Florida community sponsors town-hall meetings regarding unity (06/01/97)

Florida community sponsors town-hall meetings regarding unity

NORTH PORT, Fla. - The Ukrainian American community here sponsored two town-hall-type meetings, the principal topic of which was uniting the two existing Ukrainian central organizations in the U.S. into one umbrella organization and bringing unity to divided Ukrainian communities throughout the country.

An ad hoc committee, chaired by Joseph Lesawyer, sponsored the first meeting on February 22, and invited the president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, Dr. Askold Lozynskyj, to be the keynote speaker. Mr. Lesawyer welcomed the guests assembled at St. Mary Ukrainian Catholic Parish Hall and called upon journalist Yaroslaw Haywas to introduce the speaker.

Introduced as being of the younger generation, president of the UCCA for a number of years and a frequent traveler to Ukraine, Mr. Lozynskyj delved into the problems with which an independent Ukraine has been coping: a declining economy, crime, the slow pace of privatization, an ineffective Verkhovna Rada, etc. The most positive development, he noted, was the adoption of the new Constitution of Ukraine.

Mr. Lozynskyj then talked about the great need for unity among Ukrainians in the diaspora, and the negotiations for the past year between the UCCA and the UACC about uniting the two central organizations. Thus far, no resolution has been achieved, but further talks are in the offing. The hope, Mr. Lozynskyj said, is for the creation of one umbrella organization through which Ukrainian Americans can speak with one voice to local, state and national politicians and the president, as well as to Kyiv.

Afterwards Mr. Lozynskyj replied extensively to the audience's questions, which indicated that all present agree that unity is most important and should be achieved as soon as possible.

A second town meeting was held on March 19 at St. Andrew Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center. The ad hoc committee invited UACC President Ulana Diachuk to be the keynote speaker. Her topic also was to discuss the need and work done so far to merge into one representative national organization.

Walter Boryskewich Boyd welcomed the speaker and the audience, and called upon Mr. Lesawyer to speak briefly about the need for unity. He mentioned the beginnings of the Ukrainian National Association and the 103rd anniversary of the UNA, which today is headed by Mrs. Diachuk.

Roman Shramenko, president of St. Andrew's, introduced the speaker as a community leader dedicated to the Ukrainian cause who works with the American Ukrainian communities.

Mrs. Diachuk then delved into the subject of unity and ongoing negotiations between the UCCA and the UACC and the possibility of these two central organizations uniting. She spoke also about Ukrainian communities in the U.S., noting that small organizations that are united can do more for the Ukrainian cause than larger ones that are not.

She commented on Congress voting on foreign aid to Ukraine, and the need to inform Washington politicians and the president of the importance of aid to Ukraine, one of the most important democracies in Eastern Europe.

Mrs. Diachuk concluded her address by stating, "My request to you is: unite. The desire for unity is felt in all communities, thus the UACC and the UCCA ultimately will have to unite, then all branches of the UCCA and the UACC, as well as independent organizations, including youth and women's groups, also will join this new organization to speak with one voice to the world.

During the question period that followed, audience members asked what is hindering unity between the UACC and the UCCA and whether it is time "to retire professional troublemakers" from the UACC and the UCCA in order to attain unity. Mrs. Diachuk answered these and other questions.

Mr. Boyd called upon Mr. Lesawyer to read the following resolution, which the audience adopted unanimously.

Community's resolution

Whereas, Ukrainian Americans are vitally interested in America's strenuous efforts to maintain democratic freedom and peace with justice throughout the world:

We hereby pledge our full and unqualified support of our government's program to assist have-not nations, including Ukraine, to develop stronger political democracies and free market reforms;

We further pledge all our efforts to unify all our groups, including the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council and other regional and national organizations, to speak on behalf of our diaspora in Washington and Kyiv with one voice;

We unanimously warmly thank our guest speakers, Askold Lozynsky, president of the UCCA, and Ulana M. Diachuk, president of the UACC, for appearing at our first and second sessions, respectively, to inform us about the prevailing conditions in our national and international communities.

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