By the way, now that Ukraine is independent, do we really need to be so
proactive?
Ukrainian independence has been the "Holy Grail" of all Ukrainian Diaspora
organizations that I know of.  I remember being a member (a long time ago
now) of CYM and standing at attention, dressed in my uniform, in the hot,
July midday sun, hoping that the long succession of garrulous graybeards
awaiting their turn to speak would wind up their comments sometime before
dusk.  It became a kind of contest.  "Did you hear how many people feinted
today?"  Ukraine came to be independent neither through any direct action on
the part of either her own citizens nor through the activities of
"hyphenated-Ukrainians" elsewhere in the world.  It seems clear that her
independence, like her past slavery, was thrust upon her by events beyond her
borders.  On the other hand, it seems equally clear that were it not for the
actions of the patriotic faithful, in Ukraine and elsewhere, there would be
no Ukraine to receive independence.  We weren't just sweating, grousing and
feinting, we were nation-building.  Anyone who doubts that should do two
things:  (a), take a stroll down any street of Ukraine's least-Ukrainian
city, Kyiv and (b), read a book (Russia - People and Empire, Geoffrey
Hosking, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1997, ISBN 0-674-78118) by
a Harvard academic who, quite convincingly I think, makes the case for why
Greater Muscovy (whose current political embodiment is inaccurately termed
the "Russian Federation") has never been a country, is not a country now and
is unlikely to ever become a country (Mr. George "Dubya" Bush
notwithstanding).

Also, now that Ukraine is independent, there is no special feeling that "we
are the holders of the flame" so to say. There is much less belief that we
need to be that proactive.
Have we been holding onto flames?  If so, where are the scorch marks?  It
seems to me that the folks who got burned were the Ukrainians in Ukraine.
They deserve our respect.  I have heard it reported that Ukraine currently
has the largest standing army in Europe.  This is a great expense for a poor
country.  However, if Ukraine did not bear that expense, would she have, by
now, become a larger version of Chechnya, or, as pathetic a nonentity as
Belarus where the Western media all reported on Mr. Yeltsin celebrating his
victory of an official accord that should lead to Belarus joining the
"Russian Federation" and ignoring the tens of thousands of protesters in the
streets of Minsk?  If we are to remember the Holocaust that was the
artificial famine of 1930-1933 and if we are to remember that its purpose was
to force the concept of the collective farm on a most unwilling population, o
we not also have the right, even the obligation, to express outrage that ten
years after Ukraine's "independence," the collective farms are still there,
de facto?  Would not their continued presence have something to do with
Ukraine's poverty?  Few Western politicians, at least in this century, would
have had the nerve to gerrymander their districts to the same extent that
Ukrainian officials have gerrymandered land reform.  Why is Ukraine's famous
"black earth" offered over the internet for US $30/acre?  A proactive
Diaspora might have bought up this land, consolidated it then sold it back
for a very healthy profit, enriched itself and done Ukraine a favor into the
bargain.

English vs. Ukrainian: That the lingua franca of today's world is English
should be obvious. While retaining our heritage language has deep and
understandable meaning for some, doing so by making a Ukrainian language
ability the litmus test of belonging means excluding many who have only a
rudimentary ability or no proficiency at all in Ukrainian.
Amen.  Language is a living thing.  Use it or lose it.  Participation in
global enterprise demands an understanding of English.  Education has always
been greatly valued by Ukrainians everywhere.  To truly open doors, higher
education today must be in English as well.  Ukraine is trying to learn
English but is having such problems that the English language translations
found on the placards in Ukrainian museums are often embarrassingly
mistranslated.  There is good and ample reason for why the official language
of Ukraine is and should be Ukrainian.  But her major "unofficial" language
should be English, not "Russian."  Those for whom matters Ukrainian must be
discussed in Ukrainian are deeply engaged in the wrong battle.  That fight
was won with Ukraine's independence even if the matter is not yet completely
settled (i.e., a "Russian language street map of Kyiv costs half or one third
the price of a Ukrainian language map).  Prosperity will come first to those
who can also handle English.  That is why the Struten Institute introduced
its low-cost, internet-based, English/Ukrainian translation service.  That is
also why the Struten Institute is preparing (in English) for the distance
learning business.  We will offer English-language preparation for the
Advanced Placement examinations (which are, of course, given in English).  It
is our hope that we will garner a sufficient base of North American students
that we will be able to offer the same opportunity to selected Ukrainian
students for only a nominal charge.

