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14 WWW.UNWLA.ORG “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЛЮТИЙ 2015 “The hope for an optimistic future, which glimmered in the eyes of the young and the older protestors of EuroMaidan, has abruptly turned into despair... Today, I believe it is fair to say that no one has any idea what the future holds for the citizens of Ukraine. These are historic, yet fright- ening, times.” This was my opening paragraph in the February 2014 issue of Our Life . The situation has gone from bad to worse and our organization continues, as it did during the months of the Mai- dan, to support the Ukrainian citizens in their struggle—through humanitarian aid and in de- fense of human rights. The Assistant Representative of the Min- istry of Defense of Ukraine (military attaché) at the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations Lt. Col. Ihor Dzera visited the Ukrainian communities of the Albany, NY, area on Decem- ber 25, 2014, to officially accept humanitarian assistance gathered by Amsterdam, Watervliet, and Saratoga Springs. UNWLA Financial Secre- tary, Vera Kushnir, who resides in the Albany ar- ea, had also previously made contact with the Lt. Colonel and initiated the UNWLA’s participation in this humanitarian effort. After consulting with UNWLA Social Welfare Chair Lidia Bilous and myself, she purchased winter gear for 100 per- sons—warm jackets, thermal underwear, warm socks, warm facial masks, elbow-length water- proof gloves, and military trousers. Vera and I met the Lt. Colonel in New York City on Friday, January 2nd, to discuss the logistics of the trans- portation, the disbursement of the goods, and the obtaining of all required confirmations at the re- ceiving end in Ukraine. This humanitarian aid was expected to reach Zhytomyr and Kyiv on Jan- uary 14, 2015. More information will follow. February is traditionally designated as “the month of the Heroine.” Ukrainians around the world commemorate the many women who devoted themselves to their homeland of Ukraine and who, in many cases, had laid down their lives for their country. Most of these heroic women will forever remain nameless and are not recorded in history. However, last year, we honored the “Spir- it of the Maidan,” Ruslana Lyzychko—a well- known heroine of our times—for her contribution to the Maidan movement. This year, as the disturbing struggle in Ukraine continues, we support and honor the pat- riotism and the physical and emotional strength of another contemporary heroine—Lt. Nadiya Savchenko. Nadiya Savchenko is a Member of the Ukrainian Parliament and a Parliamentary As- sembly of the Council of Europe Delegate. Nadiya is on a hunger strike following 6 months of being held in Russian detention, after being taken pris- oner in Ukraine by pro-Russian militants. She has been on a hunger strike since December 13, 2014, and has stated categorically that she has no other means of fighting the injustice against her and will not stop it “until the day I return to Ukraine, or until the last day of my life in Russia!” She has been moved to solitary confinement and the prison authorities are refusing to pass on let- ters to her. Her reply to the UNWLA’s letter (see the January issue of Our Life ) was one of her last communications. Nadiya’s lawyers tell us that she is getting very weak (I am writing this article on January 14th). The UNWLA has initiated that New York City diaspora organizations come to- gether and jointly work towards a press confer- ence to be held on January 26, 2015—the day which has been designated the global “Free Nadi- ya Savchenko” day by Nadiya’s attorneys. On the evening of January 13th, a conference call was held and an ad hoc committee was formed, to be led by the UNWLA; the committee included rep- resentatives from UNA, UCCA (National and local NY), the WFUWO, the Ukrainian World Congress, Razom , Ukraine Abroad, the Ukrainian Federation of America, Plast , and Advancing Human Rights. The goal of the press conference is to raise aware- ness about the current condition of Lt. Nadiya Savchenko, the circumstances of her captivity, and her very long and dangerous hunger strike. We pray that Nadiya survives this perilous ordeal. De- tails will follow in the next issue of Our Life . In my most recent communication with the President of the Ukrainian Women’s League of Ukraine, Oreslava Khomyk, I requested that she share with us her thoughts and feelings about current events in Ukraine. I quote from her re- sponse: “The war of Ukraine with its eternal ene- my—Russian imperialism—has changed not only Ukraine, but is changing the European landscape, is changing the world. Without any exaggeration I can say that the fate of the world is being deter- mined today here, in Ukraine, and the role of Ukrainian women in these processes is enormous. The Ukrainian woman is fighting with arms on the front; is engaged in volunteering, often at the risk of losing her life; is providing clothing, food,
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