LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (01/10/93)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Ukraine's psychiatrists running short of drugs

Dear Editor:

According to information received yesterday from the Ukrainian Psychiatric Association and the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, Ukrainian psychiatrists will soon be without drugs.

"Soon the Middle Ages will be back in Ukrainian psychiatry," Dr. Semyon Gluzman of the Ukrainian Psychiatric Association said, "and patients will have to be tied down to their beds. We don't even talk about treatment, because that is virtually non-existent. We talk about sedating patients, which is almost impossible already." The hospitals are almost out of sedatives, and there is no prospect for deliveries in the future.

The Geneva Initiative on Psychiatry, which is involved in the restructuring of Ukrainian psychiatry, is hereby calling for help in obtaining medical supplies for transportation to Ukraine. Our association is willing to provide transportation from the Netherlands to Kyyiv, where further distribution will be organized by the Ukrainian Psychiatric Association.

We very much hope for your support. Ukrainian psychiatric health care is lagging decades behind; if medical supplies cannot be shipped in soon, mental health care in Ukraine will return to the days of chains and metal bars.

Robert Van Voren
Amsterdam

The writer is general secretary of the Geneva Initiative on Psychiatry and coordinator for Western aid to psychiatry of the Ukrainian Ministry of Health.

Ukrainian government needs energy program

Dear Editor:

As the Ukrainian government finally gets serious about the economy, many issues need immediate attention. None is more important than the question of energy. This is the lifeblood of any modern economy. Ukraine's serious energy shortage will hinder any significant modernization. It is important, therefore, to create a national energy program to address Ukraine's energy needs. When independence was declared, this necessity seemed to have been lost. Too many people felt it would still be business as usual: continued cheap subsidized oil and gas from Russia. Now Ukraine is threatened with a shutdown from the lack of energy.

Because Ukraine no longer can afford total dependence on foreign sources, the program should provide a blueprint for increasing domestic energy production. Although this output has been declining, significant oil and gas reserves have been identified. The best means to expand exploration and extraction need to be identified and implemented. Also, the necessary role of nuclear power should be clearly defined.

A vital part of the program should include the creation of a strategic energy reserve. During the spring (for crop planting) and in the winter (for heating) adequate fuel supplies are critical. The lack of energy for this winter forced the government to restart a reactor at Chornobyl. A reserve could have avoided this situation. The difficulty in maintaining one requires that emphasis on energy conservation and efficiency be developed also.

In formulating a national energy program, Ukraine must view the signing of oil and gas agreements with Russia as only a short-term solution. With Russian production declining and prices rising to world levels, Ukraine can no longer obtain its past supply. Additionally, political disputes between Ukraine and Russia may lead to the withholding of energy as retaliation or punishment.

Its independence requires that Ukraine formulate national policies, and none are more crucial than those in the energy field. Ukraine faces serious repercussions each day it goes without an energy program.

Bohdan Skrobach
Toronto

Iwanciw Endowment assisted Lviv student

Dear Editor:

The issue of The Ukrainian Weekly of November 8, contains an article titled "Lviv student's impressions of a year of study in Toronto." While it is mentioned that Mr. Ostap Sereda studied at York University on a scholarship, the name of the scholarship is omitted. Mr. Sereda received support from the Dr. Ivan and Dr. Myroslawa Iwanciw Endowment Fund of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta. Established by the generous donation of Dr. Myroslawa Iwanciw, the purpose of the fund is to support programmes designed to foster scholarly exchanges with institutions in Ukraine and is administered by the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies. We are profoundly grateful to Dr. Myroslawa Iwanciw for her generous support of Ukrainian studies.

Dr. Frank E. Sysyn
Edmonton

The writer is acting director of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies.

Sodality members help faithful in Ukraine

Dear Editor:

On her visit to Lviv in July, Mrs. O. Zozula, treasurer and representative of St. Mary's Sodality, investigated the fate of St. Josaphat's Monastery. Born and raised in Lviv, she has personal knowledge of the city and definite contacts planned.

Upon visiting the Sisters of St. Josaphat's Monastery, Mrs. Zozula learned that the monastery itself was not returned to the sisters, but that some adjacent vacant land was donated to them. The sisters themselves are building a new monastery on this land. Since the visit, a foundation has been laid and the brick building is progressing with the help of a $1,000 donation from the sodality. Many of us were encouraged to see photos of the sisters laying bricks with mortar (27 bricks can be purchased with one American dollar.)

The sisters also informed Mrs. Zozula of their immense need for rosaries. Our sodality has mailed 10,000 rosaries for distribution and is planning to send more.