Since 1991 an internationally recognized Ukrainian state has existed in
Europe. It has paid scant attention to the Ukrainian Diaspora, save when it
has needed us to secure advantages for itself.
I have had, quite literally, dozens of Ukrainians within Ukraine tell me that
they felt that the Ukrainian Diaspora "didn't care" about them.  There seems
to be no lack of this same sentiment in the reverse direction.  I do not
pretend to understand the psychology at work here although it may be that the
problem is one of perception.  I don't believe that most of Ukraine's
citizens want handouts and I do believe that those who seek pure handouts
should be rebuffed.  Trade happens when everybody wins.  Ukraine's economy is
said to be growing.  I certainly welcome that statement.  However, it must be
remembered that many so-called "Trans-National Companies" (TNC's) enjoy gross
earnings that far exceed Ukraine's Gross National product (GNP).  Ukraine's
economy is still quite small and she has a long way to go.  Trade is global.
International advertising is prohibitively expensive.  What if each member of
the Ukrainian Diaspora were to write just one letter (in English!) to the CEO
(or other appropriate person) of the company he/she works for and suggest
either a targeted Ukrainian business opportunity or contact information to
Ukrainian brokers (such as what the Struten Institute does for Ukrainian
technology)?  When we helped grow Ukraine's economy we would be helping
Ukrainians directly and we would take the wind out of the sails of those on
the Ukrainian political scene who hunger for the "Bad Old Days."  We would
also help ourselves, financially.  What is wrong with that?

Canada is our home, not Ukraine.
We certainly need to be good citizens of our home countries whether they be
Canada or Argentina or somewhere in between.  Many of us who can still
remember the name of the boat that brought us to this side of the Atlantic
have, in fact, taken an oath of allegiance to our new homes.  We should be
true to our word.  But, whether we remember how to speak Ukrainian or not, we
are also in a unique, "insider's" position with regard to Ukraine.  We would
do a disservice to both ourselves and our home countries were we not to seek
gain for ourselves and our adopted home by helping our country of origin
attain her deserved place in the world.

But we must be strong here.
It has been said many times that "Knowledge is Power."  If it is power you
seek, leverage your "insider's" knowledge of Ukraine to amass wealth.  Then,
use your power how you will and let God be the judge.

Perhaps we could also start asking the 50 million Ukrainians over there to
start helping us over here. That'd be nice for a change.
Surely no one expects that Ukrainians in Ukraine are going to put together
the "CARE" packages the Diaspora Ukrainians sent "over there" in the 50's,
60's and 70's.  We sent them bolts of cloth, skeins of yarn and pieces of
leather.  This is now a different age.  In the United States, the cities of
Santa Barbara, California; Tampa, Florida and El Paso, Texas are running low
on water right now.  They expect to be out of water within the next 25 years.
 In Saskatchewan, permits for commercial pig farms are being denied today
because water engineers have determined that the sustainable output from the
local aquifers is not sufficient to sustain both the expected growth of the
human population and also permit the raising of pigs.  "Ukrainians over
there" have developed a wrinkle on the reverse osmosis process that would
allow the economical production of potable water from sea water or, for that
matter, even from pig poop.  Why has no one heard of this breakthrough?
Because the "Ukrainians over there" are not stupid.  They know that they need
patent protection and business development help to market their breakthrough,
otherwise they may lose the whole concept to better financed competitors.
Immediately after her independence, Ukraine became the land of the trade
secret.  She deserves to become a (well paid) source of the novel technology
she developed during the decades of Soviet domination.  The Ukrainian
Diaspora can help make that happen through tax-deductible contributions to
enable protection of Ukrainian intellectual properties followed up by astute
business management of startup companies based in Ukraine or elsewhere.  We
can and should participate in Ukraine's renaissance.  We can and should
partake of the substantial rewards of doing so.

Mike Mychajlonka, Ph. D.
Exec. Dir.
Struten Institute
P. O. Box 162
Saline, MI   48176
Email:  strutinst@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/strutinst/struten.html
TEL/FAX:  (734) 429-2447 (direct)
Voice Mail/FAX:
(760) 462-2133 (U.S.)
44 (0)845 334-1223 (U.K.)
380 (0)562 32-30-55 ext. *-7-2027 (Ukraine)