Organizational structure
During the periods between each quadrennial Congress of Ukrainians in America, elected committees carry out the directives of the previous Congress under the guidance of a National Executive Board, appointed at the previous Congress. The National Executive Board, in turn, executes the plans and directives of UCCA's National Council, the highest ruling body of the UCCA. UCCA's National Council meets biannually, and is composed of delegates representing Ukrainian churches and religious associations, Ukrainian educational institutions, national or central member organizations, and local UCCA chapters. Current member organizations of the National Council include: * Center for US-Ukrainian Relations (CUSUR) * Council on Aid to Ukrainians (RODU) * Educational Council of UCCA * Federation of Ukrainian Student Organizations of America (SUSTA) * Heritage Foundation Of First Security Federal Savings Bank ("Спадщина") * Manor College * New Ukrainian Wave * Organization for Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine (ODFFU) * Organization for Defense of Lemkivshchyna (OOL) * Organization for the Rebirth of Ukraine (ODWU)United Ukrainian American Relief Committee
The United Ukrainian American Relief Committee (UUARC) was established at the Second Congress of Americans of Ukrainian Descent in 1944. Organized to coordinate humanitarian aid for Ukrainian war victims and refugees, its mandate also focuses on educational and sustainable land programs overseas, and immigrant assistance programs in the U.S. The UUARC is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA.Educational Council of UCCA
The Educational Council of UCCA was founded in 1953 to centralize and coordinate the activities of dozens of Saturday School Programs of Ukrainian Studies which had already existed in the United States since the start of the 20th century. The council is responsible for regularly organizing teachers’ workshops, publishing and distributing textbooks, as well as regularly checking in with the state of Schools of Ukrainian across the United States.Ukrainian National Information Service
The Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS) is the UCCA's permanent Washington, D.C.-based bureau. Founded in 1977 to strengthen the work of the Ukrainian American community in American governmental circles, UNIS originally operated out of offices leased fromFormation and gatherings
Prior to the gathering of the "First Ukrainian American Congress" which established the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America on May 24, 1940, there were numerous attempts by pre-war émigrés fromUnited Ukrainian Organizations of the United States
On October 26–27, 1922, a Ukrainian National Congress convened in Philadelphia for the purpose of creating a new Ukrainian American umbrella organization, the United Ukrainian Organizations of the United States (Обєднаннє Українських Організацій в Америці). Between 1923 and 1939, the Obyednannye would organize 7 additional national conventions, referred to as "Congresses of Ukrainians in America." During its existence, Ukraine would fall victim to Stalin'sFirst Ukrainian American Congress
804 delegates from 168 different localities, as well as over 200 invited guests, gathered at the historic Washington Hotel in Washington, D.C., on May 24, 1940. In addition to those representing the large fraternal organizations who initiated the gathering, delegates in attendance represented the Organization for the Rebirth of Ukraine (ODWU), the Ukrainian National Women's League of America, the Association ofII Congress
The "Second Congress of Americans of Ukrainian Descent" was held at the Hotel Benjamin Franklin, in Philadelphia, PA, on January 22–23, 1944. WithIII Congress
At the close of the war, a delegation of Ukrainian-American representatives which had been elected at the second Congress in 1944, flew to San Francisco to advocate on behalf of a free Ukraine during the formation of the United Nations, convening at the Conference on International Organization in May 1945. Contrary to the hopes of the UCCA delegates, Soviet-occupied Ukraine was officially recognized as a member state of the United Nations in June 1945. In light of the developments at the United Nations, 322 Ukrainian American delegates and invited guests gathered at the Almas Temple in Washington, D.C., on May 31, 1946. At the "Third Congress of Americans of Ukrainian Descent," a unified national platform was agreed upon, supporting a non-isolationist U.S. foreign policy, to confront an emergent "totalitarian-imperialistic U.S.S.R." Furthermore, the ideals incorporated into the 1941IV Congress
