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National Geographic Launches Ukrainian-Language Edition

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National Geographic Launches Ukrainian-Language Edition INSIDE: l Historian Timothy Garton Ash on future of Europe – page 3 l Generation Uke – pages 10-11 l 2012-2013 UNA Scholarships – pages 15-17 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXXI No. 14 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 2013 $1/$2 in Ukraine Businessman and opposition National Geographic launches figure warns of ‘criminal dictatorship’ that poses Ukrainian-language edition by Zenon Zawada danger to the world Special to The Ukrainian Weekly by Askold Krushelnycky KYIV – In its 125th year of publica- tion, National Geographic has WA S H I N G T O N – launched the Ukrainian edition of its Opposition figure and monthly magazine, which hit news- successful businessman stands nationwide on March 27 at a Arkadiy Kornatskyy did price of $3.09. not give up after he was National Geographic Ukrayina is cheated – as he convinc- the first global-brand, glossy-cover ingly alleges – out of a magazine published in the Ukrainian parliamentary seat in last language, a significant event consider- October’s Ukrainian elec- ing a dozen other international titles tions, and with the threat are already published in Ukraine but of arrest hovering over in the Russian language, such as him, was forced to flee Arkadiy Kornatskyy Forbes Ukraine, Vogue Ukraine and the country. Men’s Health. Mr. Kornatskyy has vowed to return to Ukraine if a The publisher is Sanoma Media, a promised repeat election for his constituency goes Helsinki-based company that already ahead and, if necessary, to conduct what he dubs “an publishes National Geographic in eight underground” election campaign, staying in secret European nations, including the locations and playing a cat-and-mouse game to avoid Russian Federation and Romania. In arrest by the authorities. Ukraine, it publishes Esquire, Hundreds of his supporters clashed with paramili- Cosmopolitan and seven other global Zenon Zawada tary police when the regime’s sloppy attempts to titles in the Russian language. National Geographic Ukrayina Deputy Chief Editor Dmytro Hubenko and deprive Mr. Kornatskyy of victory against a pro-gov- Editor-in-Chief Olha Valchyshena launched the first issue of National ernment Party of Regions of Ukraine (PRU) candidate (Continued on page 14) Geographic Ukrayina on March 27. last fall became apparent. On a visit in March to Washington, Ottawa and Brussels, he outlined a grim Ukrainian political and business landscape to U.S., Canadian and European Union officials. SUMA (Yonkers) credit union donates Mr. Kornatskyy, tall, powerfully built and with a shock of white hair, says the Ukrainian government wants to steal his successful agricultural business and to Holodomor Memorial in Washington prevent him from standing in a repeat election. He also accuses the authorities of, in “medieval” fashion, taking hostage a sick woman friend who is a key employee and imprisoning her without trial for more than seven months. Mr. Kornatskyy’s roots are in Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region, where he and his family have operat- ed an agricultural company that farms 16,000 hect- ares of land around a village called Chausovo-2 since the late 1990s. “The first time I bought land from a local villager was for a home I was building for my parents,” said Mr. Kornatskyy. “Almost immediately I was visited by a crowd of villagers who pleaded with me to buy their land. They couldn’t do much with it themselves but needed money.” That first purchase prompted the idea to go into Members of the SUMA (Yonkers) Federal Credit Union Board of Directors, with Bishop (emeritus) Basil Losten, the agricultural business. After Ukrainian indepen- the Very Rev. Archpriest Kiril Angelov; and Michael Sawkiw Jr., chairman of the U.S. Committee for Ukrainian dence, land that had belonged to industrial-sized col- Holodomor-Genocide Awareness 1932-1933. lective and state-owned farms was divided among its WASHINGTON – The board of directors of the SUMA Michael Sawkiw Jr., chairman of the U.S. Holodomor former employees. Mr. Kornatskyy says he and his (Yonkers) Federal Credit Union recently voted to support Committee, accepted the donation on behalf of the com- family bought much of their land from such small- the construction of a memorial in Washington to the vic- mittee and greeted the assembly. holders during a period until 1999, when such pur- tims of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933. A For several years, the committee has worked diligently chases were possible. Since then, there has been a mor- $10,000 check was presented to the U.S. Committee for to raise awareness within American society about the atorium on agricultural land sales, and his company Ukrainian Holodomor-Genocide Awareness 1932-1933 Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933, or Holodomor. The U.S. (Continued on page 3) during the credit union’s annual meeting held on Saturday, March 16. (Continued on page 5) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 2013 No. 14 ANALYSIS EU praises Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, Ukraine in 78th place