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Ukraine After the March 2010 elections in Ukraine, I often found myself writing in Our Life with a heavy heart about the disturbing events taking place in Ukraine. Under the newly elected President’s administration, the accomplishments of the last 20 years, during which Ukraine was looking toward the West and beginning to implement democratic reforms, are unfortunately unraveling and being reversed by the present regime. The UNWLA is a nonpolitical organization, but its membership is disheartened by these events, and we are reacting specifically to the human rights violations occurring in Ukraine. In response to these evolving and ongoing abuses, the Fourth Vice President Christine Melnyk wrote a strong statement of protest dated June 14, 2010, to the President of Ukraine. This letter (in both English and Ukrainian) was forwarded to all UNWLA branch presidents, with a request that they circulate this information and confirm solidarity with the freedom loving people of Ukraine. At the same time, copies of this letter were mailed to Ukrainian government officials, repre sentatives of the Ukrainian government in the United States, the U.S. State Department, and organs of the Ukrainian press. UNWLA membership was asked to reach out to local and state representatives as well as to U.S. Senators and Members of Congress. As in the past, the UNWLA continues to stand firm in defense of the basic freedoms of our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. (This letter was accessible on our website.) On September 22, 2010, the New York community held a demonstration in front of the Ukrainian Mission to the United Nations. The goal of the demonstration was to visibly and audibly show the community’s strong disapproval of the current reversion to Soviet-style rule by the President’s of Ukraine and his administration. At the time, President Viktor Yanukovych was visiting New York City for the opening session of the UN General Assembly. Members of the UNWLA participated in this joint diaspora demonstration, and I was invited to speak on behalf of our organization. Citing facts from our open letter to President Yanukovych, I pointed out the violations of human and civil rights that continue to transpire in Ukraine. Since its inception, our organization has been a strong advocate for human rights for the citizens of Ukraine and we are committed, if the need arises, to continue to voice our dismay over these violations and abuses. We continue to maintain an open line of contact, communication, and cooperation with the representatives of the Ukrainian government in Washington, D.C. and in New York City. The Ukrainian World Congress is the umbrella organization which coordinates and represents Ukrainian member organizations and Ukrainian diaspora interests of over twenty million Ukrainians around the world. I and other UNWLA representatives attend annual UWC meetings, and I submit a general annual report for the consolidated UWC report. In addition to WCU annual meetings, quarterly telephone conferences are held and I make every effort to participate. In August 2008 UWC held its IX Congress in Kyiv, Ukraine. Honorary President Iryna Kurowyckyj, Honorary President Anna Krawczuk, Maria Polanskyj (Scholarship Fund Chairperson), and I attended the Congress. Over 30 countries were represented at this meeting in Ukraine’s capital. Meeting Ukrainians from around the world reinforced that our common heritage and language connect us. The new President of WCU, Evhen Cholij, was elected at this gathering. Because 2008 marked the 60th anniversary of the UN General Assembly’s adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I proposed a resolution (which was passed) directed at the countries that originally signed this Declaration and currently host a Ukrainian population. The resolution recommended that the World Congress member organizations assess whether Declaration signatories are continuing to uphold their commitment to ensure human rights for all— including the rights of Ukrainians who may have settled in these countries! While in Ukraine for the IX WCU Congress, we attended President Victor Yushchenko’s reception at St. Sophia Cathedral on the occasion of Ukraine’s Independence Day as well as the Independence Day Parade on Khreshchatyk. First Lady of Ukraine Kateryna Yushchenko and UNWLA President Marianna Zajac. 74 XXIX Конвенція СУА www.unwla.org
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