The Lehighton Rotary Club and the Kobzar Society had an opportunity to see and hear firsthand accounts of current affairs in the Ukraine.

"Lehighton Rotary Club is particularly interested in Ukraine's current events because of our previous involvement with an international grant to an orphanage in that country," said Barbara Belón, event coordinator and district governor 2015-2016 for Rotary District 7410."While Rotary is a nonpolitical entity, Rotarians are actively engaged in peace and conflict resolution in trouble spots around the globe."Orest J. (O.J.) Hanas, Kobzar Society president, said, "The Euromaidan (meaning euro "square" or "plaza") uprising for human dignity and honest democracy was started and sustained mainly by Ukraine's youth, who hate their corrupt government, wholeheartedly support democracy, and wish to live in freedom in accordance with European values."Waves of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine began on Nov. 21 of last year when protests erupted in Kiev, the capital and largest city of the Eastern European country, after the Ukrainian government suspended preparations for signing an association agreement and free trade agreement with the European Union instead seeking closer economic relations with Russia.At 233,062 square miles, Ukraine is the largest wholly European country. It comprises 27 administrative regions called "oblasts" and the autonomous Republic of Crimea. Ukraine is a constitutional democratic republic governed by three separate branches the president, the parliament (called "Rada"), and the judicial branch.According to Hanas, there are approximately 46 million Ukrainians, 80 percent of whom speak the official language of Ukrainian; 15 percent speak Russian; and 5 percent speak other languages such as Polish, Tartar and Yiddish.Ukraine has abundant natural resources, such as the rich, black, fertile soil; iron ore; coal and the recently discovered large deposits of natural gas under the southeastern, western and Crimean regions.Born in Ukraine, Hanas offered his personal recommendations to bring peace to the Ukraine-Russian conflict "without any boots hitting the ground in Ukraine."Suggestions include ensuring that the free elections take place as scheduled on May 25; station out-of-country observers to monitor the national elections; supply the Ukrainian military with defensive weaponry; make financial and economic aid readily available to Ukraine; share intelligence with the Eastern European country; increase NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) troop presence in countries boarding Ukraine and Russia; impose severe sector sanctions on Russia's economy; and expel the Russian Federation from WTO (World Trade Organization)."The United States of America must make a strong statement against Russian aggression if we are to convince the world of our commitment to democracy and peace abroad," Hanas said. "The minor incremental sanctions that we are putting in place now make us appear to be a weak nation, unprepared to defend our principles.""Let's demonstrate to the world that we have the courage to help people who simply want to have the same freedoms that we enjoy here," he urged.Partnering with Hanas in the presentation was Danylo Zacharczuk, an eyewitness to the Euromaidan Revolution in Kiev during December 2013, who shared personal photos taken during his trip to Ukraine. "To be able to listen to someone who was actually at the Euromaidan Revolution when the violence in Ukraine began was a major bonus to the event. Rather than just 60-second news snippets covered by our national news services, the audience heard and saw an in-depth, informative presentation," Belón said.The presentation was preceded by a dinner of authentic homemade Ukrainian dishes. It was followed by a brief question and answer session.All proceeds from the event benefit the wounded of Euromaidan through the Kobzar Society, a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit corporation. This organization was instrumental in facilitating the "Computers for Ukraine" international project for Lehighton Rotary Club.