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“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, БЕРЕЗЕНЬ 2019 WWW. UNWLA .ORG 9 I n mid - February, as I write this month’s column for Our Life , events a re being planned in Ukraine and worldwide to commemorate the five - year an- niversary of the massacre of the “Heavenly Hun- dred” during the Euromaidan. A t the same time, 44 candidates have already registered to run for President of Ukraine during the elections to be held on March 31. It was five years ago, during the first half of 2014, when event s that kick - started the rocky road for Ukraine until the present day took place . On February 20, 2014, protestors were killed in clashes with security forces in Kyiv . These victims have come to be called the “Heavenly Hundred.” T hree months following th e m assacre, on May 25 , 2014 , Petro Poroshenko was voted in as President of Ukraine. Many of us were together at the XXX th UNWLA Convention when we learned of his over- whelming victory and celebrated together! Much has transpired since that time: the war in Don bas has destroyed the lives of thou- sands , and there is no end in sight. And as I write this article, Dr. Ulana Suprun, one of the most vis- ible and effective symbols of reform in Ukraine, is battling to continue her crusade in the sphere of healthcare. Unti l a few days ago, she was the acting Minister of Health and was working tirelessly to reform the corrupt and antiquated healthcare sys- tem in Ukraine . But she is now awaiting a Kyiv court’s decision on whether she can continue or will be ousted from this ro le . Her position is being challenged on a technicality which, according to all credible sources, has become a convenient ploy during this presidential campaigning period. She is fighting for the right to continue her efforts to enable and support a stable and transparent healthcare system for Ukrainians. Along with many organizations and individuals, the UNWLA has voiced its support for Dr. Suprun and medical system reform via a press release. As the hearing ( during which each side was able to present its c ase ) ended on February 12, Dr. Suprun was inter- viewed as she stood on the steps of the Kyiv Court- house. If a single judge can halt the work of the Health Ministry and medications meant to be sent throughout Ukraine are being held hostage in a warehouse, what is next? Can a judge jus t as easily halt the work of the Department of Defense with a mission to defend Ukraine? An overarching question looms : W hat will Ukraine become after these upcoming elections? What will be the fate of the Ministry of Health and its acting Minister , to be decided in the next few days? We can all agree that both outcomes will be very telling for the future course of the country. With these events as our backdrop, UN- WLA projects continue to move forward. As I wrote in last month’s issue of Our Life , “ On De- c ember 15, the UNWLA appealed to its member- ship to support our Sea of Azov Christmas project. ” The UNWLA Executive Board proposed to show support to those living in the Sea of Azov area which has been blockaded after Russian forces at- tacked three Ukrainian navy vessels and took Ukrainian sailors into custody. Reacting to the hu- man face of this latest act of war, our contacts will deliver Christmas presents to selected orphanages in the cities of Mariupol and Berdyansk.” Our branches quickly responded to our appeal : $5,000 was sent to UNWLA contacts in Ukraine , and gifts commensurate with the orphanages’ needs were purchased for the children. As has been previously described in earlier columns published in Our Life , for the past several years, the UNWLA has sponsored children’s Christmas and summer camps administered by the Chaplaincy of the Lviv Eparchy and our long - term associate , Fr. Stepan Sus. The 2019 winter camps were held from Jan uary 2 through January 2 7. The last camp session, January 21 to Janu ary 27, fo- cused on the children and families from eastern Ukraine, from the front - line cities of Krasno- horovka and Toretskaya. As part of this program, parents skyped with a military officer and psycho- therapist from Israel, who was originally from the Lviv region. They discussed children’s responsibil- ities, independence and internal strife arising from the war. An older group of children had a session with a psychologist and talked about how to plan for a successful future under these trying circum- stances. Camp participants and volunteers shared their impressions of the time spent together, thank ing each other with hugs and tears of happi- ness. As this issue was going to press, we learned that Dr. Suprun has been unofficially reinstated as acting minister of health, pending a final ruling. The reversal, albeit provisional, is welcome news . ____________________
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