Edição mensal do Congresso Mundial Ucraniano, № 3 (19) – Março, 2005

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ENCONTRO DO COMITÉ EXECUTIVO E DO CONSELHO DOS DIRECTORES

O Comité executivo do Congresso Mundial Ucraniano (UMC) terá um encontro no sábado, 19 de Março às 9:30 AM em Toronto. E o encontro anual dos membros do Conselho Directivo, acontecerá na cidade de Kharkiv, na Ucrânia, nos dias 16,17 e 18 de Agosto de 2005. A cidade de Kharkiv foi escolhida por razões logísticas e estratégicas. Kharkiv localiza-se na Ucrânia Central e possui os acessos simples para gente vinda quer do Ocidente, quer do Leste (existem os combóis que ligam Kharkiv à capital, Kyiv, partindo vários vezes por dia). Alem disso, Kharkiv, a capital ucraniana entre 1919 à 1934, era o centro da vida intelectual ucraniana, mesmo na época soviética, e as primeiras purgas e repressão comunista, nos anos 20-30, começou à partir de Kharkiv. Mesmo hoje, Kharkiv representa o pulso espiritual e intelectual da Ucrânia Oriental. O encontro do Conselho Directivo incluirá o programa comemorativo e alguns eventos extraordinários. Detalhes serão apresentados nos próximos números da nossa edição mensal.

PRESIDENTE YUSHCHENKO VISITARÁ OS EUA

Presidente ucraniano visitará os Estados Unidos à convite de George W. Bush, entre 3 à 7 de Abril de 2005. Presidente Yushchenko terá um encontro com JWB em Washington DC e depois irá encontrar-se com a comunidade ucraniana e os lideres financeiros em New York e Chicago. Mais detalhes sobre a visita poderão ser encontrados na imprensa ucraniana dos EUA e na página web do Comité Congressista Ucraniano da America: www.UCCA.org.

FILME SOBRE A GUERILHA UCRANIANA (UPA) SERÁ EXEBIDO NOS EUA E CANADA

O filme sobre a luta do Exercito Ucraniano Insurgente (UPA) nos terrenos ucranianos de Zakherzonnia (oferecidos à Polónia pelo Stalin em 1945), produzido em conjunto por produtor ucraniano Oles Yanchuk e o mecenas ucraniano da Austrália, Sr. Yuriy Boretc (autor do livro que serviu de argumento) terá uma série de exibições nos EUA e Canada em Abril de 2005. As datas previstas são: 9 de Abril – Montreal; 10 de Abril – Toronto; 11-14 de Abril – Hamilton, St. Catharines, London and Windsor; 15 de Abril – Cleveland; 16 de Abril – Detroit; 17 de Abril – Chicago; 18 –19 de Abril – Hammond e Milwaukee; 22 de Abril – Los Angeles; 23 de Abril – New York. Todos os fundos, conseguidos com a exibição do filme, serão usados na próxima produção, um filme dedicado à Sua Beatitude, Metropolitano da Igreja Católica Ucraniana (Uniata), Andriy Sheptyckiy.

UKRAINIANS IN TRANSDNIESTER AND RUSSIA EXPAND ACTIVITIES

While the presidential election of last year in Ukraine proved largely successful, it also exposed a number of deficiencies within our communities in the Diaspora, in particular in Moldova (Transdniester) and the Russian Federation. The elections there were greatly influenced (even controlled) by the government there and resulted even on December 26th in a vote favoring Prime Minister Yanukovich by 92% and 81% respectively. Following the November 21st fiasco, rules were put in place in Ukraine to preclude both fraud and an uneven playing field in Ukraine. However, this did not apply to the polling stations in the Diaspora since those had been fixed and foreign government influence, particularly Russian, in such places as the Transdniester region of Moldova and the Russian Federation (RF) could not be addressed. In Transdniester, a breakaway region where the Ukrainian community is essentially separatist, Russia has created the impression of being the protector from Moldova, suggesting that protection depended upon support for the pro-Russian candidate. In the RF, the Russian government established a “Ukrainian” newspaper urging Ukrainian citizens in Russia to vote for Prime Minister Yanukovich and portraying opposition candidate Victor Yushchenko as a fascist and the candidate of American imperialism.
Despite pervasive russophilism predicated on a perception of Russian protection, because of its proximity, Ukraine remains a very significant factor in Transdniester. Nevertheless, open support for the separatists by the Yushchenko government would be problematic. The Ukrainian community leaders in Transdniester have expanded activity to stem complete russification of the Ukrainian population there, i.e. opening a Ukrainian school, grades 1-10 in Bandery. They hope to increase enrollment and provide additional grades, by providing transportation, school lunches, etc. for both students and teachers.
The cultural and educational pro-Ukraine activities of the Ukrainian community in Russia are coordinated by the Association of Ukrainians in Russia. Their main mechanisms for outreach to the grassroots are periodic visits, which often prove difficult as the RF geographically spans eleven time zones. Another tool is a non-periodical publication named “Ukrainian Review.” Only six issues of this publication have appeared since 2001. The aim is to publish periodically, at least bimonthly in the beginning, increase circulation and span from Kalinigrad to Kamchatka, particularly ethnographic Ukrainian territory such as Kuban and arrange for publication on line. The estimate for this is a reasonable 25 thousand U.S. dollars annually. The UWC has established a special Eastern Diaspora Fund for this and other purposes dealing with such countries as Moldova (Transdniester), Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Contributions may be forwarded to either UWC office in Toronto or New York. Please write Eastern Diaspora Fund on your checks or money orders.