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what we will bequeath to future generations and whether they will take pride in our deeds and accom plishments. History will judge, but if we have the power and the determination to shape history, we will not simply carry on a tradition, but augment and enhance the legacy of those who came before us. As an organization, the UNWLA has evolved through many different phases. In recent years, we have been facing a crisis of inertia, one that has affected many diaspora organizations from the day Ukraine pro claimed its independence. Since that day UNWLA members, along with members of other organizations, were left wondering about their future. The great goal of an independent Ukraine had been reached; related goals became a subject of indifference or complacency, with many wondering what else there was to do. Younger members of these organizations became especially detached from community activities, looking for something unusual or exciting to entice their active participation. In the intervening years, circum stances rekindled the spark and the interest. Notable among these were the disastrous floods in Zakarpattia and the Orange Revolution, events which created in all of us a strong desire to help Ukraine and its people with emergency aid and moral support with exuberant conviction and heartfelt generosity. When a critical need for assistance emerges, we are all ready and willing to act swiftly and decisively. But no organization can survive and flourish if its basic goal is crisis management. It must, instead, have a consistent and steadfast purpose and a fundamental agenda of long-ranging and valuable activities. The UNWLA was built on such activities and it is our mission to keep them alive and to keep our membership involved in them. Our great strength has always been our commitment to service and our attention to critical social issues that affect people in Ukraine as well as people in our diaspora community. One or two members addressing these issues and concerns at briefings in Washington or at meetings or conferences in Ukraine is not enough. What is needed is a grassroots activism that draws all members of the UNWLA into participatory roles that nurture and sustain our mission. This theme and related concerns were the subject of the first UNWLA National Board meeting of this ad ministration, which was held on November 12 and 13, 2005. It was a productive meeting during which members elected or reelected to the National Board had the opportunity to share their ideas about the UNWLA's current state and future potential. More about this interchange of ideas will be shared with readers in future issues of Our Life. In this issue, I will report on various matters that are of current con cern. In my capacity as president of the UNWLA, I took steps to have our organization join the Jackson-Vanik Coalition headed by two former U.S. ambassadors to Ukraine, Steven Pfifer and William Miller. The coa lition was formed as a response to an amendment whose provisions were an impediment to political and economic progress in Ukraine. The Jackson-Vanik amendment went into effect in 1974 and, in recent months, has been the subject of much debate in the U.S. Congress and fiercely contested by those members of Congress committed to supporting Ukraine's efforts to become a democratic and economically viable nation. On November 1, 2005, Dr. Oksana Xenos and I took part in the second meeting of the coalition, a move that underscores our organization's commitment to stay involved in issues that affect the future of Ukraine. Before joining the coalition, I asked Dr. Xenos whether our participation in the coalition would jeopardize our tax-exempt status. Dr. Xenos explained that this was a social matter not a political matter and that it was perfectly acceptable for us to join. On her advice, I signed up all our Regional Councils and Branches at Large as coalition members. Those of you who subscribe to The Ukrainian Weekly or receive informa tion about legislation affecting Ukraine via the Internet or other sources may already know that the U.S. Senate (November 18, 2005) voted to repeal application of the Jackson-Vanik provisions to Ukraine. The coalition is now working to encourage members of the U.S. House of Representatives to follow suit. At this point, I turn to issues directly related to the UNWLA administration's current tasks and concerns. In my report at the XXVII Convention, I spoke about the building at 203 Second Ave. in New York, which 10 'НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ГРУДЕНЬ 2005 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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