Between 1938 and 1952, the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee assisted in the immigration of over 33,000 displaced Ukrainian refugees to the United States; sponsorship by additional charities more than doubled the number of new Ukrainian immigrants into the diaspora. Whereas earlier waves of Ukrainian immigration fled from poverty and arrived mostly illiterate, the political refugees driven out of their country by the recent war and persecution had on average a decade of education, while many were college graduates and professionals. These newer arrivals brought with them the organizational mindset which led to the flourishing of organizations such as the Ukrainian American Youth Association, the Federation of Ukrainian Student Organizations of America, the Organization of Democratic Ukrainian Youth, and the Shevchenko Scientific Society. In 1947, a Pan-American Ukrainian Conference was organized for the first time, uniting the organizing efforts of the UCCA, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the Ukrainian Central Representation in Argentina and the Society of Friends of Ukrainian Culture in Brazil. Representatives of this newest wave of immigrants were among the 308 delegates and invited guests who participated at the "Fourth Congress of Americans of Ukrainian Descent" (Четвертий Конґрес Американських Українців), which took place from November 5–6, 1949, again at the Almas Temple in Washington, D.C. The newer immigrants presented reports on the state of displaced Ukrainians scattered throughout Europe, as well as read greetings from Ukrainian leaders in Eastern Ukraine, Western Ukraine, Carpathian Ukraine and other regions. Unlike the II and III Congresses, the IV Congress saw the return of US government officials paying attention to the organized Ukrainian diaspora, beginning with the first Presidential greeting sent to a Ukraine Congress, from newly re-elected PresidentV Congress
The "Fifth Congress of Americans of Ukrainian Descent" (П'ятий Конґрес Американських Українців) was held on July 4–6, 1952, at the Hotel Statler in New York City. The first of many Congresses to take place in New York City, the event was the most well attended with 799 delegates from 25 states and nearly 1,500 in total attendance, generating plenty of interest from the New York press. TheVI Congress
The "Sixth Congress of Americans of Ukrainian Descent" (Шостий Конґрес Американських Українців) took place in the Hotel Commodore in New York City, from the May 28 to 30, 1955. Voting participants included 430 delegates. Guests and speakers included the then-governor of New York and formerVII Congress
The "Seventh Congress of Americans of Ukrainian Descent" (Сьомий Конґрес Американських Українців) gathered on February 21–23, 1959, at the Hotel Statler Hilton, in Washington, D.C. Voting participants included 292 delegates. Guests and speakers included representatives from the Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian, Belarusan, Czech, Slovak and Caucuses diaspora communities in America, U.S. Senator Thomas J. Dodd (D-CT), and Congressman Walter Judd (R-MN). U.S. Vice-presidentVIII Congress
The "Eighth Congress of Americans of Ukrainian Descent" (Восьмий Конґрес Американських Українців) gathered on October 12–14, 1962, at the Hotel Commodore, in New York City. Voting participants included 341 delegates. The Congress was conducted under an oversized banner with the slogan "Towards the Liberation and Emancipation of the Captive Nations," and portraits ofIX Congress
The "Ninth Congress of Americans of Ukrainian Descent" gathered on October 7–9, 1966, at the New York Hilton Hotel, in New York City. Professor Lev Dobriansky was re-elected as UCCA President by the delegates to the "Ninth Congress of Americans of Ukrainian Descent."X Congress
The "Tenth Congress of Ukrainians in the U.S.A." gathered on October 24–26, 1969, at the Commodore Hotel, in New York City. https://www.ukrweekly.com/archive/1969/The_Ukrainian_Weekly_1969-37.pdf Professor Lev Dobriansky was re-elected as UCCA President by the delegates to the "Tenth Congress of Ukrainians in the U.S.A."XI Congress
The "Eleventh Congress of Ukrainians in the U.S.A." gathered on October 6–8, 1972, at the Hotel Commodore, in New York City. Professor Lev Dobriansky was re-elected as UCCA President by the delegates to the "Eleventh Congress of Ukrainians in the U.S.A."XII Congress
The "Twelfth Congress of Ukrainians in the U.S.A." gathered on October 8–10, 1976, at the Americana Hotel, in New York City. Professor Lev Dobriansky was re-elected as UCCA President by the delegates to the "Twelfth Congress of Ukrainians in the U.S.A."XIII Congress
