in partnership with the German Development Bank KfW and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine handed over nine units of road construction equipment to Higher Vocational School #22 in Sarny within the project "EU4Skills: Modernisation of Vocational Education and Training Infrastructure in Ukraine" implemented by the Ukrainian Social Investment Fund the college has also received four spare parts and three educational units for the modernisation of training for students in the profession of "Road machinery operator" Business Support and Social Policies at the EU Delegation to Ukraine: "I am happy to hand over contemporary road construction equipment procured by the EU to the Sarny Vocational Education and Training school The European Union remains committed to supporting Ukraine in developing a contemporary vocational education infrastructure Students in vocational schools represent the future of sectors such as agriculture it is crucial to ensure that they have optimal conditions for acquiring professional and technical education.” modern workshops not only enhances the quality of education and helps in forming competent professionals but also demonstrates to businesses that vocational education is ready to meet contemporary challenges and is worthy of investment and cooperation We are grateful to our international partners for continuing to invest in Ukrainian vocational education institutions in the Ukrainian economy," noted Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Modernisation of education is also taking place in other Vocational and technical schools and sewing equipment were provided to institutions in the Poltava In six other institutions repair and construction work is ongoing The EU-funded "EU4Skills: Modernisation of Vocational Education and Training Infrastructure in Ukraine" project is part of the "EU4Skills: Better Skills for Modern Ukraine" programme (Component 3) and aims to update and modernise the equipment and infrastructure of VET schools in Ukraine The project aims to create a modern VET infrastructure that contributes to increased attractiveness for students The project works on laying the foundation for effective demand-driven education that equips students with skills that the Ukrainian labour market seeks On behalf of the European Union and the German Development Bank KfW the project is implemented by the Ukrainian Social Investment Fund For additional information, please contact Inna Pavliuk via inna.pavljuk@brandcom.com.ua Mark Di Ionno | March 24 UKRAINE — A long line of Ukrainians wait to be processed out of their country then walk a few steps through red-and-white “no re-entry” gates  and become refugees.     gym bags or anything else in which they could stuff essential belongings they cross the line from their past into an uncertain present and future I’ve been working for several days with Caritas on Poland’s side of the border near Starovoite vans and cars of supplies that are coming from all over Europe Some are from huge international organizations others from churches or civic associations and some just from individuals who felt compelled to help with a humanitarian crisis Europe has not seen in such proportions since World War II One man drove a passenger bus from the Netherlands filled with donated canned food then filled the 44 seats on the bus with refugees who had places to stay in Warsaw and Berlin The Caritas volunteers are mostly young people who stay at a nearby school and sign up for two-week stints “This was supposed to be my gap year,” said Weronika Eszyk who was running the medical and military donations tent and I’m exhausted but I can’t tear myself away.” Disaster response has an addictive quality quick-moving man who is the unelected head organizer of the Dorohusk relief site He put his family and dog-training business aside to work 15-hour days among the red tents and hundreds of boxes of donations The long days mean that in addition to sorting through the donations and loading trucks volunteers also chop wood for the outdoor fires where they huddle for warmth in the early morning and evening When I began work with Caritas on March 10 Blaziak and I went several times to the Polish side of the border just three kilometers away through Dorohusk It is surrounded by the fertile land of the Bug River delta Blaziak offered to take me over to the Ukrainian side but there is a risk “Maybe they won’t check,” he says in his limited English Buses from the war-torn country’s interior drop people off to form a line to be processed out of Ukraine by that country’s officials From there they can either wait for another bus or walk over the Bug River on a bridge much smaller than New Jersey’s pedestrian bridges that cross the Delaware in Columbia The Bug itself between Starovoite and Dorohusk is little more than a slow-moving with crying children and elderly parents to bring to safety burdened by all the necessities from home they could pack in manageable luggage.’ As the refugees come through the Polish-side processing center and emerge with blue certificates that give them official passage they are greeted by volunteers in the red vests of Caritas or the light blue of Polska Akcga Humanitarna or the high-visibility green-and-orange of other volunteer groups Those volunteers welcome the refugees and invite them into tents of clothes feminine hygiene products and free 5G phone plans It is here that the real-time despair and urgency behind this massive effort hits me as being familiar on so many levels — both in the shock and confusion in the faces of the refugees and the outpouring of generosity of the volunteers aiding them As a columnist for The Star-Ledger I covered Superstorm Sandy and its aftermath extensively I couldn’t pull myself away for more than a year after it happened Stories needed to be told of the immediate human misery the red-tape frustration and insurance stonewalling many experienced trying to get back into their homes.     