www.ukrweekly.com 1NS1DE: t 1994: the year in review. Special section beginning on page 3. THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association inc., a fraternal non-profit association vol. LXII No. 52 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25,1994 75 cents Ukraine renews Antarctic research Canada denies redress requests by Petro Matiaszek orary consular level.) Special to The Ukrainian Weekly Another such explorer is Anton of Ukrainians, other communities Omelchenko, who accompanied British KYYiv - With the transmittal of a explorer Robert F. Scott to Antarctica by Christopher Guly the turning away of a Second World War brief, formal letter of acceptance to the earlier this century. On their way through steamship, the St. Louis, that carried 900 United Kingdom, Ukraine officially OTTAWA - Prime Minister Jean Britain to Faraday, the present-day Jewish refugees seeking refuge from renewed its long-standing tradition of Chretien has broken his promise and the Ukrainian Antarctic team will visit the Nazi Germany; Antarctic research. For budgetary rea– Ukrainian Canadian community's 10- 9 Scott institute where they will view rare the Chinese Canadian National sons, the United Kingdom decided to year-old redress claim over World War І film footage of the famed explorer and Council and the National Congress of close and abandon its Faraday Research internment operations is now dead. his Ukrainian colleague. Chinese Canadians, for the shameful Center, located on the southernmost con- Canada's Secretary of State Sheila treatment of Chinese immigrants to Ukrainian researchers regularly partic– tine tit's Antarctic Peninsula, and offered Finestone announced on December 14 Canada, who faced a controversial head ipated in Soviet Antarctic exploration as to transfer the base to Ukrainian jurisdic– that the federal Liberal government tax and were denied permission to bring well. Before the break-up of the USSR, tion. could not compensate more than S400 their families to Canada; there were 15 Soviet research bases in The first Ukrainian team to visit million in redress requests for historic 9 Antarctica, of which only five were in the German Canadian Congress, Faraday Research Station will consist of wrongs against six ethnic communities in operation by late 1991; the remaining 10 over German-Canadian internment dur– Y. Oskret, deputy director of the Canada. That contradicts an assurance were sealed years earlier and have likely ing World War П; Antarctic Research Center of the made in a June 8 letter from then- 9 deteriorated under the harsh conditions the National Congress of ltalian Ukrainian National Academy of Opposition Leader Chretien to ihor Canadians, for italian-Canadian intern– Sciences (which also coordinates the found on the continent. Bardyn, chairperson of the Ukrainian in late October 1992, Ukraine raised the ment during the same period; work of Ukraine's interagency Antarctic Canadian Congress's redress committee, 9 and the National Association of Commission), volodymyr Herhiyev and issue of the former Soviet Antarctic that his government would "continue to research centers with Moscow. However, Canadians of Origins in india, for the A. Lushnivsky, also of the Antarctic monitor the situation closely and seek to turning away of the Komagata Maru car– consistent with its policy on the seizure of ensure that the government honors its Research Center, and Dr. Hennadiy rying refugees from the civil war that led Mylinevsky, director of Kyyiv former Soviet assets abroad, Russia pre– promise." sented newly independent Ukraine with to india's 1949 partition. University's Space Physics Laboratory. Beyond the proposals submitted by the yet another fait accompli: On December instead of giving compensatory funds They were scheduled to depart for UCC and the Ukrainian Canadian Civil 21, 1992, the Russian Foreign Ministry to each group, Secretary of State Britain on December 5. Liberties Association (UCCLA) other informed its Ukrainian counterpart that the Finestone has established a S24 million After a short stay in Cambridge, where groups seeking restitution included: Canadian Race Relations Foundation in they will undergo briefings, medical (Continued on page 22) 9 the Canadian Jewish Congress, for Toronto, proposed previously by the examinations and polar clothing outfit- Conservative government of Brian ting, they will fly with their British col- МР^Ре^ЦРі^^ Mulroney and once opposed by the Grits. leagues to the Falkland islands. There in fact, the foundation was approved they will board the RRS James Clark CHRIST IS BORN by a parliamentary statute but never pro- Ross for the final leg of the journey to claimed. Faraday by the end of the year. They will Reform Party multiculturalism critic remain at Faraday through the southern Jan Brown criticized the decision, sug– hemisphere's (austral) winter of 1995, and gesting that the foundation would not will return to Ukraine