UKRAINIAN WORLD CONGRESS

     A session of the UWC Executive has been scheduled for Saturday, June 4, 2005, 9:30 AM in Toronto. The traditional agenda of reports has been jettisoned for this session with pressing items the order of the day.

MAY UWC FUNDRAISING

     Traditionally, the month is May is reserved for fundraising on behalf of the Ukrainian World Congress. We have issued a bilingual appeal on this subject and transmitted it to Ukrainian publications and our member organizations. We ask that our member organizations devote much effort to this as May fundraising essentially is the only source of income for the UWC’s global activity. A copy of the bi-lingual appeal is included herein.

UWC ISSUES STATEMENT ON SPECIOUS VICTORY DAY

     On May 9^th, 2005 many will observe the 60^th anniversary of the end of World War II. Preparations are being made in Moscow and Kyiv. The President of Ukraine has suggested that he would be traveling during this time, perhaps a day before, to Moscow to share in the celebrations there. The President of the United States has scheduled a visit to Moscow specifically for May 9, 2005. In connection with these preparations, the UWC has issued a statement widely circulated within the media and our membership. The UWC’s statement concludes with our own suggestions for an appropriate marking of this anniversary:

“We urge our membership to commemorate the tragic aftermath of World War II on May 9^th, 2005 through requiem observances, liturgies and, wakes to remember those, who fought in different uniforms but with independent Ukraine in their hearts. Similarly, we call upon our member organizations to educate their governments about Soviet repressions and communist evils. Finally, we urge the President of Ukraine to cancel his trip to Moscow as Moscow symbolizes the tragedy of the Ukrainian people, their pain and suffering for 45 years following the specious victory of May 9^th.”

UWC PRESIDENT MEETS COMMUNITY IN VIENNA

     On Saturday, April 9, 2005 the UWC president met with representatives of the recently organized Ukrainian community in Austria. The meeting concluded with a joint statement on cooperation signed by the Inna Chornenka, the Chair of Ukrainska Hromada Avstriji and the UWC’s President. A copy of the statement is included herein.

UKRAINIANS IN RUSSIA AND POLAND HOLD CONVENTIONS

        The Association of Ukrainians in Russia held ints convention on April 9-10,2005 in Moscow electing Wasyl Babenko of Bashkortostan and Valerij Semenenko of Moscow as joint chairs and past chair Oleksander Rudenko-Desniak as Honorary Chair.. The Association of Ukrainians in Poland held its convention at the same time in Olsztyn,  re-electing Myron Kertyczak as President. We extend greetings to all Ukrainians in these two countries and wish their leadership much success.

UWC OFFICIALS GREET UKRAINE’S PRESIDENT ON U.S.SOIL

       During the recent visit by Ukraine’s President Victor Yuschenko to the United States, he was formally and personally greeted by the UWC President in Boston, Mass. and the UWC General Secretary in Washington, DC. As has been widely reported, the Ukrainian President’s visit was a monumental success on all levels.

KAZAKHSTAN ISSUE RAISED WITH UKRAINE’S FOREIGN MINISTER

      During a brief meeting with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Borys Tarasiuk in Boston, the UWC’s President raised the issue of the imminent eviction of the Ukrainian Cultural Center from the Ukrainian Embassy in Astana, Kazakhstan. The Foreign Minister immediately communicated with a subordinate about this matter and gave assurance to the UWC President that this problem would be taken care of.

FEATURE FILM ON UPA AVAILABLE ON DVD

     The feature film The Company of Heroes produced jointly by a Ukrainian company in Australia and the Ukrainian director Oles Yanchuk (Famine 33, Assassination, The Undefeated) is available on DVD from the UWC office in New York. Kindly make your checks or money orders for $32.98 US ($29.99 plus $2.99 shipping and handling) payable to Film Fund and forward to:

 Ukrainian World Congress,
225 East 11^th Street, New York, New York 10003.

         On Saturday, April 3, 2005, Pope John Paul II passed away. In connection with his passing the UWC issued a bi-lingual statement. An excerpt from the statement reads as follows:

          “The Holy Father’s visit to Ukraine in 2001 will not only be remembered by the Ukrainian people as a high honor bestowed upon the Ukrainian Catholic Church but will be recorded in history as a reaffirmation of our spirituality as followers of Christ. Equally meaningful was the beatification of twenty nine martyrs from the Ukrainian Church accomplished by the Holy Father during his visit. We sincerely hope that the Holy Father’s good faith effort to formally recognize the Ukrainian Catholic Patriarchate will be completed shortly by his successor.