On January 26, the Illinois Chapter of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) celebrated the 50th anniversary of its organization in Chicago, coinciding with the celebration of Ukrainian Unity Day. The UCCA is a powerful governmental organization of the Ukrainian diaspora in America, representing Ukrainians and lobbying for Ukraine's interests in the United States. The event brought together representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora from across the United States, politicians and congressmen, community leaders, volunteers, and members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who work to support Ukraine and strengthen its ties with the United States.
The gala, held at the Ukrainian Cultural Center of Chicago, was not only an opportunity to summarize the organization's activities, but also an important platform for discussing future initiatives and challenges facing the Ukrainian community in the United States.
On the eve of the grand culmination of the UCCA's 50th anniversary celebration, Maria Dmytryv-Kapeniak, the first president of the UCCA Illinois Division, spoke in an interview with Ukrainian Independent Radio about the organization's important achievements and its role in supporting Ukraine in times of war.
In the interview, she said that UCCA is actively organizing not only advocacy work, but also public actions and protests. Over the past year, the organization has coordinated numerous protests against companies that support Russian interests and participated in the celebration of important events such as the Thousand Days of War and the anniversary of Ukraine's Independence Day.
"Of course, we always want people to be more active: to be aware, to participate actively, to show initiative, to realize how important the political role of the community is. Helping the Ukrainian Armed Forces, raising money for drones and weapons is definitely important, but the biggest thing we can do is not so much material help as political influence. We will never raise as much money as the US government or Congress can support. That is why advocacy is the most important thing for the UCC. And this is a cause that has been developing and shaping for years, thanks to the efforts of many generations," says Dmytriv-Kapeniak.
One of the most significant events was the organization of protests against Russian aggression, including actions in support of Ukraine during massive attacks on Ukrainian cities, such as the bombing of Lviv, Poltava, and the Okhmatdyt medical facility in Kyiv. According to her, the protests took place promptly, often within hours of receiving news of the attacks. Dmytriv-Kapeniak emphasized the importance of the community's quick response and the activity of the participants, who even traveled long distances to join the actions.
She also noted that the UCCA has played an important role in consolidating the community, which has become more united and new leaders, particularly among women's organizations, are actively involved in planning and organizing protests. This has helped secure support not only for Ukraine, but also for the Ukrainian community in America, providing it with important political connections and advocacy at the federal level.
"We are living in an extreme situation, as the third year of the war is underway. I don't know if there have ever been such difficult circumstances in the history of UCCA, because over the years the community has become more united, more active, and we are finding new ways to respond to the demands of the times. We see how our organization is developing and how important it is to take it to a new level in order to help Ukraine as much as possible in this difficult period," the UCCA leader said.
Photo: Maria Klimchak and Mark Raczkiewycz
Author: Inna Mikhno