The Holodomor campaign in Great Britain

The Association of Ukrainians, the leading representative body of Ukrainians in the UK, is spearheading a campaign to commemorate the victims of Holodomor, while the enforced famine is still in living memory.  A Holodomor Commemoration Committee has been established which will take responsibility for national events, co-ordinate local events and liaise with the Embassy of Ukraine, the International Coordinating Committee of the Ukrainian World Congress and other organisations to spread the message about the historical and moral significance of Holodomor.

Campaign objectives
Our ultimate objective is to encourage and persuade the UK Government to follow the lead of those countries around the world which have already recognised Holodomor as genocide against the Ukrainian people, including Canada, the USA and Australia.  This will not be achieved easily or quickly, but there are many steps that can be taken towards that goal.  Our aims are:

  • To ensure that Ukrainians in Britain play their part in spreading awareness of Holodomor amongst Members of Parliament, local and national media, academics and opinion-formers;
  • To ensure that Holodomor is made a part of the mainstream narrative of 20th century history;
  • To ensure that the innocent victims of the atrocity are honoured and commemorated with the respect they deserve;
  • To organise a series of national commemorative and awareness-raising events;
  • To facilitate local events and help realise ideas from groups and individuals;
  • To ensure that as many young people as possible become actively involved in the campaign.

Work programme and events
The Committee has established a core programme of work for 2010, building on what has been achieved since the campaign started in 2008.

The plan for the year includes:

  • Awareness-raising campaign amongst Members of Parliament 
  • Awareness-raising amongst national media
  • Gathering video, audio and written survivor testimonies
  • Gathering evidence for including the word 'Holodomor' in the Oxford English Dictionary
  • Gathering evidence for changes in the way the Holodomor is treated in the National Curriculum
  • Commemorating the 75th anniversary of Gareth Jones' death.