The role of Ukrainian diaspora in the development of environmental movement in Ukraine of late 1980s — early 1990s

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The State Institution «Institute of World History of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine»

The role of Ukrainian diaspora in the development of environmental movement in Ukraine of late 1980s -- early 1990s

T. Perga

Annotation

diaspora assistance chernobyl accident

The role of the North American Ukrainian diaspora in the development of environmental movement in the Ukrainian SSR in late 1980^s -- early 1990^s is investigated. It was concluded that despite widespread opinion, that diaspora concentrated its attention only on the support of Ukrainian national-liberation movement, its activities contributed to the development of the Ukrainian environmental movement as well.

Keywords: Ukrainian diaspora, USA, Canada, Chomobyl accident, environmental movement, Ukraine.

Роль української діаспори в розвитку екологічного руху України в кінці 1980-х -- на початку 1990-х рр.

Т.Ю. Перга

ДУ «Інститут всесвітньої історії НАН України»

Анотація

Досліджено роль української діаспори в Північній Америці у розвитку екологічного руху в Українській СРСР. Продемонстровано, що попри те, що наприкінці 1980-х -- на початку 1990-х рр. діяльність української діаспори була спрямована переважно на підтримку національно-визвольного руху в республіці, складна екологічна ситуація в УРСР також привернула увагу закордонних українців. Виявлено два головні напрями діяльності діаспори, у ході яких було встановлено перші відносини з українськими екологічними активістами. Це -- організація гуманітарної і медичної допомоги населенню територій, потерпілих від Чорнобильської аварії, та привернення уваги до широкого спектру екологічних проблем в Україні. З'ясовано, що в Канаді для допомоги у зв'язку з облисінням дітей у Чернівцях через отруєння було створено дві групи -- CECUта ECOLOS, які діяли за сприяння Екологічної комісії Світового Конгресу Вільних Українців. У США підтримувати перших українських зелених активістів узялася група діаспори з Нью-Джерсі -- AHRU. Саме при підтримці цих трьох груп було організовано перші тури до США й Канади українських екологічних активістів, зокрема членів української екологічної асоціації «Зелений світ». Доведено, що використання політичних, економічних і організаційних ресурсів української діаспори у Північній Америці сприяло встановленню відносин перших українських «зелених» з представниками бізнесу, політикуму та громадськими активістами цих країн. На цій основі в подальші роки почали впроваджуватися перші екологічні проекти та програми зі США і Канадою на державному та недержавному рівнях. Також українські екологічні організації було включено до мережі міжнародних і транснаціональних екологічних мереж. Зроблено висновок про вагому роль, яку відіграла українська діаспора у розвитку українського екологічного руху наприкінці 1980-х рр. -- на початку 1990-х рр.

Ключові слова: українська діаспора, США, Канада, Чорнобильська аварія, екологічний рух, Україна

The development of the environmental movement in Ukraine has passed several stages. A crucial moment was Chernobyl accident, which catalyzed the discontent of the citizens of Ukrainian SSR with the lack of truthful information about the environmental conditions as a whole and consequences of this catastrophe. At the moment, the most of the scholarly attention was devoted to environmental movement activists, such as intellectuals, scientists, ecological groups, citizens. This list does not include Ukrainian diaspora because of widespread view that it was interested only in issues of the national-liberation movement. This is demonstrated by the main focus of modern research on preserving cultural and national traditions among the diaspora (Kryvda N.Y., Merfi N.G., Yevtukh V.B. etc.), its role in acquiring Ukrainian independence (Neduzhko Y.V., Nedoshitko I.R. etc.) and revealing facts about Holodomor in Ukraine (Kulchitsky S.V., Kovalchuk O.O. etc.). At the same time, all studies emphasize a large role of diaspora in the establishment of Ukraine as an independent state in 1991. For example, former researcher of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies Dr. David R. Marples in the book «Belarus: from Soviet Rule to Nuclear Catastrophe» notes that «during perestroika Ukrainian diaspora in Canada, the United States, Australia, Brazil, Argentina and Europe has had major impact on the situation in Ukraine, whether it be through aid for Chernobyl children, international academic exchanges or material assistance that had enabled the survival and progress of groups such as Rukh» (Marples, D.R. 1991). He states that «rather largely because of the presence of a very active Ukrainian diaspora in North America, most of our focus had been directed towards Ukraine» (Marples, D.R. 1996).

According to our hypothesis, the environmental problems in Ukraine, which became apparent as a result of the Chornobyl disaster, attracted attention of some representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora in the North America. One of reasons for this was close connection of environmental and national movement in Ukraine. Therefore this article aims to determine the role of Ukrainian diaspora in the development of environmental movement in Ukraine in late 1980's -- early 1990's. Our research is based on the analysis of the North American diaspora press which actively covered events related to Ukraine.

