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14 OUR LIFE • July-August 2024 ЗАХИЩАЄМО • ADVOCATE Children Praying for Children: National Prayer Campaign for Ukrainian Children Marta Fedoriw speaking at the Children Praying for Children event at Ukraine House in Washington, DC, on June 1. Flyer for the Washington, DC, event. On June 1, numerous UNWLA branches and partners nationwide organ- ized prayer events to bring communities together for Ukrainian children suffering because of the unjust russian war in Ukraine. The events took place in Washington, DC, and in various cities in California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. “By holding the Children Praying for Children services, we created a sacred space for children to come together in prayer, solidarity, and compassionate action for their peers who are affected by the tragic cir - cumstances of the russian war on Ukraine,” says Marta Fedoriw, chair of the UNWLA’s initiative Return Ukraine’s Children. “The prayer events organized by UNWLA branches and our partners not only honored the children of Ukraine and their resilience, but also served as a beacon of hope and solidarity for the Ukrainian diaspora in the U.S. and the global community.” In Washington, DC, the UNWLA, in cooperation with the Embassy of Ukraine, organized an ecumenical prayer event at Ukraine House. The prayer was led by leaders of the congregations represented in Ukraine and the U.S.: His Eminence Metropolitan Antony – Ukrainian Or - thodox Church of the USA; Rev. Roman Kapran, President of the Ukrainian Baptist Convention of the USA; Rev. Robert Hitchens, Rev. Marko Moro- zovych, Rev. Andriy Chornopysky, Rev. Oleksandr Dumenko – Ukrainian Greek Catholic Churches; and Rabbi Hyim Shafner of Kesher Israel: The Georgetown Synagogue, who addressed the gathering via video message. The children of the Ukrainian school in DC joined the event with the song “When the Child Is Praying.” Distinguished speakers Christopher Anderson, Director of European and Eurasian Affairs at the Department of State; Christian Levesque, Di- rector of the War Crimes Accountability Team (WarCAT) and Lead Pros- ecutor for Ukraine at the Department of Justice; and Congresswoman Susan Wild delivered remarks during the event. Irena Chalupa, President of UNWLA Branch 78, Washington, DC, wrote a prayer for Ukrainian children that was proclaimed during the event (see sidebar). Her Excellency Ambassador Oksana Markarova said, “We all are pray - ing and working hard to make sure that the world didn’t forget about Ukrainian children. We still do not know the fate of many of our chil - dren, particularly those who have been abducted. We have registered 20,000 cases of children being abducted by russia. But we all know that russia itself boasts of having ‘saved’ over 600,000 Ukrainian children, with or without their families.” According to official sources, the known number of children killed as of April 2024 is well over 500, with 1,292 children injured and some 20,000 children forcibly deported to russia. An estimated 2 million children fled Ukraine after the invasion in 2022 to find shelter in other countries, and 2.5 million have been internally displaced from their homes in Ukraine . In addition, more than 3,790 schools have been damaged or destroyed since the start of the 2022 full-scale invasion, severely impacting the con- sistency and quality of education opportunities for millions. These scars are devastating for Ukraine’s children and will leave an enduring impact. We are grateful to all the members of the Ukrainian American commu- nity who lifted Ukrainian children in their prayers and keep advocating for the safe return of all Ukrainian children to their homes and families. Ambassador of Ukraine to the U.S. Oksana Markarova; Irena Chalu - pa, President of UNWLA Branch 78, Washington, DC; and Marta Fedoriw, chair of the UNWLA’s initiative Return Ukraine’s Children, with speakers and religious leaders attending the Children Praying for Children event in Washington, DC. Anna Bereznyak , UNWLA Communications Coordinator
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