Hope's War
Page 21
"Michael called me this morning when he read the newspapers," explained Ian. "We knew we had to do something."
"You guys called this meeting?" asked Kat in surprise, regarding her three true friends.
Lisa hooked her arm through Ian's and Michael clasped Kat's hand in his own. "We wouldn't exactly let you down," said Michael. "Whatever it takes, we're in this together."
That evening, after everyone else had gone to sleep, Kat went back downstairs to her beloved shattered pysanka.It was too late to put it back together, but perhaps it wasn't too late to make something out of the ruins. Slowly and painstakingly, she began to take the broken shards, one by one and glue them onto a canvas in an intricate mosaic.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
As of April 12, 2001, there are three Canadians set to be deported and to be stripped of their citizenship. In each of these cases, accusations of Nazi war crimes were made, but no evidence was brought forth. There is no appeal. These cases are:
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration v. Odynsky, 2001 FCT 138,
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and Katriuk, Docket: T-2409-96
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and Oberlander, Docket: T-866-95
In another case, accusations were made and testimony was brought forth, but once the trial was over and the Canadian was stripped of his citizenship, the people who testified against him admitted that they had lied under oath. Their testimony had been taken under the threat of torture by the former KGB. This case is:
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration v. Kisluk, Docket: T-300-97
Mr. Kisluk died on May 21, 2001. To his dying breath, he maintained his innocence. His last testament can be read at: http://infoukes.com/uccla/issues/warcrimes/i_wrcrms_069. html
The notarized, witnessed confessions of those who bore false witness against him can also be read at the above link.
War criminals must be brought to justice, but our federal government's current approach is not working. If a person is accused of a horrible crime, justice demands that they be presumed innocent until proven guilty. That guilt can only be proven in a criminal court. Once a person is convicted of war crimes, then the government can punish accordingly.
Before beginning these proceedings, the government stated, "The key criterion in all these proceedings is the existence of some evidence of individual criminality. If that cannot be proven, no proceedings will be considered."
Unfortunately, the government is not following their own guidelines
RESOURCE LIST
Web resources
Teachers' resources can be found at the author's web site:
http://www.calla.com
The infoukes.com web site is the most comprehensive and reliable Internet resource for all things Ukrainian. The main page can be found at:
http://infoukes.com
World War II history can be found at:
http://infoukes.com/history/
The issue of alleged war crimes can be found at:
http://infoukes.com/uccla/issues/warcrimes/index-nuccla.html
The Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) has published 32 volumes of chronicles in the Ukrainian language. There are English summaries of all volumes posted on the Internet at:
http://infoukes.com/upa/
The government of Canada's report on the Deschenes Commission and war criminals can be found at:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/873-e.htm
Books
Thousands of Roads.Maria Savchyn Pyskir, translated by Ania Savage. McFarland & Co., 2001. ISBN 0-7864-0764-6.
The memoir of a young woman's life in the Ukrainian Underground during and after World War II.
Into Auschwitz, for Ukraine.Stefan Petelycky. Kashtan Press, 1999. ISBN 1-896354-16-5.
The memoir of a Ukrainian survivor of Auschwitz.
Film
Between Hitler and Stalin ... Ukraine in World War II.Ukrainian Canadian Research and Documentation Centre, 620 Spadina Ave., Suite 200 Toronto, ON CANADA, M5S 2H4, 416-966-1819 E-Mail:ucrdc@interlog.com
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
THIS NOVEL IS dedicated to my dear friend, Natalie Wasylyk.
It would not have been possible for me to write Hope's War had it not been for the people who allowed me to interview them about their own experiences or shared with me their expertise on a variety of topics.
The following people introduced me to primary documents dealing with Ukraine during World War II: Professor Peter Potichnyj, editor of Litopys UPA: Chronicles of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army;Dr. Lubomyr Luciuk, author of Searching for Place;Andrew Gregorovich, librarian extraordinaire at the Ukrainian Canadian Research and Documentation Centre; Oleh Romanyshyn PhD, editor of Ukrainian Echo;Wolodymyr Kosyk PhD, author of The Third Reich and Ukraine;Modest Ripeckyj MD, editor of "UPA Medical Services", volume 23 of Litopys UPA.
Many thanks to the following people who allowed me to interview them about their personal experiences: The Odynsky family and the late Serge Kisluk gave me details about what it was like to be considered a "sub-human" under Nazi terror, and also what it is like to be plunged into denaturalization and deportation proceedings here in Canada. I would also like to thank Eric Hafemann and Miriam Bauman for their insight on this matter from a legal perspective.
I would also like to thank Dr. John and Lidia Skrypuch, Stepha Wiwczaruk, Marika Szkambara, Marika Lopata, Victoria Tupeich, Natalie Wasylyk, George and Carol Mychailenko, Yevdokia Kovalchuk and others who shared with me their family stories of slave labour, terror, and everyday life under both Soviet and Nazi oppression.
Paul O'Mara, Dorothy Byers, Fabio Zanetti, Genya Palij Moore, Eugene Yakovitch, Aaron Campbell, Ian Smits, Marianne Bluger, Oksana Bashuk Hepburn, Janice Kulyk Keefer, Khanh Nguyen, Taras Podilsky, Ann Biscoe, Bill Hughes, Orysia Tracz, Iko Labunka, His Grace Bishop Yurij Kalistchuk, Father Sencio, Father Ozimko, Myroslav Yurkevich, Jean Paul Himka, Nell Nakoneczny and Marco Levytsky were all wonderful for giving me insight into specific aspects of the novel.
Readers, Orest Skrypuch, Cheryl Forchuk, Dorothy Forchuk, Polly Martin, Rosemarie Reichel, Janet McConnaughey, Merrill Cornish, Kate Coombs, Elizabeth Ferrall, Paulette MacQuarrie, Erinn Fitzpatrick, Steph Young, Lora Mclnnes, Olya Grod, Lubomyr Luciuk, Oleh Romanyshyn, Andrew Gregorovich, Myroslava Oleksiuk-Baker and Mike Beal all read through various drafts of the novel and helped me improve it.
The photos in Hope's War were borrowed from the private collections. Sincere thanks to Petro Sodol, Maria and Modest Ripeckyj, Mykola Kulyk, Andrew Gregorovich, Oleh Romanyshyn, Theophil Staruch, and Yevdokia Kovalchuk.
I am greatful to the Ukarainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko for their support.
This novel would not have been possible without the wonderful feedback and encouragement from my agent, Dean Cooke, and Suzanne Brandreth. Also, sincere thanks to Barry Jowett, my editor at Dundurn.