Boston UCCA promotes awareness of Ukrainian Famine-Genocide (07/24/05)

Boston UCCA promotes awareness of Ukrainian Famine-Genocide

BOSTON - The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, Boston Chapter, sponsored a presentation about the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide for teachers gathered at the Northeast Regional Conference on the Social Studies held at the Boston Plaza Hotel on March 14-17.

The presentation, which was offered as a special 70-minute session geared to teachers of high school and college/university, took place on March 15. The Northeast Regional Conference encompasses the states of Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.

The speakers included two local priests, Father Yaroslav Nalysnyk and Father Roman Tarnawsky; a Famine eyewitness, Anna Raniuk; and Dr. Lubomyr Hayda of Harvard University. The presentation also included the documentary "Harvest of Despair." It is noteworthy that Mrs. Raniuk has visited numerous schools to speak about the Famine and her life, and that students have shown a great deal of interest in what she has to say as a survivor of this genocide.

UCCA members Nick Geba, Mike Hotz and Maria Walzer were present, as was Michael Boluch, an attorney, who represented the Ukrainian American Veterans.

At the conclusion of the presentation, the Boston UCCA gave the teachers a booklet that contained copies of a selection of testimonies from the three-volume report of the U.S. Commission on the Ukraine Famine Commission (with the notation that the full report should be available at major public libraries), a bibliography of books they could use to seek out more information, websites that have information about the Famine, and a copy of a proclamation on the Ukrainian Genocide issued in 2004 by Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

A copy of a Newsweek article stating that Stalin had murdered about 20 million people also was part of the package. The article notes: "In the shadow of a century of unspeakable atrocities, from the 20 million killed in Stalin's purges and the gulag, to Hitler's extermination of 6 million Jews and the 1.7 million lives snuffed out on the killing fields of Pol Pot's Cambodia, researchers are seeking answers to a question as urgent as it is profound: if we all have the capacity for evil, why does it become a reality in only some?"

About 100 copies of this brief information packet were distributed.

Also distributed were copies of "The Forced Famine in Ukraine 1932-1933: Curriculum and Resource Guide for Educators," which was prepared by Dr. Myron B. Kuropas and made available by the Ukrainian National Association.

A copy of the materials was sent to Sen. Edward Kennedy, who responded with a letter in which he noted: "Thank you for contacting my office regarding the inclusion of the Ukrainian Genocide into the Massachusetts history curriculum. I believe that it is very important for students to be aware of such important historical events such as this tragedy. Therefore, I have forwarded your information to the Massachusetts Department of Education."

The Boston Chapter of the UCCA is now making copies of its booklet available to the public for $3 (to cover photocopying costs). Checks should be made payable to the UCCA Boston Chapter and orders sent to: Maria Walzer, 11 Green Valley Road, Medway, MA 02053.

Ms. Walzer, who is vice-president of the UCCA's Boston Chapter, noted that the information can be used by readers to approach their local high schools to urge them to include the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide as part of their social studies curriculum.

She added: "For the future of our children, our grandchildren and those to come, we as Ukrainians have got to make sure that history tells the truth, and that the facts about this atrocity are not hidden."

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