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not the foremost in my work,” Lysenko said, “because I am a rational person and concerned with the powerful idea of good for my homeland, for whose benefit I work and toil.” In the life of the Ukrainian community it was always an important occasion to honor the creativity of Mykola Lysenko. The tradition began in 1903 when Ukrainians in the eastern and western parts of Ukraine celebrated the 35th anniversary of the work of the composer. The unbeatable spirit of the Ukrainian people triumphed again during the fascist occupation, when in 1942 in Lviv, the 100 year jubilee of Mykola Lysenko was cele brated. The occasion precipitated the First National Choral Contest in which about 450 choral groups from all of Western Ukraine competed. The 150th birthday jubilee was celebrated concurrently with the celebration of Ukraine’s first anniversary of independence. The music of the composer resounded with a new vigor, giv ing proof of his undying creative spirit and the great love he had for his people. (loose translation from Ukrainian by Marta Baczynsky) THE TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF UKRAINIAN WOMEN’S ORGANIZATIONS This is the continuation of a speech delivered by Milena Rudnycky during the Ukrainian Women's Congress in Stanisiaviv, in 1934 Someone could say that the examples offered here today are not substantial. Let us take two others, which even according to the most conservative outlook, lie within the domain of women: the home and raising of girls. In Halychyna we have several Ukrainian private or community supported schools for girls: high schools and teacher’s colleges. The ruling staff of these institu tions is in the hands of men. Fifty years ago in other lands women began the struggle for their rights with this particular scenario — the management of girl’s schools. The correct reasoning behind this was that a woman’s influence on the formation of a young girl’s psyche is important and that the proper education of the young generation of women is the first priority for a successful women’s movement. In our society this mat ter never even came to be considered. Second example. In the Agriculture Council depart ment which the government instituted recently in Lviv, there is a separate section for women’s home econom ics. This section is composed only of women, but it has one man. This man represents Ukrainian homemakers. It seems our economic institutions sent only men dele gates to the Agricultural Council and not one woman. This brings shame to our Ukrainian homemakers and makes a laughing stock of the men. Perhaps someone thinks that these examples are drawn from the generation of women who have not graduated from institutions of higher learning and there fore do not have qualified individuals working on their behalf. Someone may reason that when the younger generation enters community life things will get better. Unfortunately, women who did achieve higher educa tion are less active in the community than the older members. Also it is sad to notice that the participation and influence exerted by our youngest generation on student organizations and youth groups in comparison with the role it played before the war, represents a step back, rather than a step forward. Therefore, here is the equality women enjoy in Ha lychyna. Most likely the situation of women in other Ukrainian western regions such as Volyn’, Bukovyna, Subcarpathia, is not any better. Further accusations state that the women’s move ment — the separation of women into a distinct society — is harmful to women, as well as to the entire popula tion. To this we answer: the Ukrainian women’s move ment never attempted to isolate women from the general population. Indeed, from the very start it consciously and fully worked to have Ukrainian women become a viable and active part of our nation. The movement clearly refrained from any division between men and women. N. Kobrynsky wrote in 1887: "We have no thoughts of distancing ourselves from the men in the field of mutual goals, nor to isolate the woman’s ques tion from other community activities.” Over and over again we reiterated this position, it is clearly stated in the by-laws of women’s organizations, in the resolutions of the annual meetings of the Ukrain- ’’HALUE ЖИТТЯ”, БЕРЕЗЕНЬ 1993 21
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