In addition, the sodality donated $1,000 to Stefania Shabatura, president of Caritas. Mrs. Shabatura established the Mariyska Druzhyna in Lviv and is currently providing daily meals to 300 orphans, elderly and other needy.

Supporting two seminaries in Brazil for the past 10 years, and providing regular donations to cover the cost of mailing clothing to an orphanage in Brazil, donations to the Children of Chornobyl, donations to a poor church in Oregon, and donation to Mt. Tabor Seminary in northern California, are but a few of our sodality's other endeavors.

Sincere thanks and appreciation go out to all who frequent our branches, attend our dinners, and participate so generously in our bake sales and the sale of pyrohy. May God Bless you all abundantly. Your cooperation makes our work possible.

Eva Victoria Hewko
Los Angeles

The writer is president of St. Mary's Sodality of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church in Los Angeles.

Lawyers, politicians complicate redress

Dear Editor:

As a Ukrainian Canadian, I found the difference of opinion between Lubomyr Luciuk and Ihor Bardyn on the question of the internment of Ukrainian Canadians during the first world war very interesting.

Dr. Luciuk seems to be impatient - and rightfully so - with the action of the Canadian government, while Mr. Bardyn, being the lawyer, argues for further procrastination.

In my opinion, if we leave this important matter to lawyers and politicians, this issue will go on and on and on.

As far as I am concerned, the Canadian government was given a golden opportunity to make amends in 1992, when Ukrainian Canadians were celebrating the 100th anniversary of their settlement in Canada.

Now, I ask you wouldn't it have been appropriate to conclude this issue on this anniversary date?

But hold it! Let's not forget that in the fall of 1993 our federal elections will take place.

If, as a community, we are obedient and apologetic and promise the Progressive Conservative Party our total support, then maybe the PCs will be so kind as to conclude this matter.

I say enough is enough. Why should we as a community have to wait for an election to right a wrong? Why should the path to acknowledgement be strewn with procrastination and stonewalling?

Why is it that politicians and lawyers always see complications and perspectives in an issue that others do not? An injustice has been done, and the Ukrainian community, I believe, is not asking for much. Yes, this issue is complicated, but only for lawyers and politicians.

Roman Hrycyna
Mississauga, Ontario

Congratulations on December 13 issue

Dear Editor:

I wish to congratulate you on the content of page 7 of The Ukrainian Weekly No. 50 of December 13, 1992.

The U.S.A. continues to follow a double standard. Whatever the Russians do, no matter how much against human rights, international law or contrary to the American spirit of so-called "fair play," is permissible. Whatever the other republics do, which does not please the United States, is nationalism. When the Russians become nationalistic on other people's territory, such as the Black Sea, it is viewed as "within Russian national interests," while the integrity of other member-states of the former USSR is conveniently put aside.

The Russian infection is so widespread that we see and hear Ukrainian diplomats and officials, here in this country, speaking Russian by preference, because they have such a poor knowledge of their mother tongue.

Your newspaper must continually set the record straight, as in the case of the journalist Stephen Budiansky re: Bohdan Khmelnytsky.

Mr. Budiansky has the usual prejudices of the American journalist in these matters. I am sure he never overtly worked for the Russians. However, to gain what journalists value most, that is access, they have to be cooperative. A cooperative subject can then be indoctrinated. The Russians are masters at this. Please keep up the good work.

Abraham Sokol
Clearwater, Fla.

Re: bonus mileage to "Kiev, Russia"

Dear Editor:

On checking for an update of my United Airlines Mileage Plus account recently, I was disturbed by the listing of one of my flights as originating in Kiev, Russia.

I immediately wrote to United Airlines, pointing out that it was ironic for a company whose business is geography not to know that Kiev is not in Russia. I also voiced my opinion that this lack of knowledge is unacceptable and derogatory to Ukrainians and Ukrainian-Americans.

I am pleased to report that I received a reply from David Armstrong, customer service representative, United Airlines. The reply apologized for the error in not recognizing the fact that Kyyiv is not in Russia and noted that immediate action had been taken so that this is no longer a problem.

The point of this letter is not only to show the achieved result, but also to show that we have to be pro-active in going after these results. I have found that over the years of writing letters to companies, newspapers, magazines, etc., on Ukrainian issues, nine out of ten times someone responded to those letters. Although the response has not always been positive, it has given me a great deal of satisfaction just knowing that I have someone's attention on a Ukrainian issue.

It may seem like a monumental task to fight all the anti-Ukrainian press at times, but unless all of us take the responsibility to write and voice our objections, there will be more of it. There is no better time than right now to make a resolution for the coming year to educate those who are ignorant about Ukraine and Ukrainian issues.

George Mischenko
Middletown, N.J.

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