will comprehensive expert and organiza- tional support, which will allow the use of KYIV – Ukraine ranks 78th on the list of the experience of the new EU member but notes shortcomings in Ukraine countries with a high level of human devel- states from Central and Eastern Europe of opment, according to the 2013 Human developing democratic institutions and the by Rikard Jozwiak Belarus Development Report, “The Rise of the rule of law, as well as adapting Ukrainian RFE/RL The European Union has again refrained South: Human Progress in a Diverse legislation to EU requirements,” the docu- from issuing an assessment of Belarus World,” released in mid-March by the BRUSSELS – The European Commission, ment reads. It is also noted that the within its annual EU neighborhood reports. United Nations Development Program the executive body of the European Union, Verkhovna Rada will receive support and Instead of the detailed recommendations (UNDP). Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan has presented its annual European assistance in carrying out reforms aimed at like those issued for five other Eastern occupy the 50th, 55th and 69th places, Neighborhood Package, detailing political implementing political, legal and economic neighbors, Brussels instead published an respectively, on the list of countries with and economic development in its six east- criteria on Ukraine’s path to the European overview of the current political and eco- high human development. Georgia, ern neighbors, as well as countries in the Union. The document notes that the nomic situation in Belarus. The EU still Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Armenia, hold the southern Mediterranean. Interparliamentary Assembly supports the lacks an agreement on a political action 72nd, 78th, 82nd and 87th positions, The package will be a key factor in deter- liberalization of the EU visa regime for plan with Minsk. respectively, also belonging to the high mining how much funding the European Ukraine and will act in order to “achieve The document mentioned grave concern human development category. The five Union will grant to the individual member progressively the next stage in relations about the lack of respect for human rights, countries with the highest human develop- states later this year. between Ukraine and the EU.” The next the rule of law and democratic principles. It ment are Norway, Australia, the USA, the Stefan Fule, the EU commissioner for meeting of the Interparliamentary stressed that the EU remains committed to Netherlands and Germany. At the bottom of enlargement and neighborhood policy, said Assembly of Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland a policy of critical engagement towards the human development ranking is Niger, in Brussels that the EU needs to increase will be held in Lithuania in June 2014. Belarus, including support for the country’s the Democratic Republic of the Congo, efforts to help the countries in the report (Ukrinform) civil society and contacts with Minsk on Mozambique, Chad and Burkina Faso, all of meet goals to become members of the technical issues. which belong to the group of 44 countries European Union. Yanukovych on relations with U.S. The EU still has 243 individuals on a visa with a low level of human development. “The Eastern Partnership countries need ban and assets freeze list after the violent (Ukrinform) KYIV – Ukraine is set to further develop our continued support to deliver on their crackdown on the opposition following the its strategic relationship with the United commitments, and it is my conviction that country’s presidential election in Poland, Lithuania to help Ukraine States and cooperation in all the key areas they deserve an ambitious future,” Mr. Fule December 2010. on the basis of the Ukraine-U.S. Strategic KYIV – The parliaments of Poland and said. Partnership Charter, President Viktor Georgia Lithuania, which hope that the Association This year’s report shows that Georgia, Yanukovych of Ukraine said during a meet- Agreement between Ukraine and the Moldova, and to a certain extent Armenia, The EU’s annual neighborhood report ing with U.S. Undersecretary of State for European Union will be signed in November, have reformed the most in the recent year contains mostly praise for Georgia. The Political Affairs Wendy Sherman. The presi- are ready to provide their Verkhovna Rada and will benefit from additional funds from document notes Tbilisi has acted on most dential press service reported on March 20 colleagues with comprehensive support on Brussels. of the previous EU that the president said Ukraine appreciates the path to European integration. This was Here are highlights recommendations U.S. help for its development in all fields, in said in a declaration of the fifth session of of the report that per- The European Union such as strength- particular, democratization. The president the Interparliamentary Assembly of the tain to countries in ening the freedom also expressed the hope that in the near has told Ukraine Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Seimas of RFE/RL’s broadcast of expression, future Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Minister the Republic of Lithuania, and the Sejm and area.
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