UCC supports Borys Wrzesnewskyj, MP on Holodomor-Genocide Bill

When introducing the Bill, Mr. Wrzesnewskyj stated the following:

Mr. Speaker, it’s with solemnity that I introduce my private member’s Bill, the Ukrainian Holodomor-Genocide Remembrance Day Act. The purpose of the bill is to establish the fourth Saturday in November as a day of remembrance for the estimated seven to ten million Ukrainians who died a horrifying slow death from starvation in 1932-33 during the famine, master-minded, organized, and carried out by the Soviet regime under Stalin. This Holodomor-Genocide inflicted a deep and lasting scar on the Ukrainian community throughout the world. Many survivors of the famine and their descendants later immigrated to Canada. This famine was an attempt to crush the longing for freedom and to erase all aspirations for an independent Ukraine state. Part of the Soviet strategy also involved suppressing, distorting, and wiping out all information about the Ukrainian famine, now and into the future to be known as the Holodomor-Genocide.

By enacting this legislation and recognizing a day of remembrance for this horrific tragedy, Canada will reaffirm her core values of defending human rights and condemning all injustices committed by humans against their fellow human beings, and to condemn the greatest of all evils, genocide.

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress strongly applauds this initiative of Mr. Wrzesnewskyj. The Ukrainian World Congress – of which the UCC is a member – has made one of its priorities to have as many legislatures around the globe recognize the Holodomor as genocide. The UCC calls upon all Canadians and particularly members of the Ukrainian Canadian community to urge their elected legislators to support this Bill.

“Borys’ leadership in this matter is much appreciated,” stated UCC President Orysia Sushko. “It is very important the Holodomor be commemorated so that this crime against humanity will never be forgotten. This year is the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor. UCC will be carrying out a series of public activities in order to ensure that this tragedy become a well-known historical act. All across the country, communities will be holding events and commemorations. At these events, we look forward to being able to announce the passage of this Bill.”

UCC Media Contact
Darla Penner
Tel. (204) 942-4627
dpenner@ucc.ca
www.ucc.ca