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Our Memorandum A t the beginning of A p ril of th is year the U krainian women joined w ith women’s organiza tions representing Eastern E u rope in preparing a Memoran dum protesting the violation of human rig h ts behind the Iron Curtain. Copies of th is Memo randum, designed fo r the Con ference on Human Rights in Te heran, have been sent to the rep resentatives of all member na tions of the UN. Much work went into the prep aration of th is remarkable doc ument. I t is notew orthy in th a t i t marks the f ir s t tim e th a t such an action has been undertaken by a small number of women’s organizations in exile. To date, no such jo in t action had been attempted, although we met w ith representatives of these o r ganizations during Captive Na tions Week or at the interna tional fa irs in New York. B ut the 20th anniversary of the H u man Rights Declaration paved the way fo r an even closer co operation. The Ukrainian National Wom en’s League of America, the old est U krainian women’s organiza tion in the Free W orld, proposed th a t representatives of Eastern European women’s organizations meet to work out a jo in t solu tio n to a common problem. The f ir s t meeting was held on Febru ary 24, 1968 in New Y o rk C ity at the U krainian In s titu te of America. Mrs. Stefania Pushkar, U N W L A president, presided at the meeting. Six representatives o f women’s organizations in exile attended th is f ir s t meeting to form ulate the basic ideas th a t would go into the document. I t was decided th a t the Memoran dum should be based on the 30 points of the Human Rights Dec laration, and th a t such violations should be listed as are common to all the nations behind the Iron Curtain. The working out of the details entailed additional meetings, telephone calls, and correspond ence. As work progressed on the project understanding and deter m ination grew. I t became clear th a t any cooperative action was possible where there were good w ill and a common goal. The fin a l d ra ft of the Memo randum consisted of 3 pages in which all violations of human rig h ts in countries behind the Iron Curtain were listed clearly and to the point. The Memorandum was signed by the W orld Federation of U krainian Women’s Organiza tions (15 member organiza tions), the Council of European Women in E xile (10 member o r ganizations), the B altic Wom en’s Federation (3 member or ganizations — the Byelorussian Women’s League, the Georgian Women’s League. Thus, the f ir s t action under taken jo in tly in the Human Rights Year by women’s organi zations in exile w ill, hopefully, pave the way fo r other coopera tive endeavors and greater un derstanding. We can be ju s t if i ably proud th a t the U krainian women were instrum ental in in itia tin g this new program of good w ill and cooperation. EASTER QUESTIONNAIRE I f you remember what you or your mother prepared fo r the Easter table in Ukraine,/please f i l l out the Easter questionnaire, which you received together w ith the regular newsletter. This inform ation is needed by the Cultural and Educational Com mission which is preparing a study of U krainian customs and traditions. * * * I f your Branch has a scrap book and picture album, please b rin g them along. There w ill be an exhibit of scrapbooks and al bums at the Convention. I f you don’t have one — why not s ta rt one? Lesya Ukrainka: AND YET, MY MIND . . . And yet, m y mind flies back to thee again, M y country, helpless, sunk in m isery When I remember thee, M y heart w ith in me sinks fro m g rie f and pain. Mine eyes have seen much outrage and distress, Y et ne’er have seen a lo t th a t’s worse than th in e : They’d weep the fate malign, B u t shame on tears which flo w fro m helplessness. Such tears have been poured fo rth in copious flood ; Ukraine entire could sink and in them d ro w n ; Enough have trickle d down — W hat use are tears when there’s so little blood. Translated by Percival Cundy From the cycle “Social Justice and Human Rights”
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