COMING UP !

Slavic American National Convention is organizing the Pan-Slavic Convention and the Slavic Festival in  2003. The participants will arrive from all over the world. The location of the Convention and the Festival will be the Convention Center of Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

I    World Slavic Convention 2003  

1. The upcoming International Convention aims to address a number of current dynamics of the Slavic community internationally, e.g.:

Issue 1: unimpeded operation of organized crime networks from Eastern Europe in the West. This includes the exploitation of Slavic women that are taken into prostitution in the West by the organized crime networks; visas to the US sold for up to US $10.000 in East European countries.

Discussion points for the Convention 2003: Find ways to prompt the Western governments to take corrective action against exploitation of Slavic women by the organized crime networks, sales of visa to enter Western countries, etc.

Issue 2: unhindered current operation in the West of the former high-ranking bosses that stole billions from their countries and engaged in various fraudulent activities (e.g.,  Lazarenko in Ukraine/USA, Berezovskiy in Russia, Poland)

Discussion points for the Convention 2003: Urge the Western democracies to expel high-ranking former bosses to face justice at home for their illegal activities.

Issue 3: recognition by Western governments of crimes against the Slavic peoples committed by Communist or Nazi governments, such as forced Famine of 1932-33 in Ukraine, Nazi imprisonment in Slave Labor Camps and Death Chambers of Slavic people.

Discussion points for the Convention 2003: Prompt US government and other world governments to recognize crimes by Communist and Nazi governments.

Issue 4: education in Eastern Europe is mostly contained within home countries because of restriction on visas to young people from Slavic countries.

Discussion points for the Convention 2003:

- urge co-operation between US government and governments of East European states, as well as between academic institutions on  setting up educational exchange programs between the US and Eastern Europe.

- set up a Slavic educational co-operation network in North America, providing guidance and possibly scholarships to Slavic and American students interested in the study in the respective regions.

Issue 5: difficulty for Slavic people from Eastern Europe in finding jobs in their professions in the US and Western Europe.

Discussion points for the Convention 2003:

- urge the US government to recognize the professional and academic qualifications from Eastern Europe (i.e., Medical Doctor, Certified Nurse, etc.),

- set up a North American Slavic referral network providing guidance to East Europeans with visa and other documents, as well as a career guidance, referral and advice.

Issue 6: investments in economic and financial development in Eastern Europe.

Discussion points for the Convention 2003:

- urge World Bank, other Western investment institutions to make loans to local people in Eastern Europe for the development of the region.

2. We propose to invite the following panelists:

- Presidents of the East European States

- Ambassadors to the US of the East European States

- Slavic bishops

- writes, artists, film directors

3. Structure of the Convention:

- plenary sessions

- workshops

II    Slavic Festival 2003

- Cultural and Artistic Exhibitions: e.g., painting, historic, religious

- Cultural Entertainment: dancing, music recitals, performances, cinema showings

- Culinary sampling: Baltimore cafés and by invitation