Skip to content
Call Us Today! 212-533-4646 | MON-FRI 12PM - 4PM (EST)
DONATE
SUBSCRIBE
Search for:
About Us
Publications
FAQ
Annual Report 2023
Annual Report 2022
Annual Report 2021
Initiatives
Advocate
Educate
Cultivate
Care
News
Newsletters
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Join UNWLA
Become a Member
Volunteer With Us
Donate to UNWLA
Members Portal
Calendar
Shop to Support Ukraine
Search for:
Print
Print Page
Download
Download Page
Download Right Page
Open
1
2-3
4-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17
18-19
20-21
22-23
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
34-35
36-37
38-39
40
THE CONFERENCE IN LONDON — Impressions and Observations Ірина Куровицька в Лондоні під час конференції МЖР. Iryna Kurowycky in London while attending the ICW Conference. When members of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America who attended the 24th Plenary Con ference of the International Council of Women returned from England, I knew that the sooner I spoke to whoever was willing, the better I could capture the spirit of the trip and the Conference. Mrs. Iwanna Rozankowsky, President of UNWLA and Iryna Kurowycky, Member-at-large of the UNWLA Exe cutive Board attended, under the auspices of the Nation al Council of Women of the United States, as observers. Another observer was Mrs. Kwitkowsky, President of the World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations. Dr. Martha Bohachevsky-Chomiak, Fourth Vice-Presi- dent of UNWLA, is a member of the Executive Commit tee Board of the NCW and took part in the Conference as a delegate. As luck would have it, Iryna Kurowycky came up to me after the Liturgy at St. George’s on Easter Sunday. There, on Seventh Street, which was closed-off by police barricades, Ukrainians stood, basking in the spirit of the Holyday, chatting with friends from Jersey, Connecticut and points further north, west and south. Iryna looked smashing, as they say in Londontown. But more striking than her elegant ensemble was her glowing face when she told me how great the eleven-day stay in London was and how happy she was to have been a part of this Conference. “So sorry you weren’t there,” she said. Well, I might as well admit it. I was to be a part of that delegation, but on the day the U.S. bombed Libya, I decided to stay close to home and cancelled all my international commit ments. In other words, I chickened out. Two days later, I met Iryna in her home and for two hours she treated me to an exciting run-through of the Conference. Its highs and lows, the frustrations of being “just” an observer when you want to say something important and can’t, and the achievements of our group of Ukrainian women at the sessions. She took me on a tour of an old English cathedral, a shopping spree in London and best of all, filled me in on a few incidents, which were harrowing at the time, but in retrospect, are hilarious. Iryna said she had no fear whatsoever of traveling to Europe during the Libyan-American crisis, though her husband and friends advised her against it and Father Pasczhak, pastor of St. George’s said he would pray for her. All in all, not an auspicious beginning for a trip. Even at the airport things did not look good when Mrs. Rozankowsky and she arrived early. For some time it seemed as if the two of them would be the only pas sengers on the British Airways plane. But luck was with them, other people arrived and from then on it was smooth sailing, that is — flying! The hotel in London was disappointing, Iryna said, because it was more like an overnight stop for tours, noisy and very busy, rather than a nice place to stay for an extended length of time. The main meeting room used for the Conference’s plenary sessions had a seat ing problem — little space, lots-of women. Iryna said that Martha Bohachevsky-Chomiak had to sit in a chair designated for a representative of another nation, since there was no room in the American delegation section. Now, to my way of thinking, that is an excellent oppor tunity for some on-the-spot international parley and good will. Registering their group was another adventure, con tinued Iryna. After converting traveler’s checks to Eng lish pounds sterling at the American Express office,
Page load link
Go to Top