FACES AND PLACES: An opportunity to lead! (05/30/99)

FACES AND PLACES

by Myron B. Kuropas

An opportunity to lead!

The June 23-25 Joint Conferences of Ukrainian American Organizations is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our Ukrainian American community to come together in a unique and advantageous manner.

The heads of some 20 professional and community organizations have been presented with a forum in which to exercise leadership.

Among the sponsors of the conferences are the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) and the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council (UACC), two umbrella organizations claiming to be representative of our community, as well as the Ukrainian National Association and the Ukrainian Fraternal Association, our two largest mutual-benefit societies, both of which sorely need a vision infusion.

The professional societies - our physicians, lawyers, engineers, librarians, and architects - have planned fascinating sessions that promise to contribute to the expertise of their members.

An especially interesting presentation for professionals and non-professionals alike is the UABA session reviewing the lawsuit against CBS for its "60 Minutes" segment "The Ugly Face of Freedom" during which it was implied that Ukrainians are "genetically anti-Semitic."

During their sessions, the Ukrainian Credit Union Association will review the credit union movement in the diaspora, as well as in Ukraine. Can our community point to a greater triumph than our credit unions? I can't think of any.

Topics related to women's health and U.S. labor laws will be addressed by the Ukrainian National Women's League of America. Ukrainian women, I've noticed over the years, do little talking and much doing.

The Washington Group is planning a series of presentations on U.S.-Ukraine military cooperation - an especially timely topic in view of the fact that the Ukrainian military appears to be demanding more Russian language translators in its contacts with the U.S. military - as well discussions of Ukraine's role in the international space program, Ukraine-U.S business cooperation, trafficking of women from Ukraine, and the political situation in Ukraine on the eve of presidential elections.

Combined with a series of joint sessions, including a joint Catholic/Orthodox ecumenical moleben, the five-day Ukrainian panorama is a tribute to optimism.

Two other sessions would have been helpful. A conference sponsored by the UCCA and the UACC devoted to community cohesion could have yielded positive results. What a discussion might have ensued, especially if a number of community leaders not associated with either organization would have demanded greater cooperation if not unity. Such a session, however, would have required a certain acumen and a putting aside of ego-motivated personal agendas.

I can still dream. If such a session is demanded by the Washington participants and if the leaders of the UCCA and the UACC are open to the desires of the larger community, perhaps a meeting, open to all, can still be arranged. The main topic of such a session should be devoted to avoiding duplication of efforts. The UCCA has certain assets and leadership skills, and the UACC does as well. A division of labor that capitalizes on these capabilities would result in a win-win situation for both organizations and a more coordinated, dexterous, and ultimately auspicious approach to community issues.

Another session that might have been advantageous would have been a joint session of UNA and UFA members to discuss the future of fraternal organizations. Both societies are in need of some direction and an open, honest, "tell us what you need" conclave could have produced some interesting ideas.

In terms of long-term, community-wide goals, however, the most promising session will occur at 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 27. The leaders of all Ukrainian organizations have been invited to meet and to discuss the topic "Finding Direction for our Organizations."

Given the kinds of egos involved, it is difficult to imagine that all organizational leaders will attend. And even if they do, how many will be willing to cooperate with other organizations? Will the UCCA send its numero uno leader? Askold Lozynskyj has always been ideologically driven and does not have a reputation for cooperation or compromise. But, who knows? He may change.

So what can we expect from the June 27 meeting? I hope that UACC President Ihor Gawdiak will attend. He has inherited an organization in disarray but is not dismayed. Perhaps he can generate enough excitement during the Sunday session to restore the UACC to its original promise.

If nothing else, however, I would hope that the remaining organizational leaders could create something on the order of a council of presidents. The purpose of the council would be to identify joint projects that lend themselves to cooperative efforts. Given the fact that most of the presidents represent professional organizations, a good beginning might be to concentrate on professional education in Ukraine, the good and the bad. A study could be commissioned to determine how well Ukraine's future professionals are being prepared for their roles in society. Success in tackling this relatively modest goal could generate enthusiasm for more ambitious projects in the future.

Even if the leadership meeting yields little in terms of results, Dr. Roman Goy and his support team are to be congratulated for their efforts on behalf of the Washington conference. They were able to overcome skepticism (including my own) on the very possibility of such a conference and to gain support for its realization from every important segment of our community. Just the fact that all professional organizations have agreed to meet at the same time is already a major achievement.

Press support is also a remarkable attainment. I've seen full-page advertisements in numerous Ukrainian periodicals which augurs well for the conference.

The entire Washington gathering on the scale envisioned by its organizers is definitely a first in our community. All of us need to become involved.

Myron Kuropas' e-mail address is: mbkuropas@compuserve.com

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