Diaspora groups that attempted to influence Ukraine's political and cultural development contained activists based both in Europe and North America. However, the financial and political strength of North American diasporic networks helped to ensure their dominance of such engagement in Ukraine. Due to this we will focus on the activities of the North American Ukrainians, which was the most active in the assistance to the activists in the Ukrainian SSR in 1970's -- early 1990's.

Yet in 1970's Ukrainian Canadians and Ukrainian Americans cared for dissidents who were released from prisons in the Soviet Union and allowed to leave the Soviet Union. Diaspora tried to cultivate wider support for the cause of Ukrainian independence (Satzewich, V 2002, p. 156). In the United States, members of Ukrainian diaspora arranged for the Ukrainian dissidents and members of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group a meeting with senators, congressmen, White House officials and, in some cases, the President. Diaspora actively got involved in cultural exchange activities, invited and promoted Ukrainian cultural celebrities on concert tours. This hypothesis was confirmed by many facts published in 1960-1980's in diaspora newspapers «Ukrainian Weekly», «Narodna Volia», «New Pathway», «Svoboda», «Nacionalna Trybuna» etc.

According to our research, it is possible to determine two main directions of activities of Ukrainian diaspora in the environmental sphere: assistance in the mitigation of consequences of Chernobyl accident and concern on environmental situation in Ukraine. Co-chairperson of Committee for Environmental Concerns in Ukraine (CECU) Luba Medicky said in this context: «Environmental problems do not recognize political borders. These issues are of concern to people everywhere, and especially to Ukrainians in the diaspora who are apprehensive about the environmental state of their native land, Ukraine» (The Ukrainian Weekly. 1989. № 46).

Already on April 30, anti-Soviet demonstrations took place near the Soviet Representative Office in the UN. Services in memory for Chonobyl accident victims were conducted in the churches of New York, Chicago and other cities. The Ukrainian community sent telegrams to the President of the United States demanding to take action in determining the scale and consequences of the accident and provide assistance to the affected population. Diaspora called for donations.

Upon the initiative of the World Ukrainian Liberation Front among Ukrainians in the United States, England and Germany launched collecting signatures on an appeal to the UN International Court of Justice in Hague with a the demand to determine responsibility of Moscow for a world-wide-scale disaster. Ukrainian Supreme Liberation Council also intensified its activities on Chernobyl accident. They demanded from the 41st session of the UN General Assembly in New York (September 16, 1986) to start the discussion on the situation in Ukraine. In Winnipeg, the XV Congress of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress founded the commission for collecting the information on the consequences of a nuclear disaster in Ukraine and the situation in the affected areas. This information was intended for international organizations as well as participants in the conference on security and cooperation in Europe.

Immediately after the Chernobyl accident, diaspora created many funds and engaged in charitable activities. In 1991, a Regional Chornobyl Committee was created in Great Britain. It established contacts between British doctors and their colleagues in Ukrainian hospitals. In 1990, Children of Chernobyl Development and Relief Fund was established by Ukrainian American Zenon Matkivsky. It helped to organize a blood diagnostic in Lviv, installed the first magnetic resonance imaging system in Ukraine and has modernized a number of neonatal intensive care units. The fund also organized trainings, conferences, seminars for Ukrainian doctors (Satzewich, V. 2002, p. 208). In a few months hundreds of thousands of dollars, medical products, vitamins, medical equipment, foods and clothes were collected. The Government of the USSR allocated the transport aircraft AN-124 «Ruslan», which delivered to Borispol airport its first cargo of several million dollars vaue (EapaHOBCbKa, H. 2007, c. 23-25).

Chernobyl accident attracted attention not only to the medical problems of an atomic catastrophe, but also to the environmental situation in Ukraine. In 1988, in Toronto, a Committee for Environmental Concerns in Ukraine (CECU) was created. It's purpose was to provide aid to Ukraine due to the deterioration of the environment of the Ukrainian SSR in late 1980s, the leak of poisoning thallium in Chernivtsi. With the assistance of Western specialists in ecology and related fields, committee focused attention on elaborating reports and recommendations on ecological situation in Ukraine. CECU also aimed to prevent the development of ecological problems in republic (The Ukrainian Weekly. 1989. № 12). Acting as a clearinghouse for materials dealing with ecological problems in Ukraine, the CECU decided to raise these issues and concerns in the Western media. The CECU established contacts with other international organizations and movements, such as International Red Cross, UNESCO, UNICEF, the World Health Organization and Greenpeace that were eager to provide assistance to Ukraine, especially in issues related to Chornobyl accident (The Ukrainian Weekly. 1990. № 47). This started the beginning of building transnational network aimed to solve Chernobyl and environmental problems in Ukraine.

