Привіт, друзі!
November has been quite an eventful month. Let's dive into it.
We have another fantastic Spotlight article by Michael Andrews on Zhanna Hrytsenko, a PC-UA staff member who started with the organization in 1996!
The Member Meeting had to be rescheduled from November 7th to November 19th due to the news of the US election results (apologies for any inconvenience!). A public link to the presentation and the minutes are included below.
We are ready to adopt our drafted Action Plan for Supporting Equity & Justice, but we really need your input! Especially from our BIPOC & LBGTQ+ RPCVs. We invite you to comment on this live document or send us your thoughts at allianceforukraine@gmail.com
All this and more, so keep reading!
Hoping you and your loved ones are happy and healthy this holiday season.
з любов'ю,
~Alliance Board
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There is twist of irony in one of Zhanna Hrytsenko’s favorite memories. Zhanna was teaching high school English and German in Cherkasy when she learned that Peace Corps was recruiting Language and Cultural Facilitators (LCFs). She asked her boss for time off to attend the interview. “Even if I get the job,” Zhanna explained to her boss, “it will just be temporary.” Continue reading article here.
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One of our main goals for 2021 is to connect with our membership on a deeper level. Now that everyone is more familiar with Zoom-style meetings, getting to know each other is a lot easier. On November 19th, we met with 18 Alliance members to discuss topics such as strategic goals, future projects, and accomplishments. Click here to view our slide deck presentation and here to view the meeting minutes. If you are not a member, but would like to be, click Join to be invited to future member meetings!
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The Alliance has drafted an action plan to elevate and support RPCV efforts toward racial justice and improved diversity and inclusion practices within Peace Corps Ukraine. We fervently believe that doing so is not only vital for the safety and wellbeing of Volunteers, but also for the development of a democratic, inclusive, and globally-connected Ukraine. Please provide your comments on our Google Doc draft before our next board meeting on December 8th. Click here to view the draft.
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Holodomor Remembrance Day, November 28th
Over the pandemic, the National Museum of the Holodomor-Genocide in Kyiv partnered with the NGO "Ukrainer" and the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation to interview witnesses of the Holodomor. They recorded 120 unknown stories about the genocide on video and documented 66 mass graves of victims. The videos are not yet translated, but this page provides a description in English of these incredible individuals.
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Farewell to Our Amazing Founding Board Members
Thanksgiving 2020 had us so grateful for the work of our recently departed board members, Karis Erwin and Jim Genovese. As head of our Communications Committee, Karis compiled and edited all of our newsletters, monitored our email inbox, scheduled social media posts, built and updated our website and so much more. Jim was the backstage crew member that really made the show happen. As Treasurer, he set up and monitored our accounts, made sure we paid our bills on time, filed our 501c(3) paperwork, worked on our strategic objectives and served as a general advisor. If you want to be as cool as Jim and Karis, or maybe you just want to hone some skills and contribute to the Alliance's mission, consider applying to the board!
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