Ukrainian Community Press Releases
|
News
from and about Ukraine & Ukrainians
Ukrainian Community Press Releases |
PRESS RELEASE
August 3, 1999
The Subcommittee of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, National, dealing with the recognition of the Soviet Ukraine Famine, supports ongoing efforts for the creation of a Canadian Museum devoted to the commemoration of crimes against humanity in which the Ukrainian Genocide will be honoured.
Sarkis Assadourian, MP from Brampton, whose Bill C-479 was supported by UCC across Canada has launched a post-card writing campaign aimed at getting the government to establish a Museum of Reconciliation.
The all inclusive Museum, based on Bill C-479, is to be devoted to crimes committed against humanity in the 20th century and to reflect Canada's Multicultural makeup. "It is designed to build unity between all communities in Canada. We need Canadians to continue telling the government that an all inclusive Museum is our wish by signing and mailing the post cards," he said.
"We see an announcement of the Museum in the Speech from the Throne and a subsequent allocation of funds as a way of fast-tracking the initiative," said Oksana Bashuk Hepburn, member of the Sub-Committee.
UCC has worked to ensure that the Great Famine, which destroyed about 10 million people, be treated with the dignity and respect that it deserves. "Senior Ottawa advisers have told us that the government is seeking to make a response to the efforts we have put into seeking inclusion. By announcing the establishment of the Museum of Reconciliation in the Throne Speech, the government would be indicating it's seriousness. "
The Speech from the Throne, to be read sometimes in September is the government's action plan. "We will support this initiative", said Marika Szkembara, President of UCC Toronto. "The government received over fifty thousand post cards asking for the establishment of an inclusive Museum. This new post card asks that the Museum be placed on its agenda. We would like to see that happen soon."
The post cards are available throughout Canada. If you do not have one, call your MP to register your support for the Museum of Reconciliation or 1 613 996 2853 for the listing.
OBH 3/8/99
August 1, 1999
Letters to the Editor
National Post
letters@nationlpost.com
Sir/Madame,
I wish to relate two articles in the Post: Plans for the Holocaust Museum Stalled and The Stalinization of the Left, July 31, 1999 to show the relevance of history to the understanding of today's issues.
From its inception, Communism has been a Fascist ideology. To illustrate: In this century, during peacetime, Communist dictatorships killed about 110 million people; 62 million of these in the former Soviet Union, in the name of the interests of the state. Stalin, now a convenient synonym for Communist's evils, was but one executioner among many like the better known Lenin and the lesser known Kaganovych, none of whom should qualify as anything but killers even to honest "left-delusionists" as George Jonas correctly calls them.
There were several famines in Ukraine during this century. All were policy driven: to coerce an ethnic group, the Ukrainians, to submit to Russo Communist imperatives. The most monumental Great Famine of 1932-33 starved 10 million people in order to cleanse the country-side of Ukrainian landowners and fill the vacuum with non-Ukrainians.
Hitler, who came to history's stage some ten years later adopted the Fascist/ Communism model, applying the logic that if 10 million Ukrainians can be eliminated in the interest of the state, then why not 6 million Jews? Unlike the Communists, Hitler made two key mistakes: he failed to camouflage Fascism in liberal terms and he lost the War. Unchecked and unrepentent, the Communist are still in the mass destruction business. Witness the richness of today's ex Eastern European elite and the arrogant political moves of a Milosovic at the expense of the people.
That was history. Now to today's issue.
The proposed Canadian Genocide Museum is not about ethnic rivalry. It is about making the point that under certain circumstances, when absolute power or mass hysteria win the day, the dark side of humanity surfaces and people die in the millions. Over and over again: the Cultural Revolution, the Killing Fields, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Armenia, Ukraine...
Despite humanity's aversion to atrocities and declarations of "never again", genocide (10 million dead is more convincing that UN's bureaucratic definition of the term based on political imperatives) is not an aberration, a one-time phenomenon.
The purpose of a Canadian memorial to mass destruction is to continue teaching the lesson" never again". Because history repeats itself and we humans area repeat offenders. The inclusion of repeat cases of crimes against humanity strengthens the message.
The Jewish holocaust is a well known case. The Jewish people have achieved universal success in ensuring that their grief is recognized and honoured. Others continue to strive to make known the loss, the grief of the less known holocausts , equally wicked and painful. Perhaps their grief is even greater; it is augmented by the absence of acknowledgment and sympathy.
Canada's Genocide Museum, or however it might be called, should be Canadian in spirit and execution. It should be devoted to the universal respect for the sanctity of life and other human rights and based on the principles of inclusion.
With warm regards,
Oksana Bashuk Hepburn
National Committee for the Commemoration of the Soviet
Ukrainian Famine Genocide
Ukrainian Canadian Congress
Ukrainian Canadian Congress
OTTAWA NEWSLETTER
Vol 2/3, Aug. 1999
Dear Friends,
Just a few words to wish you all a happy summer and to remind you that the Independence Day Celebrations will be held on Sunday Aug. 22 from 10am to 10pm at the St. John's Ukrainian Camp. With all the heat that we've had, it's a good place to cool off, meet old friends, get in some volleyball, have the kids paint their faces and swim, and have a chat.
Our discussion this year will be centred around two very important questions: Why does Canada need Ukraine; Why does Ukraine need Canada? Dennis Gorecky, Regional Manager Central and Eastern Europe and an Embassy representative will take this on with a good, we hope, input from the rest of us.
The globalization of the world requires Ukraine to participate; interdependence is the way of life. We in the West know that the cost of that is assimilation. And we know that we need to define ourselves individually and as a group in a distinct, clear manner or become nothing more than the purchasing power of someone else's ideas and merchandise. This is a serious concern for most nations and peoples in the world facing globalization. So, what to do?
In that context, I have been listening to people, both in Ottawa and from across Canada, worrying about our community. We are concerned about the diminishing numbers, the lack of newcomers, the lack of influence in moving our own issues. The world we live in does not seem to reflect us.
Some of our own myths may be keeping us from succeeding in being distinctly successful in a homogenized society. Do you recognize these "truths":
More Community Press Releases -- Click Here
Comments and observations about this article
and other news
may be posted to the Press Comment Board
|