UCCA executive board discusses events in Ukraine and United States (04/15/01)

UCCA executive board discusses events in Ukraine and United States

by Tamara Gallo
Ukrainian Congress Committee of America

NEW YORK - The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America executive board held its regularly scheduled meeting on Saturday, March 24, at the UCCA headquarters in Manhattan.

Presiding at the meeting were Michael Sawkiw Jr., president; Laryssa Kyj, executive vice-president; and Marie Duplak, executive secretary. After the reading of the minutes from the previous meeting, the UCCA president focused the board's attention on four crucial areas: the Third World Forum of Ukrainians and the 10th anniversary celebration of Ukrainian Independence Day; fund-raising; policy issues in the United States as well as in Ukraine; and the recent floods in western Ukraine.

Askold Lozynskyj, president of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC), who attended an organizational planning meeting in Kyiv several weeks earlier, informed the gathering about the forthcoming Third World Forum of Ukrainians. He noted that the forum will be held August 18-20 in Kyiv under the theme "World Ukrainians Unite in Cooperative Efforts." Mr. Lozynskyj described the panel discussions, which will be held on three principal topics: youth, the Ukrainian language and the world community of Ukrainians. The forum is expected to attract 600 delegates split evenly between Ukraine and the diaspora. Of the 300 delegates designated for the diaspora, 150 will be from the Western diaspora, while the other half of 150 will be from the Eastern diaspora, those areas of the former Soviet Union where Ukrainians reside. Furthermore, it is estimated that the United States will have a delegation of 30 to 35 people representing the two central body organizations - the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council.

Following the official ceremonies of the Third World Forum of Ukrainians, participants will also witness the official ceremonies for the 10th anniversary of Ukrainian independence. A special session of the Ukrainian Parliament will be held on August 23 at the Ukraina Palace, while the next day's program will feature official parades and a majestic concert of Ukrainian cultural ensembles from throughout the entire world. The Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus was nominated by the UCCA and the UACC to officially represent the United States during the concert festivities in Kyiv.

Other aspects of the 10th anniversary celebration for the Ukrainian American community included an appeal for all organizations to have a joint commemoration in Washington, during the month of September (when Congress returns to session). Local celebrations should be coordinated with the major event in Washington, so as not to conflict with it and attract as many Ukrainians as possible to the U.S. capital. Press kits, including white papers on Ukraine's independence are to be prepared and distributed to UCCA branches in May/June in preparation for the 10th anniversary celebration in August.

The next topic of discussion centered on the UCCA's relations with the new Bush administration and an analysis of the current situation in Ukraine. UCCA President Sawkiw informed the board members that he sent a greeting to President George Bush on behalf of the UCCA wishing him a fruitful four years. The letter also contained a request for a meeting with officials of the new administration including the president, Vice-President Dick Cheney, National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice, and Secretary of State Colin Powell.

The remaining discussion focused on events currently transpiring in Ukraine, the latest congressional delegation to Ukraine, as well as a congressional resolution that focuses on recent developments in Ukraine.

UCCA Treasurer Michael Spontak outlined the bottom-line figure for the first quarter of 2001, whereas the president focused attention on fund-raising activities for the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS). Such fund-raisers are to be held throughout the country in various Ukrainian communities; the first of them will be in Chicago on April 24. The focus of the benefits is to raise awareness of the only full-time public office representing the Ukrainian American community in Washington, and thus to attract the attention of the so-called "yuppie" generation as potential contributors.

The devastating floods in western Ukraine also were a topic on the agenda. John Burtyk, head of the UCCA's Council on Aid to Ukrainians (CAU), described the actions already taken to help victims in the Zakarpattia region. An appeal was sent to Ukrainian American newspapers, as well as reproduced on the UCCA website, seeking donations of clothes, medical supplies, dry food and money for the flood victims. Each UCCA branch also received an appeal from the UCCA president requesting that solicitations for donations be made within local Ukrainian communities.

| Home Page |