Maidan

We are asking people in Ukraine, Russia and all countries of the world to help us raise awareness about Holodomor 1932-1933 in Ukraine.
We keep hitting our heads against a geopolitical wall, and believe it is time to seek a more constructive way forward. We are therefore writing the following letter – petition to the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs. .
There is no question of presenting grievances against today’s Russia, nor of settling scores. However we would stress that when speaking of Holodomor the world must not be governed by geopolitical, economic, energy-related, or political considerations.
It is a question of justice, of willingness to try to understand the past and to do all in our power to ensure that such a crime never happens again.
Please help us by adding your voice to ours.

Appeal to the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs
With the 75th anniversary of Holodomor 1932-1933 in Ukraine approaching, we welcome the adoption by UNESCO of Resolution "Remembrance of the Victims of the Great Famine (Holodomor) in Ukraine" which the Russian Government signed. The Resolution points out that the Famine was the result of the cruel actions and policies of the totalitarian regime. and calls on member states to ensure measures aimed at raising awareness about Holodomor.
As you are aware, Ukraine’s position, supported by 12 other countries, and very many historians, researchers and individuals throughout the world, is that Holodomor 1932-1933 was an act of genocide against the Ukrainian nation.
We do of course mean here the entire Ukrainian nation, all those people living during that terrible time on Ukraine’s territory, not only ethnic Ukrainians.
There would appear to be opposition at official level in Russia. Many other countries are also clearly reluctant to take any stand on Holodomor which they fear will “annoy Russia”.
This denial of the obvious is entirely incomprehensible to us since the crime in question was one perpetrated by a totalitarian regime which both Ukraine and Russia have unequivocally condemned..

We are therefore writing to ask
1) that you ensure access by researchers and representatives of the international community to all archival material, including KGB documents, presently held by the Federal Security Service, which pertains to the late 1920s and 1930s. In Ukraine all archival material pertaining to Holodomor in the possession of the Ukrainian Security Service [SBU] has been declassified. .
2) unless, of course, the archival material provides evidence to the contrary, that the Russian Government declares Holodomor 1932-1933 in Ukraine to have been an act of genocide against the Ukrainian nation perpetrated by the totalitarian regime under the rule of Joseph Stalin.
3) that Russia promotes the dissemination of information about Holodomor 1932-1933 in Ukraine to ensure that the lessons of this tragic page are inculcated in young generations. This will be in keeping with the principles and aims of UNESCO, of which Russia is a member-state.

We are convinced that without acknowledgement of this crime, it will be impossible to create the conditions which guarantee that such crimes will never again be perpetrated.

You can read our appeal in all three languages here:
http://www2.maidan.org.ua/n/petit/1195264476

You can add your signature here: http://www2.maidanua.org/news/post.php3?bn=maidan_petit&key=1195264476&site=maidan&trs=-1

Unfortunately the details of how to fill in the boxes are only in Ukrainian. The first box asks you for your first and last name and, if you wish, you can add your profession, place of work, details of your studies and which country you are from.

The bigger box is for comments if you would like to make any. Please do remember that the purpose of our appeal is to move forward constructively when making any comments.
At the bottom you will see three boxes. Please click on the middle one – надіслати
And thank you!

If you have problems (or comments) please write to memorywithoutbarriers@gmail.com (it would be helpful to give a title making it clear what you’re writing about – for any happy readers who have not encountered the problem, this is because of the amount of spam.
Our last request – please tell others about this appeal!