiw.
In his opening remarks, he stated: “The U.S. Holodomor Committee has been working feverishly for over a decade to promote Holodomor awareness and recognition of the Holodomor as a genocide against the Ukrainian nation. We have been fortunate to have dedicated a memorial in Washington, D.C., to the victims of the Ukrainian genocide, and to have the U.S. Congress recognize the Holodomor as a genocide in last year’s resolution commemorating the 85th anniversary of the Ukrainian Holodomor.
He noted: “It is in this manner that we sponsor the first-ever Holodomor Forum in the United States, bringing together representatives from throughout the country, to discuss strategic objectives of furthering Holodomor curriculum in the U.S. public school system, and continuing the awareness campaign in various realms.”
As the U.S. Holodomor Committee conducts monthly conference calls to discuss projects related to expanding Holodomor awareness, the chairman introduced the U.S. Holodomor Committee’s Executive Board: Roman Czajkowsky, vice-chairman; Daria Komichak-Pishko, executive secretary; and Hanja Cherniak, treasurer.
Greetings were then presented from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Vadym Prystaiko, as well as from the award-winning author of “Red Famine,” Anne Applebaum.
The Holodomor Forum also received a greeting from Andrea Chalupa, executive director of “Mr. Jones,” a historical movie that depicts the life of Gareth Jones, the Welsh journalist who wrote about the Holodomor. Ms. Chalupa thanked the U.S. Holodomor Committee for their support and provided a brief trailer of the film for the participants to watch.
The plenary session was followed by a workshop on the nuts and bolts of introducing a Holodomor curriculum, moderated by Doris Duzyj, a retired social studies teacher who serves as education chair for the Ukrainian American Holodomor Committee of Michigan. Panelists included Valentina Kuryliw, director of education at the Holodomor Research and Education Consortium and chair of the National Holodomor Education Committee of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress; Dr. Jonathan Peri, president of Manor College; Oksana Kulynych, a retired special education teacher; and (by Skype) Massachusetts State Rep. Jeffrey Roy, who chairs his state’s Joint Committee on Higher Education. The panelists shared their knowledge about adding the Holodomor to the “C3 Framework” social studies standards in high school curricula.
The next workshop, “Duranty and Advocacy,” was co-moderated by Oksana Piaseckyj, a long-time Ukrainian community leader in Florida, and Mr. Czajkowsky. The panel consisted of former U.S. Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) and Lubomyr Luciuk, professor at the Royal Military College of Canada and chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Toronto. In his presentation, Dr. Luciuk gave examples of inexpensive ways to promote the Holodomor and raised the provocative suggestion of leading a procession to Walter Duranty’s grave in Florida for a public display of forgiveness.
The third and final workshop of the day focused on “Media Awareness.” Moderator Zina Poletz Gutmanis represents Minneapolis-St. Paul on the U.S. Holodomor Committee, and her professional experience includes nearly 15 years in agency public relations. Panelists were Molly McKew, CEO of Fianna Strategies, which conducts strategic messaging for international clients with a focus on countering Russian information campaigns; Roma Dzerowicz, executive director of the Holodomor National Awareness Tour in Canada; and Andrew Nynka, Ph.D., a journalist and researcher. The experts on the panel discussed the difficulties in breaking through in today’s metrics-driven media environment and the importance of storytelling as a way to personalize and add an emotional component to Holodomor education and advocacy.
The day was made even more special with visits from honored guests Metropolitan Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia and Metropolitan Antony of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A.
Guests and delegates to the inaugural Holodomor Forum in the United States. In front row (seated) are Metropolitan Antony of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. and Michael Sawkiw Jr., chairman of the U.S. Holodomor Committee.
The final session for Saturday was the screening of the new documentary “When We Starve” (2018) followed by a robust Q&A. Joining the proceedings was U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) who, alongside all the forum participants, viewed the documentary and spoke about its powerful message and the need for greater awareness of the Holodomor. He also cited the continued fight in Ukraine for its independence and territorial integrity. This short 15-min documentary was sponsored by the U.S. Holodomor Committee and produced and directed by Borys Buniak, M.D., immediate past president of the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America (UMANA).