in November 1995. help prevent similar mistakes in the At the special request of the Ukrainian future. However, she agreed with the Parliament, the Council of Advisors to Liberal government in not giving money the Parliament of Ukraine will cover just to the groups, arguing that it was impos– over half of the S20,000 needed to send sible to determine who was affected. this initial Ukrainian team. The Soros- in a letter to the eight organizations funded international Renaissance representing the six groups, Ms. Foundation based in Kyyiv will cover Finestone apologized for previous the remaining portion. Canadian government actions "that were Ukrainians are no newcomers to inter– at odds with our shared commitment to national exploration. However, following human justice." However, she added that the gradual extinction of Ukrainian state- the government's "only choice lies in hood over the centuries, the achieve– using limited government resources to ments of Ukrainian scientists and adven– create a more equitable society now and turers were regularly credited to a better future for generations to come." Ukraine's occupiers. To name just two of The Liberal government's decision these Ukrainian explorers: Yuriy isn't all that earth-shattering, considering Lysiansky, in whose honor a small, unin– former prime minister Pierre Trudeau's habited island at the far northern edge of intransigence over compensating the Hawaiian island chain is named, and Japanese Canadians over World War 11 Makukh-Makhlay, who sailed the south– internment. At the time, Mr. Trudeau ern Pacific. Both were officers in the argued that a Canadian government tsarist Russian navy. should only be,.responsible for justice in (As an interesting aside, the Ukrainian its time. i community in Australia is reportedly John F. Kennedy made a similar com– competing with the Russian government ment when asked whether a president for the purchase of Makukh-Makhlay's could ever atone for slavery in the former home; Moscow would like to buy the building to preserve as a "Russian" United States. historical site. Ukraine has diplomatic Ms. Finestone echoed Mr. Trudeau's relations with Australia only at the hon– sentiments when she said: "We wish we could rewrite history. We wish we could The writer is legal counsel with the relive the past. We cannot." Council of Advisors to the Ukrainian Yet three years ago, a motion by Parliament. (Continued on page 22) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25,1994 No. 52 CHRISTMAS PASTORAL LETTERS and the Christian formation of children. Since this devoted love is a unique gift of the Let us dedicate ourselves to the Holy Family Lord, spouses must encourage and support each other in a pure, godly and dedicated life based on the norms of the Gospel. To Our Reverend Clergy, Religious and God-Loving Faithful: Presently, family life is threatened from all sides. Christian parents, therefore, more Peace in the Lord and our Apostolic Blessing. than ever must be living witnesses to our holy faith, and give evidence through their Christ is Born! - Let us Glorify Him!" lives to the sanctity and permanency of marriage. With great joy and great solemnity we observe this Holy Day, Christmas, which They should courageously defend the dignity and rights of the family. This is marks the birth of Jesus Christ, and remains a most distinct sign of God's infinite love achieved, first of all, through the Christian education of their children. Parent are for us. God so loved us that "He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him God's appointed first teachers of the faith and exemplars of Christian living, it is nec– should not perish but have eternal life" (Jn. 3:16). essary, therefore, that parents establish in their homes a Christian and pious atmos– Our souls are created to respond to this love, "my soul thirsts for God, for the living phere, supported by common prayer so that each home becomes a domestic church, God" (Ps. 42:2), for "God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God which is strengthened and blessed by the presence of Christ as was the humble home abides in him" (1 Jn. 4:16). For this reason, then, St. Augustine, after his conversion, in which He lived in Nazareth. in the beginning of his profound work, "Confessions", affirms "Our hearts, О God, To provide the home with this atmosphere of a domestic church, an immemorial were made for you, and will not rest until they rest in you" (1,1). custom exists among our forebears to place icons in a place of reverence in the After the fall of our first parents, the human heart still longed for this love of God. home. These icons were decorated with embroidered cloths and flowers, and sur– in response, the Son of God who "loved us to the end" (Jn. 13:1), came down from rounded by candles or vigil lamps. Each evening, all members of the family would heaven to restore us to this source of love, God's love, to our true happiness.