The "Thirteenth Congress of Ukrainians in the U.S.A." gathered on October 10–12, 1980, at the Hotel Benjamin Franklin, in Philadelphia. Professor Lev Dobriansky was re-elected as UCCA President by the delegates to the "Thirteenth Congress of Ukrainians in the U.S.A."XIV Congress
The "Fourteenth Congress of Ukrainians in the U.S.A." gathered on November 23–25, 1984, at the Hotel Waldorf Astoria, in New York City. Ihnat Bilynsky was elected as UCCA President by the delegates to the "Fourteenth Congress of Ukrainians in the U.S.A."XV Congress
The "Fifteenth Congress of Ukrainians in the USA" gathered on September 16–18, 1988, at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, in Washington, D.C. Ihnat Bilynsky was re-elected as UCCA President by the delegates to the "Fifteenth Congress of Ukrainians in the U.S.A."XVI Congress
The "Sixteenth Congress of Ukrainians in America" gathered on October 16–18, 1992, at the Ramada Hotel in East Hanover, NJ. On the concluding day of the convention, the delegates to the XVI Congress of Ukrainians in America nominated and elected Askold Lozynskyj to serve as UCCA President, followed by the election of the rest of the National Executive Board of UCCA.XVII Congress
The "Seventeenth Congress of Ukrainians in America" gathered on October 18–20, 1996, at the Ramada Hotel in East Hanover, NJ. Guests and speakers included Member of Ukraine's Parliament and chair of theXVIII Congress
The "Eighteenth Congress of Ukrainians in America" gathered on October 13–15, 2000, at the Chicago Marriott O'Hare in Chicago, IL. Voting participants were 145 delegates representing 35 UCCA branches and 20 Members Organizations of the National Council. Guests included Consul General of Ukraine in Chicago, Borys Basylevsky, and Press Secretary of Narodnyi Rukh, Dmytro Ponomarchuk. Topics of discussion by the delegates at roundtable and panel discussions included Aid to Ukraine, Your Voice in Washington, The Fourth Wave of Immigrants, Ukrainian Saturday Schools, Ukrainian-American Military Affairs, and Student and Youth Activism. Over 350 people attended the formal congressional banquet, which was held at the hotel. Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) led the list of guest speakers, which also included Ukraine's Minister of Labor and Social Policy, Ivan Skakhan, Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States, Kostyantyn Gryshchenko, and Viktor Pedenko, Secretary-General of the Ukrainian World Congress. At the banquet, the recipients of the 2000 Shevchenko Freedom Awards were announced as well for their many years of dedicated service to UCCA and the Ukrainian American community: Atena Pashko (in honor of her late husband Viacheslav Chornovil), Natalka Shukhevych (wife of the late Ukrainian GeneralXIX Congress
The "Nineteenth Congress of Ukrainians in America" gathered on September 24–26, 2004, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Philadelphia, PA. Voting participants were 120 delegates, including delegates from theXX Congress
The "Twentieth Congress of Ukrainians in America" gathered on October 17–19, 2008, at the Sheraton Cleveland Airport Hotel in Cleveland, OH. On the concluding day of the convention, the delegates to the XX Congress of Ukrainians in America nominated and elected Tamara Gallo-Olexy to serve as UCCA President, followed by the election of the rest of the National Executive Board of UCCA.XXI Congress
The "Twenty-First Congress of Ukrainians in America" gathered on September 28–30, 2012, at the Ukrainian Youth Center in Yonkers, NY. On the concluding day of the convention, the delegates to the XX Congress of Ukrainians in America nominated and re-elected Tamara Gallo-Olexy to serve as UCCA President for a second term, followed by the election of the rest of the National Executive Board of UCCA.XXII Congress
The "Twenty-Second Congress of Ukrainians in America" gathered on September 23–25, 2016, at the Ukrainian National Home in Hartford, CT. On the concluding day of the convention, the delegates to the XXII Congress of Ukrainians in America nominated and elected Andrew Futey to serve as UCCA President, followed by the election of the rest of the National Executive Board of UCCA.XXIII Congress
The "Twenty-Third Congress of Ukrainians in America" gathered on October 11-13, 2024, at the Holiday Inn Lansdale-Hatfield in Kulpsville, Pennsylvania. On the concluding day of the convention, the delegates to the XXIII Congress of Ukrainians in America nominated and elected Michael Sawkiw Jr., to serve as UCCA President for a third term, followed by the election of the rest of the National Executive Board of UCCA.See also
* Ukraine–United States relations * Senate Ukraine Caucus * Congressional Ukrainian Caucus * Ukrainian World Congress *References
External links