Every November, Ukrainians around the world commemorate the Holodomor Genocide by Famine (Holod = hunger, Mor = death), perpetrated by Stalin’s Communist regime against the Ukrainian nation. The Holodomor involved the extermination of millions of Ukrainian farmers in 1932-1933.
The Ukrainian-Canadian community commemorates this moment in history during National Holodomor Awareness Week in late November. In recent years, it has served as a stark reminder of the reality of the aggressor the Ukrainian people continue to face today, as they are being forced, once again, to defend their dignity and fundamental human rights.
SUSK calls upon its member Ukrainian Students’ Organizations to commemorate and raise awareness about the Holodomor at universities across the country. Events may include film screenings, informational exhibits/displays, lectures, seminars, and memorial events. See what USOs have done in the past, or check out our resources and information from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) National Holodomor Awareness Committee for hosting Holodomor-related events.
SUSK HOLODOMOR RESOURCE PACKAGE
The Holodomor Resource Package is intended to give students and their Ukrainian student organizations the resources and guidelines they need in order to educate themselves and their student communities about the Holodomor. This package has been produced by the Ukrainian Canadian Students’ Union’s (SUSK) Advocacy Committee with the gracious assistance of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress’s (UCC) National Holodomor Awareness Committee.
UCC HOLODOMOR RESOURCES
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) encourages its member organizations and their affiliates (SUSK’s USOs) to share the details of their Holodomor event by contacting their head office. The UCC will publish the event on their site and inform the Ukrainian community, Canadian public, officials, and the media. The UCC also offers a number of resources to include in commemorative event planning.
HOST GUEST SPEAKERS
If you’re interested in having a guest speaker come in to talk to your USO, we advise that you first explore options within your post-secondary institution’s faculty and staff — there are more Ukrainian professors at schools than you might think! If you can’t find anyone, however, speakers from the Holodomor Research and Education Consortium (HREC) and the Ukrainian Canadian Research and Documentation Centre (UCRDC) would be more than willing to set up a meeting.
FILMS AND POSTERS
Thinking about showing a movie for your USO and students on campus? Or, displaying an exhibit?
SUSK has compiled a list of films and websites with Holodomor content for USOs to access when organizing their Holodomor commemorative event.
If your USO would like to make arrangements for a “Holodomor: Genocide by Famine” exhibit from the League of Ukrainian Canadians, or are interested in using other resources, please contact SUSK’s Director of External Relations.