BRAMA, October 19, 2001, 4 pm ET

Upcoming Parliamentary Elections, UNIS 25^th Anniversary Plans Were Topics of Discussion at UCCA Executive Board Meeting

New York, NY (UCCA) — Members of the Executive Board of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) met on Saturday, October 13, 2001 to confer on several important topics following a three-month summer vacation. Originally scheduled for Saturday, September 15, 2001, the meeting was postponed in the wake of the September 11^th attacks on New York City. UCCA President Michael Sawkiw, Jr. began the deliberations by asking Executive Board members to stand for a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the September 11^th terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, and in memory of two long-time UCCA activists who have recently departed – Prof. Petro Goy and Dr. Myroslav Charkevych.

First on the agenda was a discussion about the upcoming parliamentary elections in Ukraine in March 2002 and in what manner the UCCA should participate. The UCCA President reminded the Executive Board members that since 1994, the UCCA has conducted several civic education projects in Ukraine, primarily concentrating its efforts on the youngest generation of Ukraine’s electorate – the 18-35 year old age group. Mr. Sawkiw also expressed a desire for the UCCA to open a permanent office in Kyiv that would monitor future UCCA projects and would serve as an information source for activities occurring in Ukraine. The discussion further centered on the role of the media in Ukraine during the parliamentary campaigns and its objectivity. Motions were offered to enlist the support of the Ukrainian American community to subscribe to the non-oligarchic Ukrainian newspaper "Shlakh Peremohy" for their friends and family members in Ukraine, as well as to stipulate to the American government the necessity to support a free and independent media through its various democracy-building programs in Ukraine.

The topic of the "Fourth Wave" of Ukrainian immigrants to the United States was also explored. In recent months the UCCA had renovated the first floor of its building in New York to be used as a resource for programs aimed at teaching English as a second language (ESL), legal services, a job and housing bank, etc. Other proposed motions included the greater use of media outlets (newspapers, radio, TV, and Internet) to promote the activities of the UCCA and how the "Fourth Wave" can become involved in the organized Ukrainian American community.

On a brighter note, the UCCA President informed members of the Executive Board that next year the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS), the full-time Washington bureau of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, will be celebrating its 25^th anniversary. Plans were discussed to organize nationwide fund-raisers for the UNIS office, as well as to hold a cocktail reception in Washington to celebrate UNIS' achievements over the past twenty-five years. The need to mobilize the community is an important element of UNIS functions, thus in addition to the fund-raisers "traveling" roundtable discussions will be held in each of the proposed cities, to raise the community's awareness of UNIS' role in Washington. Furthermore, a full-fledged "mortgage-burning" initiative will begin to raise the appropriate funds needed to pay off the newly purchased UNIS building in Washington, DC.

A brief overview of events was discussed pertaining to the III World Forum of Ukrainians and the celebration of the 10^th anniversary of Ukrainian Independence Day (both in Ukraine and in the United States). The UCCA President thanked the many Executive Board members who traveled to Ukraine to be a part of the III World Forum of Ukrainians; as well as to partake in the 10^th anniversary independence festivities in Ukraine. The Ukrainian community was also praised by the UCCA President for their diligent efforts to organize festivals, banquets, and public ceremonies commemorating the 10^th anniversary of Ukraine’s restored independence.

In attendance at the Executive Board meeting was Oles Yanchuk, producer of the UCCA co-sponsored film "The Undefeated." Mr. Yanchuk provided his perception of the film premieres in Ukraine, the United States, and at various international film festivals. "’The Undefeated’ is met with a wide-array of interest anywhere it is presented," commented Mr. Yanchuk, as he reiterated an episode in Moscow where a person’s anti-UPA (Ukrainian Insurgent Army) bias was quelled by the end of the film. Michael Sawkiw, Jr. reported on the film’s premiere in Washington, DC on Thursday, October 11, 2001, which was attended by many dignitaries including the Consul General of Ukraine to the U.S., Valentyn Nalyvaichenko; Minister Counselor of the Ukrainian Embassy, Volodymyr Yatsinkivskyj; and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, William Green Miller. The UCCA president proposed the formation of a Film Committee to explore possibilities for future films projects. The new Film Committee members elected were: Michael Sawkiw, Jr., Laryssa Kyj, Askold Lozynskyj, Tamara Gallo, Taras Hunczak, Myroslav Shmigel, Ivan Kobasa, Kvitka Semanyshyn, and Prof. Volodymyr Stojko.

Under miscellaneous items, Prof. Taras Hunczak mentioned the need for the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America to investigate further the proposed introduction of computers to Ukrainian schools, whose operating systems would be in the Russian language. If needed, letters would be sent to both the Microsoft Corp. and the Ministry of Education in Kyiv. UCCA Executive Vice President Laryssa Kyj also mentioned the annual commemorative program for the 68^th anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide, which will be held on Saturday, November 17, 2001 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral at 2pm. Furthermore, she also pointed out the commencement of the UCCA regional conferences, first of which is scheduled in New Jersey on Sunday, October 14^th.

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