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Martha Bohachevsky Chomiak Winter Letter As we all know, this is the jubilee year for celebrating the millennium of Christianity for Ukrainians. It is also the year that will mark, from June 26 to July 5, the cen tenary of the international women’s movement. Yet it is not through celebrations alone that we function as an organized community; indeed a community that defines itself through celebration only is in danger of disinte grating once the celebratory event passes. There has of course never been any danger of UNWLA succumbing to celebration only — I am trying to get your attention by making a few incindiery remarks. We need to turn our attention to a few specific tasks. First of all, although elections are still a bit away, we have to make certain that all members of our communi ty are registered to vote. (If some of your members in the branch are not yet citizens of the USA, help them acquire that citizenship. You can see what your grand parents or parents had to go through. And you can brush up on your own knowledge of American history and the constitutional process by helping another pre pare for citizenship.) Involve yourself, and your branch, in registering voters. Remember, only registered voters can vote in all elections. And, when we are on the sub ject of elections, don’t loverlook local city, district and county politics, and especially the school board. Grass roots politics will give you a greater sense of community cohesion, and will enable the branch to build up its network of community activists from other communi ties. That is the best power base. Elected officials depend on constituents, and if you don’t vote and engage your self in the political life of your community, you are not a constituent. You are a passive resident. As a constituent, make your views know. Support the continuation of the appropriations for the Congres sional Committee to investigate the Famine in Ukraine. Impacting Government Policy, continued an active part in formulating a community agenda; in establishing, maintaining, and staffing lobbying offices; in organizing grassroots, community networks; and in teaching our children and our colleagues the impor tance of placing themselves in positions of influence. I would like to conclude with a personal observation. Our agenda, our policies, our plans for Ukraine should be based on a willingness to speak up proudly for our rights, a quality which was suppressed in our homeland, but which is respected and encouraged in the Free World. The democratic governments of the West gua rantee our inherent freedom to speak and assemble and worship and write. Let’s not censor ourselves. Let’s not underestimate our potential power. We must learn from our experiences and never set our sights too low. Look at the school curriculum of your area. Are there available community support services or monies that your branch can use? Remember, we are the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America; we are not limited to emigre issues. But neither should we think that all issues of interest to us are by definition Ukrainian issues. The legacy of UNWLA, as of its parent European Ukrainian organization, was full integration into the broad community life. So, either have the branch work through the League of Women Voters, or if your branch is small, offer to help the League in its efforts to ensure that all potential voters are registered. Now is the time to do this, in the fall we will have to be involved in all political elections. Use the increased visibility of Ukrainian issues in the press to comment favorably not so much on the coverage, as on how you as a reader enjoyed reading the article. If you did not enjoy reading, say what in it troubled you. No need to get involved in historical debates, but do raise the issues that concern you. Lack of converage of an issue that you think should be covered need also be attended. Is there no interest in the Demjaniuk case in your community, among the sub scribers to your local newspaper? On the other hand, are there issues in your com munity that all of us at UNWLA ought to know? Will you alert us, please by either writing an article, or by letting me know so I could publicize the event or the concern. Please continue sharing the reactions to your let ters and articles and keep telling us about your initia tives. The branches make the tree, but I won’t continue with the analogy. We all know where the wood is. Was I flippant enough to get a reaction? Do I have it coming? Is that the thunder of spring I hear, amidst the snows of dreary winter? Our governments will only fulfill our minimal demands. If we ask them merely to attend our community func tions, to pass an occasional resolution to commemorate Ukrainian human rights, to provide our cultural organi zations with a small financial grant, that is exactly what they will do. If we demand that when the governments of the countries in which we live talk about human rights issues they must mention that Ukraine has half of the political prisoners and the only banned churches in the Soviet Union, if we demand that all Western govern ment maps should portray Ukraine as separate from Russia, and translate Ukrainian names into Ukrainian — Lviv instead of Lvov, if we demand that our governments recognize the right of Ukrainian people to freedom and independence, and if we demand it loudly, and widely, and effectively, they will do that as well. 24 ’’НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, СІЧЕНЬ 1988 Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
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