06/12/2005 | Sztefan von Seitz

Letter to E-Poshta,

Re: Justice Minister Zvarych debate TOP

The Roman Zvarych issue is only a minor element of the fundamental questions that divide us and prevent us from gaining focus.
I read with great interest Myhaijlo Brytans letter to the editor (June 5th, 2005) regarding the ongoing controversy surrounding Minister of Justice Roman Zvarychs educational credentials. Rather than fanning the flames of controversy any further (which I would find to be counterproductive since the Ministers brother is a friend and the Kyiv Post editor Andrey Slivka is the son of another friend), I would like to bring to the readers attention to the fact that some of the most brilliant minds known to man also had problems with their degrees. It is a well known fact that the great Albert Einstein failed to obtain his initial engineering diploma in 1895 from the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule in Zurich, but did this diminish his accomplishments?


I had the pleasure of listening to Mr. Zvarych's several speeches during his visit to NY in March 2005, and although somewhat controversial and perhaps undiplomatic, Mr. Zvarych made a tremendous impact on his audience and his listeners whether they agreed with him or not. There is no doubt in my mind that Mr. Zvarych is a most patriotic Ukrainian, completely loyal and supportive of his president, and a tremendous asset to his chosen country. Many people in Ukraine and in the US found it strange that Mr. Zvarych denounced his US citizenship for that of a Ukrainian one, but how many of us in the diaspora have chosen citizenships other than those into which we were born. I for one already had three and given the opportunity would probably have had chosen more. Perhaps I'm being too simplistic, but in a global world citizenship is becoming similar to rooting for your favorite citys sports team.


What I do find very disturbing about this controversy is that most Ukrainians still have not found the capacity to stick together and be supportive of each other regardless of such controversies. I always watch in wonderment how the small Jewish society can use the positive elements of its connectivity to create a worldwide network unlike any other known to mankind. Is there nothing that can be learned from this? Why do some Ukrainians still try to undermine the greatness and the spectacular success of the Orange Revolution? Is there some kind of self-destructive mechanism in our psyche?


The Roman Zvarych issue is only a minor element of the fundamental questions that divide us and prevent us from gaining focus. The divisions evident in Ukraines political hierarchy are also troubling to me and could prevent Ukraines governing bodies from pursuing the mandates of their people. We in the diaspora, because of our distance from day to day events, have the luxury and capacity of being objective in our view of Ukraines quest for true self determination. Would it not benefit Ukraine if we use this objectivity to guide rather than judge what its government is trying to achieve? For the most part we certainly cannot change it so would it not behoove us to support it?


Walter Prochorenko, PhD.
Paramus, NJ.