Skip to content
Call Us Today! 212-533-4646 | MON-FRI 12PM - 4PM (EST)
DONATE
SUBSCRIBE
Search for:
About Us
Publications
FAQ
Annual Report 2023
Annual Report 2022
Annual Report 2021
Initiatives
Advocate
Educate
Cultivate
Care
News
Newsletters
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Join UNWLA
Become a Member
Volunteer With Us
Donate to UNWLA
Members Portal
Calendar
Shop to Support Ukraine
Search for:
Print
Print Page
Download
Download Page
Download Right Page
Open
1
2-3
4-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17
18-19
20-21
22-23
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
34-35
36-37
38-39
40
for it to succeed internationally, even greater cooperation is needed. What is needed even more is honest oversight. At the UN, conference after conference addresses these issues; what is actually being accom plished, however, can be determined by perusing the shadow reports compiled by the NGO representatives of individual countries. In 1999, the International Year of Older Persons was established to ensure that older people have independence, participate in society, receive good care, and enjoy self-fulfillment and dignity. The full text of the international Plan of Action on aging describes specific goals and priorities related to the specific needs and circumstances of older persons. Aging is a lifelong process and should be recognized as such. Preparing entire populations for the later stages of life should be an integral part of social policies of every country and should encompass physical, psychological, cultural, religious, spiritual, economic, health, and other factors. Aging is a symbol of experience and wisdom; it can bring human beings closer together. We see this as we go about our daily business, as we interact socially with others, and in our own organization where elderly women and young women work side by side to accomplish something worthwhile. Often, the older woman has knowledge and experience and skills acquired over years or over decades; what she has to offer is priceless, and it is not something that can be acquired at a university but can be acquired only by living. In some societies (and even in some businesses) this sharing of wisdom and tradition and know-how is accepted as a way of life, with each generation benefiting from the lessons learned and passed down by the previous generation, which learned from generations that came before. One way that we can ensure that the wisdom and knowledge of our older members is preserved is by recording their stories; this would be an interesting project and a way to preserve information that may be helpful to our organization and the community at large. If we look back to the charter of the United Nations, we see that all of these goals and action plans, whether directed at children, elderly people, families, women, or minorities, have a philosophical basis that echoes and exceeds Aristotle’s claim that people are the wealth of a nation. What the UN has endeavored to show is that people are the wealth of an ever-diminishing planet and that all nations must understand the implications of this philosophy. The UN Charter, reaffirms faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of every person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small to promote social progress and better standards of life. As this Desk of the President is being written, the United Nations s preparing to host the 51st Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), scheduled to be held from February 26 to March 9, 2007. The Commission will focus on a thematic issue: “The Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination and Vio lence Against the Girl Child.” Girls from many nations will be present at this event and will speak for themselves on the floor of the United Nations, addressing governments and NGO delegates. They will be telling not only about their personal needs but about the concerns of all girls, whether children or adolescents, who must struggle against discrimination and violence. In telling their stories, the girls will share what they have learned with other girls. Together, they will develop strategies to help other girls, which they can use when they go home to their respective countries. (I will report on the outcome of the Commission in the April issue of Our Life.) I close this month’s message by encouraging all UNWLA members to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Action “Visla.” What happened during 1947 in Lemkivshchyna, Nadsiania, Cholmshchyna, and Pidliasia—ethnic territories of Ukraine that were give to Poland after World War II—was terrible and cruel and cannot be forgotten. In planning their commemorative events Branches should invite survivors who lived through the events of 1947 to speak and schedule programs of interest to the community at large. It is also important to invite young people to these events because they must learn how to be tolerant of others, and there is no better way to do this than to learn from history. It is important to note that relations between Ukraine and Poland have improved significantly during the last decade; since Ukraine proclaimed its independence, the country’s relations with Poland have been friendly and both nations are receptive to the idea of reconciliation. I would also like to remind UNWLA members to display our beautiful pysanky before and during the Easter season and to make certain that everyone who sees them knows that the art of pysanka writing is a uniquely Ukrainian art form that evolved over many centuries and is a part of our distinctive heritage. 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.
Page load link
Go to Top