At a special tribute dinner on Saturday evening, October 5, U.S. Holodomor Committee Chairman Sawkiw brought Rep. Levin and his wife, Pamela, to the podium for the presentation of the inaugural Holodomor Awareness Award to Mr. Levin for his leadership and dedication, including congressional sponsorship of the Holodomor Memorial bill in Washington. In presenting the award, Mr. Sawkiw described Mr. Levin as “an individual who has highlighted, spotlighted and given prominence to the Holodomor in the United States.” Mr. Levin, a staunch supporter of the Ukrainian cause who was co-founder of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus in 1997, sponsored the bill to designate federal land for the Holodomor Memorial and championed democracy in Ukraine.
In an emotional tribute, Mr. Sawkiw spoke about his many years of working with Rep. Levin on Ukrainian and Holodomor issues, sharing various memories and milestones. He finished by saying to the Congressman, “you are more than a friend to us – you are family.” The room rose as one and sang a round of “Mnohaya Lita.”
Mr. Levin shared some of his own family’s immigration stories to help explain why the Ukrainian cause had resonated so strongly with him. He said: “I just want to indicate the feeling that I had and others did, that when you stand up for freedom in one place, you really are standing up for freedom everywhere.”
During the Saturday evening tribute dinner, Irka Mycak, chair of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress’s National Holodomor Awareness Committee, was introduced. She provided her perspective on the proceedings: “The Holodomor Forum was a great opportunity to exchange ideas on taking Holodomor awareness and education to the next level, and specifically to discuss initiatives that we can further together as a North American community. The U.S. and Canada must take advantage of every opportunity available to share the story of this genocide and take the lead in ensuring the story resonates internationally.”
The dinner was also attended by Ukraine’s Consul General Oleksii Holubov, who spoke on behalf of the government of Ukraine and congratulated Rep. Levin for receiving the Holodomor Awareness Award.
In concluding the dinner, a list of sponsors of the Holodomor Forum was presented and the U.S. Holodomor Committee chairman expressed his gratitude to the sponsors and expressed hope for further cooperation in the years to come.
The Forum wrapped up on Sunday, October 6, with an ecumenical prayer service with prayer booklets provided by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the U.S.A.
As the Forum’s purpose was to expand the awareness of the Holodomor, Olya Soroka, representative from the Women’s Association for Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine and a descendant of a Holodomor survivor, presented the U.S. Holodomor Committee’s initiative for a Descendant’s Network, a loosely formed group of Holodomor survivors’ descendants who would carry the mantle of Holodomor awareness to future generations. The initiative was met with wide applause. Details of the Descendant’s Network will be forthcoming.
Concluding the Forum’s presentation on Sunday with the title “Holodomor – Lessons to the World,” Brian Whitmore, senior fellow and director of the Russia Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), spoke emphatically of the need to portray the Holodomor as part and parcel of human and world history. The Holodomor Forum concluded with a working luncheon to discuss the commemoration (in 2020) of the fifth anniversary of the Holodomor Memorial in Washington. A number of ideas were put forth for a weekend-long commemoration on Friday, November 6, to Sunday, November 8, 2020.
The U.S. Holodomor Committee chairman thanked the delegates, presenters, guests and moderators for their attendance and participation in the Holodomor Forum, and urged them to continue their work on Holodomor awareness.
George Jaskiw, representing the Cleveland Holodomor Committee, commented on the forum proceedings: “It was most encouraging to hear from activists who outlined practical, strategic steps that culminated in the inclusion of Holodomor education in their state high school curriculum.”
To watch excerpts of the sessions from the Holodomor Forum readers may visit the U.S. Holodomor Committee’s website at https://UkraineGenocide.com.