the World Congress of Free Ukrainians – was created in New York . The congress took place from November 12 to November 19, 1967. The purpose of the congress was to unify and help the Ukrainian people in their struggle for state independence and coordinate the activities of its members – organizations of the Ukrainian diaspora in different countries.
The Congress of Freedom became the first mass manifestation of Ukrainian unity in the church, public and political spheres of life. More than a thousand delegates from 17 countries of the world took part in these meetings.
At this Congress, a decision was made to create the World Congress of Free Ukrainians, which, after the declaration of Ukraine’s independence in 1993, was renamed the World Congress of Ukrainians (WUC).
Social and political information in the Soviet Union and the harsh policy towards the Ukrainian SSR, the protests of the Ukrainian intelligentsia, and the suppression of the dissident movement in the 1960s played not the least role in the formation of Ukrainianism abroad. Ukrainians who left their homeland could not be just observers, they sought to help their homeland in every possible way in the struggle for freedom and independence of Ukraine.
Father-prelate Vasyl Kushnir, who was later elected as the first president, opened the Congress of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in New York.
The delegates of the Congress adopted the “First Manifesto to the Ukrainian People in Ukraine and Outside Ukraine in the USSR and the Moscow Bloc Countries”, which emphasized that the Ukrainian People’s Republic of Ukraine would help its people in their struggle until they were finally freed and built an independent sovereign and cathedral state.
Since 2003, the SCU has been recognized as a non-governmental organization with special consultative status by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
The governing body of the SCU is the congress, which is convened once every five years, and between congresses there is a secretariat headed by the presidium.
The following points are set as goals:
- To represent the interests of Ukrainian diasporas from all over the world.
- To preserve the national Ukrainian identity, spirituality, language, and culture of Ukrainians.
- To coordinate the activities of the Ukrainian organizations that are members of the SCU in the areas of activity determined by the congress.
- To mobilize the public opinion of fellow citizens in the countries where Ukrainians live to strengthen favorable attitudes towards Ukraine and its state, spiritual and economic development.
- Protect the rights of Ukrainians (regardless of their place of residence) in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.