November 1, 2012
MEDIA RELEASE
REMEMBERING THE VICTIMS OF THE HOLODOMOR
The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) calls upon the international community to commemorate the 79th anniversary of the 1932-33 Holodomor on November 24, 2012, and duly pay respect to the innocent victims of this genocide of the Ukrainian people.
Despite efforts by the totalitarian Soviet regime to spread disinformation and destroy the painful personal memories, today, the truth about the Holodomor has become ingrained in the global reality. Undisputable facts founded in archival documents and academic research, and in eyewitness testimonies formed the basis for recognition of the Holodomor as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people by 16 countries and remembrance of the Holodomor’s victims by high-level international agencies, including the Organization of United Nations, the European Parliament, UNESCO and OSCE.
Continuing its long-standing efforts dedicated to sharing the truth of the Holodomor with the world, the UWC calls upon all Ukrainians to, once again, reflect upon these horrific pages of our history and to continue awareness campaigns, while working persistently toward the recognition of the Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainian people by as many countries as possible and ensuring inclusion of this topic in school curricula.
On Saturday, November 24, 2012 – International Holodomor Memorial Day, UWC calls upon:
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all Ukrainian churches and community organizations to organize requiems, gatherings and other initiatives with the goal of engaging the broader Ukrainian community, as well as representatives of government, non-governmental organizations and local residents; -
the international community to:-
remember the victims by pausing for a moment of silence at 19:32 local time, -
light candles of remembrance in homes; and -
participate in local commemorations and memorial services.
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May our memory of the victims of the Holodomor, Ukrainian famine-genocide be eternal.
Ukraine remembers – the World acknowledges!
The UWC is the international coordinating body for Ukrainian communities in the diaspora representing the interests of over 20 million Ukrainians. The UWC has member organizations in 33 countries and ties with Ukrainians in 14 additional countries. Founded in 1967 as a non-profit corporation, the UWC was recognized in 2003 by the United Nations Economic and Social Council as a non-governmental organization (NGO) with special consultative status.
