A personal reflection and call to action – 3 years of war

2025-02-25

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A Personal Reflection and Call to Action

Hartuys’!

I wanted to reach out to our members and patrons on a more personal note as we near the 3^rd anniversary of the full-scale invasion and 11^th year of the initiation of the war in Ukraine by our never-ending enemy. While I list these timeframes as they are ones more familiar to our youngest generation of CYMivtsi, this is the cycle of repression and oppression that Ukrainians have been enduring from the time of its existence. Every generation of Ukrainians had and has its own struggle and main goal — INDEPENDENCE AND FREEDOM — from the Bolsheviks of the Soviet era to modern-day Putin.

This moment in time (and the many which came previously) are the exact reason for why CYM was created by our oseredok’s namesake, Mykola Pavlushkov, 100 years ago – to be ready to defend our homeland, Ukraina. To not only protect its borders, but to ensure that we have freedom from the influence of other states. That is, we maintain our integrity, our language, our cultural traditions, our religious practices, our politics as our own. We do not allow others to dictate when elections occur, who has access to our natural resources, and what language we speak. Self-Determination – it is a principle and value that we must hold dearly and teach our children!

This self-determination does not come if we stand by passively. Because we MUST learn from history – when others try to speak for us by trying to give away our freedoms, our resources, our security, we become ripe for future attack. We must finally stand firm in our commitment to upholding a LASTING security! We must build relationships with allies but not be beholden to them. We must stay firm in our fight and commitment to maintain what is rightfully ours. We must not allow others to rewrite our history.

So what can we do when the frontline is thousands of miles and an ocean away?

We must realize that the “frontline” is here in our country, in our community. You have POWER, you have FORCE, and you have been PREPARED!

As I was reminded at yesterday’s UCCA-organized Chicago rally, we do not have to be the ‘silent majority’ who voted in our politicians, but rather the ‘vocal, obstinate, determined minority’ who will correct misrepresentations, educate neighbors, and solidify lasting freedom and sovereignty for Ukraina.

So I call on each and every one of you to do your part in this most recent conflict! Do not stand by and wait for others to do the work for you. This is your homeland, this is your heritage, this is your children’s future!

I want to share the exceptionally well-written personal statement of one of our oseredok’s vporyadnyky, Druh Danylo Dyakiv, who along with seven of his fellow vporyandyky and vychovnyky (Podruha Solomiya Chekh, Podruha Diana Kraynyk, Druh Taras Mytrofaniuk, Podruha Teresa [Tessa] Owerko, Podruha Deanna Raczkiewycz, Druh Maryan Shepta, Druh Dennis Sosnovyy) will be representing the interests of the Ukrainian Chicagoland community with UCCA members at ‘Ukrainian Days on the Hill’ from February 24-26. ‘Ukrainian Days on the Hill’ is a span of several days dedicated for interested citizens and advocating parties to inform and encourage their political representatives in Washington DC to advocate for and speak to the interests of Ukrainian-American citizens in their policymaking and decisions. Below is Druh Dyakiv’s personal reflection from his participation in the Chicago rally and his call to action:

February 22^nd, 2025, three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, an ongoing conflict that has caused nothing but immense suffering, displacement, and destruction. Despite facing numerous challenges, Ukraine has shown remarkable resilience and determination to stand their ground against an aggressor that seeks to undermine its sovereignty and territorial integrity. As the war continues, the importance of international solidarity has never been clearer, with nations around the world coming together to provide essential military, financial, and humanitarian support.

Continued backing for Ukraine is not only crucial for its survival and recovery but also for the broader security of Europe and, more importantly, the world. A successful defense against Russia’s invasion would send a powerful message against the expansion of authoritarianism and the violation of international law. The stability of Europe depends on the preservation of a rules-based order, and supporting Ukraine strengthens global peace, deters future aggression, and reaffirms the commitment to democratic values and international cooperation.

Slava Ukrayini!

Druh Dyakiv is taking this statement and his impassioned plea to our representatives from an educated, well-informed, and personally-impacted position to support the interests of Ukrainian-Americans. We must all learn from his example and use our voices to spur our country and the world to action.

SO what can we do? How can we support Ukraina?

Below are just a few suggestions that I can offer, but there are likely many more ways for each of us to do our part:

The representatives of the Illinois Division of UCCA called upon our Chicagoland community to call the White House comment line Monday through Thursday at 202-456-1111 with whatever message you would like to send. For those uncertain of what message to send, they suggest the following: “We call on the White House to resume military support for Ukraine. Weapons are the Strength in ‘Peace Through Strength’ – now is the time to act!”
Attend a rally, protest, vigil to show the world and our fellow Ukrainian brethren on the frontlines that we truly are one, united Ukrainian family and that we will have action through unity.
Support families who have recently come to the United States seeking refuge from the war.
Educate your fellow neighbors and school community about the reality of the situation and how they can also support Ukraine. Fight disinformation.
Cultivate Ukrainian culture, language, traditions in your own home by teaching your children, becoming members of Ukrainian organizations, etc.
Donate to organizations which support Ukraine’s efforts through humanitarian, military, and medical provisions (e.g., Help Heroes of Ukraine, Protez Foundation, United24, CYM’s Global Initiative to Support Families of ZSU-CYMivtsi).
Speak to the media or invite them to attend Ukrainian initiatives to help to correct disinformation and call upon the worldwide community for their involvement in maintaining worldwide peace through Russia’s defeat and Ukraine’s security guarantees with NATO admission.
Email the CYM Pavlushkov branch at [email protected] with your personal request and statement for political representatives that our group of CYM vporyadnyky will take with them to Washington DC. Support us in maintaining a powerful social media presence. Your words and comments will be posted online to create a strong social media campaign to fight disinformation.