In 1989, in Toronto, Medicky and Pawlenko founded one another environmental group of Ukrainian diaspora -- ECOLOS. During short period, the group grew from four to sixteen active members in Toronto, with supporters in the United States and Australia. Activity of ECOLOS was endorsed by Ecological Commission of the World Congress of Free Ukrainians (The Ukrainian Weekly. 1990. № 47). One of the first projects of this group was a booklet describing Ukraineian environmental hotspots, later republished as a poster. It also printed several pamphlets and booklets in Ukrainian and English, press releases, articles, special newsletter (The Ukrainian Weekly. 1990. № 16). It also helped the children of Chernivtsi and send Geiger counters to Ukraine.

To carry this activity, the group needed partners in Ukraine. Through popularity in Canada of Green World Association (Zelenyi Svit) and its connection to nationalist movement, it was selected as the partner. AHRU and ECOLOS became the first rooted in diaspora NGO of the North America that established contacts with Ukrainian Greens.

In February 1990, the group organized the visit of Ukrainian doctors Leonid Sanduliak and Ivan Penishkevych from Chernivtsi to Toronto. Dr. Sanduliak was a member of the Congress of People's Deputies, a prominent member of Rukh, a medical professor and leader of Bukovyna environmental group. Dr. Penishkevych was the regional Director of health for Bukovyna. They presented the film about the baldness of children in Chernivtsi and met with Dr. Komar, who in turn, organized a meeting with other medical specialists at the Children's Hospital. Parts of the documentary were later broadcasted on Canadian national television; a special fund was set up by the Toronto branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Welfare Service inc. (The Ukrainian weekly. 1991. № 11).

One of the first American groups of the Ukrainian diaspora, which became interested in environmental issues in Ukraine, was Americans for Human Rights in Ukraine (AHRU). It was established by American Ukrainian Igor Olshanivsky in 1980 to support the members of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group. In late 1980s its new chairman Bozhena Olshanivska visited Ukraine. She contacted with members of RUKH and participated in the Peace Walk in Ukraine in 1988 where she was introduced to the activist of Ukrainian environmental movement Sviatoslav Dudko. With his help, she met with members of the first officially recognized civil Ukrainian environmental organization Green World Association.

It was these three organizations of the Ukrainian diaspora in the North America that contributed to the establishing and developing ties with green organizations in Ukraine and promoting them in the West in late 1980s -- early 1990s. The first foreign tours of Ukrainian green activists played a significant role. The initial wave of tours which laid the foundations for further international cooperation and determined its directions took place in 1989-1991. They were designed for different audiences: decision-makers and civil society. During the meetings many environmental problems of Ukraine were clarified. This resulted in identification of areas of mutual interest between Canadian and American partners and the partners from Ukraine.

In 1989, the member of executive board of Green World Association Sviatoslav Dudko, who at that time was in the United States upon an invitation of Friends of the Earth, joined the New Jersey tour. It was organized by Senator Ronald R. Rice for Ukrainian writer and the Deputy of newly elected Verhovna Rada and member of RUKH Volodymir Yavorivsky (Narodna Volia. 1989. № 48). In 1990, he became a member of an official Soviet delegation, invited to the United States by Lou Freedman of Greenpeace for the 20th anniversary of Earth Day and the fourth annual commemoration of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster. The delegation comprised of seven Russians, two Kirghiz, and one Ukrainian. The group visited the states of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Due to a wide interest to the situation in Ukraine, Sviatoslav Dudko have extended his visit in the U.S. for an additional two weeks as the guest of AHRU. He met with governors, legislators, businessmen and journalists. He also had personalized tour at the Public Service Electric 8c Gas Co. (PSEftG) atomic energy plant in Salem and became the first Soviet citizen who received such an opportunity (Ukrainian Weekly. 1989. № 26).

Analysis of American diaspora press shows that speeches of the Ukrainian activist outlined the prospects for cooperation with Ukraine. Thus, he spoke not only of pollution of large areas and harm to public health, which implied the need for technical, economic and scientific collaboration. Dudko stressed the high energy cost of Ukrainian enterprises («Soviet factories use three to four times more energy per product unit then plants in the industrialized world») (The Ukrainian Weekly. 1990. № 26) which opened prospects for the joint work in implementation energy saving technologies in Ukraine. For example, in 1994, the Government of Canada started the program of Technical assistance to Ukraine, aimed at strengthening the capacities of the Ukrainian environmental management system and implementation demonstration projects that will help reduce levels pollution of the Dnipro river.

