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« 2024. # 1 (175)

The Ethnology Notebooks. 2024. № 1 (175), 76—82

UDK 94(100=161.2):[061.2:32]:316.485.8

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/nz2024.01.076

THE WORLD CONGRESS OF FREE UKRAINIANS: CRISES AND WAYS TO OVERCOME THEM

VAKHNIANYN Anna

  • ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3111-6183
  • Assistant, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv,
  • Department of World History of the Modern Time,
  • 1, Universyty street, 79000, Lviv, Ukraine,
  • Contacts: e-mail: anya.vahnyanyn@gmail.com

Abstract. Introduction. For a long time, ideological and political disagreements among Ukrainians abroad hindered their consolidation. Eventually, in 1967, the World Congress of Free Ukrainians (WCFU) was established as a non-party coordinating superstructure of the Western Ukrainian diaspora, which united almost all organizations from different countries of the Ukrainian people’s settlements in its ranks. However, this institution was faced with the threat of a split several times.

Problem Statement. The most significant threat to the dissolution of the WCFU existed during the Second Congress in 1973 and in 1983 during the Fourth Congress.

Purpose. The purpose of this article is to determine the impact of misunderstandings within the political environment of the Ukrainian diaspora on the functioning of the WCFU and to determine the tools for overcoming them and preserving this institution.

Methods. The principles of historicism, multifactoriality, theoretical analysis, generalization, and comparison lay the ground for our study.

Results. In this article, the prerequisites and reasons for conflicts that threatened the preservation of the WCFU are traced, as well as the ways to resolve them. The role of specific individuals and structures in fueling and overcoming these conflicts is analyzed, and tools for preventing and resolving crisis situations within the WCFU are highlighted.

Conclusion. Most of the crisis moments in the WCFU broke up due to the aspirations of individual political factions to have greater influence in the coordinating structure. This was most often evident in the formation of the leadership of the WCFU, where various associations lobbied for their candidates. In our opinion, the role of a key compromise-seeking instrument was played by Article 23 of the Statute, according to which delegates must make decisions of the Congress by consensus. This encouraged them to engage in mutual concessions in crafting resolutions and decisions, ensuring a balance between member organizations and preventing the WCFU from splitting into a majority and a minority.

Keywords: Ukrainian diaspora, World Congress of Free Ukrainians, consolidation, Mykola Plaviuk, Askold Lozynskyj, OUN.

Received 3.01.2024

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