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6 OUR LIFE • November 2023 OLENA ZELENSKA: Global Focus on Ukraine Must Continue Irene Jarosewich, Branch 75, Maplewood, NJ During her visit to Georgetown University in Wash - ington, DC, on September 21, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska called for the world not to ignore the ongoing war in Ukraine. “I understand that there may be some fatigue. However, to turn away your eyes would mean to turn your back on your own future. No one can ever feel safe in a world where might is right, where only those who are strong are in charge,” said the First Lady, continuing “... we know that evil, that aggression must be punished. ... This is what our country is fighting for. I believe that, with the help of people who care about the fate of the world, this peace will come.” Olena Zelenska’s visit to one of America’s oldest and most prestigious universities was hosted by the Georgetown Office of the President and the George - town Institute for Women, Peace, and Security (GIWPS). University President John J. DeGioia wel - comed and introduced Ukraine’s First Lady. GIWPS Executive Director, Ambassador Melanne Verveer, after offering her welcoming remarks, moderated a discussion with Olena Zelenska. World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organ - izations (WFUWO) UN Representatives Martha Kichorowska Kebalo and Irene Jarosewich, who during the past decade have worked with Ambassa - dor Verveer on several efforts related to women in Ukraine, were invited to attend the First Lady’s pres - entation in the nation’s capital. Both WFUWO Repre - sentatives are also members of the UNWLA – Martha of Branch 64 (New York) and Irene of Branch 75 (Ma - plewood, NJ). Speaking for almost 45 minutes to an audience of close to 650 students and 100 special guests in Gas - ton Hall on the university campus, Olena Zelenska explained the dire conditions that currently confront students in Ukraine. The school year began in Sep - tember very differently in Ukraine than in the U.S. In - stead of the traditional celebration of the beginning of the school year, many first-graders attended their first day of school in bomb shelters. “And only one- third of Ukraine’s children go to a school ... if there is no bomb shelter in the building, children cannot attend ... instead, they receive instruction through distance learning,” she explained. Furthermore, more than 80 universities have been damaged or destroyed by airstrikes since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. She expressed hope that soon there will be a Ukraine where university students can study in a peaceful en - vironment, such as the one offered to Georgetown students. During the event, the First Lady gave the university a gift of 260 Ukrainian books, a project of the Olena Zelenska Foundation that she initiated. The “Ukraini - an Bookshelf Project” has shared Ukrainian literature with libraries in 40 countries in an expanded effort to bring information about Ukraine to a wider audi - ence. She also noted that “as our people are fight - ing for survival, so are our books. Dozens of libraries have been burned down by russian missiles.” She added that “people are reading books in bomb shelters during air raid alerts ... books provide a men - tal escape ... you will see books in the hands of our internally displaced people because certain books remind them of home ... you will see our soldiers reading in the trenches because this is, at least for a few moments, normal life again.” The First Lady spoke with Ambassador Verveer about the significant role women play in defending Ukraine: “Ukrainian women are everywhere, a demonstration of equality that’s become more apparent during the war.” And despite extreme conditions, Ukraini - ans stay resilient, she noted, describing the ways in which the Ukrainian people remained strong during tragic times: gratitude and making connections with each other and with supporters worldwide. Olena Zelenska was honored with the 2022 Hillary Rodham Clinton Award, given to recipients recog - nized for their exceptional global leadership, for ad - vancing women’s rights and working toward creating a more peaceful and secure world. Last December, the First Lady could only be acknowledged virtually. However, on this September afternoon, she was giv - en last year’s award in person.
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