Seventy five years have passed since famine raged through Ukraine eradicating the lives of millions of children, women and men from one of the world's most bountiful lands.

Holodomor – one of the most heinous crimes in the history of mankind, was the result of a deliberate political strategy masterminded by Stalin and his totalitarian communist regime. By sheer magnitude, losses during the Holodomor surpassed those of the Ukrainian nation during the Second World War. Ukrainians worldwide continue to suffer the consequences of this merciless act.

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress launched the first National Holodomor Awareness Week on November 16-23. The goal is to annually unite the Ukrainian community and all Canadians in remembering the victims and raising awareness of this tragedy.

As a community in Canada we have been successful in drawing the attention of Canadians to this often forgotten genocide.

Among the successes: The International Remembrance Flame successfully toured 17 Canadian cities in the spring. In May, Canada was one of the first western nations to recognize the Holodomor as an act of genocide. Alberta's Ministry of Education included the Holodomor in its high school curriculum. The Toronto School Board will include the Holodomor in its 2009 curriculum and the fourth Friday of every November will be marked in the schools as Holodomor Memorial Day.

There is, however, a great deal of work still to be done. We must continue working with our provincial ministries of education and local school boards to ensure that our students in Canada learn about the Holodomor. We have a moral obligation to ensure that the personal stories of our survivors are documented and preserved for future generations. Internationally, the United Nations must recognize the Holodomor as an act of genocide.