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This article is a free translation from the first issue o f Our Life magazine, which was published in January 1944. It was written in Ukrainian by Our Life's first editor Claudia Olesnycka. Translated by Iryna Kurowyckyj. Is It The Right Time? Making the decision to give the UNWLA its own magazine was an act of faith and idealism. In doing so, we have assumed a great responsibility. When the magazine was first considered, many questioned whether this is the right time to undertake such an enormous task, especially in light of the fact that the Ukrainian print media in the USA is struggling to survive. This was a daunting question that required much deliberation. It was not the first time that such a task was undertaken and ended in failure. On the other hand, we were certain that we needed our own magazine, one that would acquaint women with our organization and its work and would serve as a vehicle to unite women of Ukrainian heritage in the United States and draw them to our organization. The magazine would be for women that were interested in what was happening around them. This was important to each of us and was supported by the realization that living in a highly civilized and free world gives us the opportunity for personal growth and satisfaction. We divided our concerns into two groups, looking at each separately. First—thousands of women’s magazines, books, brochures, and bulletins are published in America. Every American paper has a special section on women’s issues. The material is selected for women. It is designed to raise the spiritual awareness of American women and thus elevate them in their own households and beyond. One American activist said that if someone would close women’s publications our life would not advance one step forward! And she did not exaggerate: every practical subject, such as how the house should look, what to feed the family and how to raise children—everything practical for every day living is published in magazines and newspapers for American women. She learns from the written material and she grows. Our first concern was that many Ukrainian women in our communities did not have full access to this material; they were prevented from access by a language barrier. Our second concern was that in our particular situation not everything suggested and recommended in the material written for American women was possible for us. Most of us struggle financially. We live more modestly than our American counterparts and because of financial and cultural constraints we conduct our household affairs different ly, whether this applies to bringing up our children or planning our vacations. Taking care of the family and working long hours puts a heavy burden on our women and leaves them with very little time to follow the parameters for women’s issues in the way they are presented in mainstream American publi cations. It was after careful consideration of these two concerns that Our Life was envisioned and created. Our Life magazine will meet the needs of today’s Ukrainian American woman. Once a month we will give you a Ukrainian language publication where you will find news about the woman’s world, selected especially for the needs of our women, as well as general information on a variety of themes. The limited perspective of a woman as housekeeper, wife, and mother was fine for women living in the villages that were close to nature and living securely within their own familiar communities. Living in cities under difficult conditions in time of war and living in an unfamiliar environment is another matter altogether. The obligations of women are the same, but the practical knowledge that women need to fulfill those obligations is very different. Today, our women need a publication that is uniquely their own, a publication that can serve as teacher and advisor, written in a familiar language and written about their unique needs. The second very important reason why Our Life magazine is important is its purpose of uniting all women of Ukrainian heritage that have a special feeling for Ukraine and its people. Our Life will be dedicated, in part, to material that will help us bring up our children and pass on to them our language and our culture. It will also help our women by providing information to help our youth remember our enslaved nation and keep her in their hearts. But because we live in America, Our Life will also focus on “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, СІЧЕНЬ 2004 9
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