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would not foot the bill for travel, maybe a meeting with the local branch could be arranged. I would appreciate getting a list — no commitment necessary — of names, addresses, and areas of interest of our members. After all, culture, whatever the definition of term one prefers, cannot thrive without communication. So, again thank you for your votes, for your sup port, and for the expressions of friendship that meant so much to me in the past and on which I shall continue to rely. Let us together demonstrate the vibrancy of our Ukrainian American community and of the UNWLA. UKRAINIAN INDEPENDENCE Ukraine has a number of anniversaries marking the various stages of its independence. In a sense, they are not even stages but repeated efforts to gain and main tain its independence and the right to structure its own life. We celebrate January 22 to mark two anniversaries of 1918 and 1919 — proclamation of independence of the Ukrainian National Republic and its union with the Western Ukrainian Republic, which gained its inde pendence from the Austrian Empire on November 1, 1918. Those days are still marked, as are a number of other milestones in the turbulent history of the land of our ancestors. August 25 this year marked a special anniversary in the modern life of Ukraine. It is the fifth anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, no mean achievement, given that initially there were many pundits in the West and East that viewed Ukrainian independence as a tempor ary aberration in the longevity of the Russian Empire. But there is much more that Ukrainians can celebrate. They managed to steer their state onto the path of peace, ethnic tolerance, the slow but certain path to reform. From a society that was controlled from the cen ter, producing only what the plan envisaged, traveling only if specifically permitted to do so, studying what was prescribed, reading what passed censorship, and listening only to state media, Ukraine is quickly becom ing a modern, open, society of individuals. Some of them voluntarily work together, reclaiming a civic legacy that had been subverted by Soviet totalitarianism. Times are difficult, but they had never really been easy in modern Ukraine. There are more goods, but people do not have money to buy them, yet some do. Some drive expensive cars and frequent restaurants that most Westerners find atrociously overpriced. I suppose eventually all that will settle, with some Ukrainians being better off than others. Yet the point to remember is that Ukraine has not threatened, nor is it threatening, to erupt in social or ethnic strife. Ukrainian women bear much of the credit for this welcome development. From the first inklings of “res tructuring” — the futile attempt to reform the rotten structure of the USSR — women in Ukraine worked hand in hand — to humanize the army, bring the soldi ers back from enforced service in Afghanistan, disband the Soviet structure, create local government, establish the framework for a democratic government, ensure freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. An inde pendent and a free Ukraine celebrating its fifth anniver sary, taking its rightful place in the “family of free nations” deserves our best wishes and commendations. And this January will mark yet another milestone —it will mark the fifth year of establishment of diplo matic ties with United States. A nuclear free Ukraine with close ties to the United States, well on its way to — we hope — its we 11-deserved prosperity. На многая літа! THE CULTURE OF SEPTEMBER The beginning of each school year, for those of us with school age children as well as for those without them, brings on a desire or at last an intention to catch up with some of our reading, bring ourselves up to date with was going on in the last year or so. In the field of Ukrainian studies I must report, first of all, that it is growing in popularity among the non-Ukrainian com munity of students, scholars, business people and go vernment and administrative types. The primary interest of course is with the current situation, but that of neces sity generates interest in Ukraine’s history, culture, art, literature and architecture. This may be tne time you may want to organize an outing to some cultural event, or to a library or museum that may have items relating to Eastern Europe or Ukrainian presence in the United States. Remember this is also the time you are collect ing information, written and oral, on the history of our organization and immigration to the United States. You may also decide to organize a book discussion among yourselves, or with a reach out crowd. Let me recommend some possible choices. I had suggested Frances Swyripa’s Wedded to the Cause, a history of Canadian-Ukrainian women’s movements that will stim ulate reflection about the situation in the United States. Askold Melnychuk’s What is Told is another earlier sug gestion that is worth repeating. George Luckyj’s intro duction to Ukrainian literature, Ukrainian Literature in the Twentieth Century: A Reader’s Guide (University of Toronto Press, 1992) may be helpful before tackling more specialized works. Alexander Motyl’s Dilemmas of Independence, while published two years ago, is still an interesting way to begin an analysis of the current situa tion in Ukraine. You may also try reading Ukrainian books and dis cussing them in English: Maria Savchyn’s A Thousand Paths (Тисяча доріг) is a good beginning to get the discussion going; and for the more venturesome there is the current Ukrainian best seller, Oksana Zabuzhko’s Field Inquiry into Ukrainian Sex (Полові дослідження українського сексу). 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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