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there is a continued need for NGOs to serve as the conscience of the government and to press for prompt and effec tive implementation of the articles in the UN Convention The UWC quinquennial convention officially opened on the evening of August 18. It was a subdued and somewhat colorless event. No flags were displayed. It was even, in some respects, a little chaotic. Some delegates were assigned seats and others were not, an oversight that suggested a lack of attention to detail. Invitations to the opening had been sent to Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma and many other appointed and elected government officials. Unfortunately, very few of them were present at the event. Among those who did attend was Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Kyivan Patriarch opened the ceremony with prayers and greetings. Dmytro Tabachnyk, Vice Prime Minister for Humanitarian affairs, read greetings from President Kuchma and from the Prime Minister. UWCC's President Myhkhailo Horyn and WFUWO's President Maria Szkambara were on hand to person ally welcome guests and delegates, as was the Patriarch of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Lubomyr Cardi nal Husar, who addressed the gathering on the following day. Viktor Yushchenko received a standing ovation, and excerpts from his remarks to the audience are worth noting: This Congress in not held in a spacious Ukrainian House but in the Historic Teachers’ Building, this building is a symbol for all of us. It is where Professor Mykhailo Hrushevsky declared the modem inde pendent Ukrainian State in 1918. For me this building is a symbol: only two and a half years ago in this building we singed a political document forming “Our Ukraine” block. The situation in today’s Ukraine is tragic. The regime has killed the Ukrainian idea; they are indif ferent to the Ukrainian question. Ukraine had the opportunity to declare itself with the speed of lightning as an independent state; it has potential resources and serious minded people. In the past two years the world has heard nothing positive about Ukraine, only about the terrible scandals. People that have tried to help Ukraine financially and morally have been totally ignored. After the official greetings, the Ukrainian World Congress bestowed its highest award upon several indi viduals meriting recognition for their work in Ukrainian communities worldwide. The first of these prestigious awards was presented to UNWLA member Mary Beck. On the stage, the deceptively fragile, elderly lady, amazed the audience with her powerful acceptance speech, a life history of herself and her family, delivered in a thundering voice that reverberated with passion and energy. For members of the UNWLA, it was a proud moment and we were thrilled that a woman our organization has long viewed as a shining example of what we should strive to be come had been honored in this way. While in Kyiv, Ms. Beck was also honored by the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy at an event chaired by Olha Kobec, president of the Olena Teliha organization. In thanking program organizers for honoring her, Ms. Beck noted that it had taken many years for her to come to Kyiv and that she was pleased to be carried onto the stage by a nice young man. Her many admirers received autographed postcards made from her portrait. Among those who addressed the audience at this event were Soyuz Ukrainok's Honorary President Atena Pashko, Lilia Hryhorowych, Natalia Danylenko, and Valentina Borysenko. It is important to note that Natalia and Ivan Danylenko have sponsored a room at the Academy where material from all of Ukrainian women’s organiza tions can be displayed along with portraits of famous Ukrainian women. Mr. and Mrs. Danylenkos are also spon soring a book, Ukrainian Women in History , authored by Valentyna Borysenko. The book will be produced through the UNWLA publishing fund. Also attending this event were delegates from women’s organizations that were attending the UWC meet ing and members of National Council of Women of Ukraine. Individuals representing various organizations at this event were invited to provide a brief overview of their respective organizations' goals, milestones, and accom plishments. In my presentation I spoke of the National and International Council of Women, both of which had played a major role in organizing the UNWLA. It was in 1925, in Washington, at the Quinquennial International Council of Women meeting that a ques tion about Ukraine's status in the ICW was raised. As only independent countries were entitled to be ICW affiliates, Ukraine's position had become precarious. Olena Lotocky, Helen Chekalenko Keller, and Julia Jarema attended this meeting and were much disturbed by the ICW's ruling. On their way home to New York, the trio decided that they must have a national organization that would be independent of political or religious influence and which could serve to represent the women of Ukraine. And so it came to pass. Today, the National Council of Women of Ukraine is an affiliate organization of the ICW. In the very near future, Ukraine's NCW will be attending the ICW General Assembly in Perth, Australia, where a decision will be made about where the ICW is to hold its next meeting, which is scheduled for 2006. At a reception hosted by Kyiv's Mayor Omelchenko, it struck me that it would be a wonderful opportunity for the Ukrainian National Coun 12 “Н А Ш Е Ж И Т Т Я ”, В Е Р Е С Е Н Ь 2003 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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