Tours of the activists of the Green World Association also aimed to develop ties with the civil society of Canada and the United States. We can fairly conclude that they were the first representatives of Ukrainian civil society and non-governmental green organizations that visited North America.

In the autumn of 1990, members of association Yuriy Mishchenko, Anatoliy Panov and Academician of Ukrainian Academy of Science Dr. Dmytro Hrodzinsky were invited by the Ukrainian World Engineers; Association to participate in the Toronto-based conference «Ecology in Ukraine». Yuriy Mishchenko and Anatoly Panov made 3-month tour over Canada and the United States after the conference. Such a trip was the first of its kind -- a joint project between AHRU of the United States and Canadian ECOLOS with Ukrainian partners. It aimed to inform the general public of the USA and Canada about the environmental situation in Ukraine and its problems. Therefore, Mishchenko and Panov spoke to educators, professors, high school and college students, media and press representatives and a number of organizations and groups, which included Greens, peaceniks, anti-nukes, women, Quakers, the Green Party and other New England activists. They used slides of Chornobyl area and the «Mikrofon» video from the first officially authorized by the Soviet authorities environmental rally to add emphasis to their statements. The presentations on the post-Chornobyl radiation fallout in Ukraine stimulated a keen interest among the audiences and groups. At the end of presentations, individuals in the audience invariably asked: «What can we do to help?» (The Ukrainian Weekly. 1990. № 47).

During this tour the idea of a cooperative vitamin project between the Greens of Ukraine and the Greens of the United States was born. In a «Greens to Greens» campaign dedicated to commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant explosion, Green World of Ukraine, Greens of the United States of America, Clamshell Alliance (USA), Americans for Human Rights in Ukraine (AHRU) and Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund (CCRF) have initiated a vitamin drive. Vitamins (or money to buy vitamins) were collected in the United States by interested Greens and friends. Then they were sent to well-known Greens in Ukraine for distribution in areas that need them most. To expand support of the project, Paul Gunter of the Clamshell Alliance in Concord, N.H. and his organization mailed flyers to other Greens and ecological organizations and the concerned Americans who, in turn, could disseminate the information among schools, universities, civic groups, etc. Clamshell Alliance involved in the implementation of this project several hundred other ecological organizations (The Ukrainian weekly. 1991. №5). In January 1991, Yuriy Mishchenko, Anatoliy Panov were invited to visit New Yersey were they continued to call attention to environmental situation in Ukraine and develop international relations (Narodna Volia. 1991. № 4). For example, in the newspaper “The Ukrainian Weekly” they published the article «Ukraine's Green movement focuses on Chornobyl, democratization, independence», where they explained the purposes of Ukrainian environmental movement (The Ukrainian weekly. 1991. № 5). Dr. Dmytro Hrodzin- sky who was the chairman of the Department of Biophysics and Radiobiology, Division of Cell Biology and Engineering, institute of Botany of the Ukrainian SSR Academy of Sciences and a member of Green World Association gave an interview to «The Ukrainian Weekly» titled «Chornobyl's Aftermath: Academician, environmentalist speaks out» where he explained the situation in Ukraine and shared his experience of work in the first environmental NGO of Ukraine (The Ukrainian Weekly. 1990. № 16).

On our opinion, a certain role in such interest of diaspora to the environmental problems of Ukraine played eco-nationalism. Fight for the solution of the Chernobyl problem and other environmental issues considered as one of the directions of the struggle for the independence of Ukraine. For example, Sviatoslav Dudko told about the independence for Ukraine as a prerequisite for solving its ecological and economic problems. This idea retranslated during many meetings. As result of discussions Dr. David Marples concluded that «independence for...Ukraine is the key to healing its environment» (The Ukrainian Weekly. 1990. № 26).

Based on presented facts, we can conclude that despite the primary support by the North American Ukrainian diaspora was directed to the independence of Ukraine, it also contributed to the development of environmental movement in Ukrainian SSR in late 1980's -- early 1990's. It helped to promote Ukrainian green activists in USA and Canada, which resulted in the establishment of contacts with businessmen, politicians and civil society of these countries. Due to these contacts in early 1990's, many Ukrainian NGO were included in the international green organizations and networks: in 1993 -- to Greenpeace, in 1994 -- to Friends of the Earth International, in 1998 -- to World Wide Fund for Nature. As a result of close cooperation, representative offices of many organizations were opened in Ukraine and started the implementation of numerous environmental and human rights projects.

References

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