“UKRAINIAN DAYS” TO CONTINUE AT LOCAL LEVEL
03 August 2010
Washington, D.C. (UNIS) – In the past several years, the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS), the Washington office of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), has organized with great success “Ukrainian Days” in Washington, D.C. The purpose of this advocacy event is to bring community representatives from throughout the United States to our nation’s capital and meet with their elected officials in the United States Congress to discuss issues of importance to the Ukrainian American community. “Ukrainian Days” participants, as well as members of the U.S. Congress and Administration officials, have given very positive reviews to these advocacy events.
An increasing number of the Members of Congress encourage continued communication with our community on the local level. Considering their requests, UNIS is initiating “Ukrainian Days” on a local level throughout the month of October 2010. The intent of “Ukrainian Days” on a local level is to enlist the extensive participation of the Ukrainian community in setting up and maintaining contacts with their local congressional delegations, especially in the context of the upcoming congressional elections on November 2nd. Events currently unfolding in Ukraine, including the visit by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Kyiv, Ukraine in July 2010, warrant a clear constructive dialogue with Members of Congress and their local congressional staffers to keep them informed of our community’s concerns of the recent backsliding of democratic trends in Ukraine.
Notwithstanding the internal political climate in Ukraine, Russian influence in the country has undermined Ukraine’s society, as well. In a recent news article, a former KGB official acknowledged, “As a keen observer can see, the deal [Black Sea Fleet extension] struck between Moscow and Kiev goes far beyond civilian issues. In fact, we are witnessing the beginning of an all-out conversion of Ukraine's national security apparatus into Moscow's tool.” It is in this realm that “Ukrainian Days” remains important for our community on a local level as we are a natural liaison between the United States government and Ukraine. This unique dynamic must be addressed to Members of Congress to accentuate our contacts with the non-governmental sector in Ukraine, and our partnership to strengthen Ukraine’s democratic institutions through various projects and programs.
As with “Ukrainian Days” in Washington, DC, UNIS will provide the community with briefing papers, which describe issues of concern to our community. The entire Ukrainian American community is urged to contact their local congressional and senatorial offices and arrange appointments for the above-mentioned dates. UNIS is available to assist all communities in setting up meetings with their respective local congressional district offices.
All members of the Ukrainian American community are encouraged to contact UNIS or their local UCCA branch and participate in this local event. If you have any questions or require any additional information, please feel free to contact the UNIS office in Washington by phone at (202) 547-0018 or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
