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“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, СІЧЕНЬ 2014 WWW. UNWLA.ORG 15 As it happens, I am writing my monthly Our Life column exactly on International H u- man Rights Day , which is celebrated annually across the world on December 10th. This date was chosen to honor the United Nations ’ General A s- sembly 's adoption and proclamation of the Un i- versal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the first global enunciation of human rights , in 1948. But as every Ukrainian in the worldwide diaspora awaits with anticipation and deep concern the outcome of the evolving events in Ukraine, the events of December 10th, 2013, have not been encouraging. The Independe nce Square in Kyiv has overflowed with people of all ages during the past three weeks, but the vast majority has been the youth of Ukraine. This is the generation that has been studying, working towards and desiring a brighter future — hoping for a prosperou s cou n- try and a government respectful of personal dign i- ty. This has become the core impetus for the demonstrations, the heart of the dissent, and has gone far beyond the abandonment of the Europ e- an Union agreement by Ukraine’s President. T o- day, on December 10th, we are awaiting a resol u- tion of the crisis — hopefully a positive conclusion to the impasse between the demonstrators and the government, which appears to be deaf to the will of its people. As an integral member of the U.S. diasp o- ra, how should the UN WLA react to these events? The UNWLA has, since its inception, stood fierc e- ly in defense of human rights. And two fund a- me n tal human rights on which democratic society is based are the rights of free speech and asse m- bly. Both of these have been and continue to be disregarded by the Ukrainian government. In UNWLA’s first initiative, Lida Bilous, Vice - President for Public Relations, has written a letter to the U.S. Secretary of State insisting that the U.S. government take a strong stand against r e- cent violenc e and in defense of these young adults’ rights — their basic human rights! In add i- tion, the UNWLA, whose most prominent pr o- gram is social welfare, should provide humanita r- ian aid to those demonstrating — and it did. Reac t- ing quickly to the hardships endured by the d e- monstrators in Kyiv, the UNWLA wrote a letter of appeal to the Ukrainian community and began an awareness and fundraising campaign nationwide. Daily reports from Ukraine only reinforced our determination to help. It was with a deep feeling of satis faction that UNWLA Honorary Presidents Anna Kraw - czuk and Iryna Kurowyckyj, myself, and several other UNWLA members attended on December 4th the Groundbreaking Ceremony of the Holo - domor Memorial commemorating the victims of the Famine - Genocide. This event was sponsored by the Embassy of Ukraine and the U.S. Commi t- tee for Ukrainian Holodomor - Genocide Awar e- ness, 1932 - 33, of which the UNWLA is a member. Guests included hierarchs from the Ukrainian Orthodox and Ukrainian Catholic Churches; A m bassador to the Un ited States from the Gover n ment of Ukraine; Members of Congress, including Representative San d- er Levin (D - MI) — sponsor of the Holodomor Memorial bill — and members of the Congre s- sional Ukrainian Caucus; U.S. go v ernment officials; ambass a- dors from the Europ e an Union countries and representatives _____________________ At the Holodomor Memorial Groun dbreaking Ceremony: Lidia Slysh, Maria Polanskyj, Zoriana Haftkowycz, Mar ianna Zajac, Anna Krawczuk, and Oksana Steranka
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