I’ve not only been to the border crossing at Starovoite and Dorohusk where trains arriving from Kyiv release daily onslaughts of refugees burdened by all the necessities from home they could pack in manageable luggage I recall scenes of New Jersey’s own unprecedented disaster the town sports arena (Miejska Hala Sportowa) is being used as a shelter like so many school gymnasiums and town rec centers were in Ocean County cots are lined up the length of a basketball court and partitions to give families privacy have been put up in the areas where the bleachers have been pushed back ‘It proves there are more good people than bad ones.’ Volunteers register the refugees and try to find them more permanent lodging in hotels in Warsaw or with the thousands of Polish families who have offered them rooms in their homes swelling its population by 17% in less than a week the refugees pick through stacks of donated clothes and counters filled with nonperishable groceries There is a reservoir-worth of bottled water and a mountain of diapers Baby and feminine hygiene products go quickly because most of the refugees are women and children watching people trying to replace what they’ve lost with the donations of others is at once heartbreaking and heartwarming Ukrainian refugees search through used clothing at the reception point in Dorohusk “It proves there are more good people than bad ones,” said Joanna Wozniak tea and baked goods stand for the refugees can unfortunately affect the lives of millions of good people.” Blaziak views the overwhelming donations as both a godsend and necessary evil “People clean out their houses in the name of goodwill,” he said He pointed to boxes upon boxes of cloth stuffed animals that lay outside the few tent coverings “One rainstorm and this is all garbage we’ll have to get rid of,” he said many refugees are loaded onto buses for local reception points But many have relatives or friends throughout Poland or the rest of Europe who meet them at the border Luyba Tsaruk waited at the border for her sister “He wanted to stay and fight,” Tsaruk said through a volunteer translator “but his mother insisted he give me help instead.” ‘It’s hard to believe this is happening to us … Ten days ago Tsaruk said her husband remained home and while Sarny had not yet been bombed or invaded by the Russians and she equally feared the possibility they would be attacked by soldiers from Belarus “Where we live no longer feels safe,” she said “I don’t want that kind of future for my children.” the compact nature of European hostilities is difficult to grasp four countries are now impacted by a major war in a geographic area not much larger than the swath of destruction left by Sandy in New Jersey which allowed Russia to stage the invasion and may send troops; Ukraine the front line of this humanitarian crisis “It’s hard to believe this is happening to us,” said Tsaruk why so many Poles want to help: “We felt abandoned by the rest of the world and we know how lonely the Ukrainians must feel.” Pulitzer Prize finalist and author whose most recent book was “Gods of Wood and Stone.” SUBSCRIBE NJ Spotlight is part of The WNET Group and is operated by WNET a non-profit organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code The number of women who have signed up to the army and territorial defence has doubled More than 32,500 women serve among the 260,000 soldiers of the armed forces of Ukraine.  the number of women in the armed forces has doubled an adviser on gender issues to the commander-in-chief of the army The main reasons were the ongoing conflict in the country’s east and significant legislative changes that have allowed women to take a more active role in the army.  Since the beginning of the conflict in 2014 over 30 women have received state recommendations I worked in the state environmental inspectorate in Rivne oblast I read in the local newspaper that women were being recruited to the armed forces.  I am raising a child on my own and I really wanted to give her everything And the environmental sector at that time only paid a small salary I wanted to do my best to make my daughter feel happy That's why I wasn't afraid for my life at all I signed a contract with the armed forces and took the introductory course took my oath and received the rank of soldier I began serving in the Sarny military enlistment office and wanted to become an officer the military unit which specialises in training for various branches of the land forces of Ukraine.  I remember one task was to climb a high beam I replied that I had nothing to fear because I wanted to become an officer so that no-one would point a finger at me and say that she is a woman And if I wear a uniform and the badge of a junior lieutenant I have to stand on the same level with men.  go ahead." I climbed and completed the task I was going to the anti-terrorist operation zone and my child was studying in the 11th grade because then I would not be able tofulfill my promise to pay for university and give her a good start in life.  I'll provide you a with a higher education and everything that other children have.” In December 2021 I was awarded the rank of junior lieutenant and on January 15 I joined the territorial defence battalion of the city of Sarny I am currently deputy chief of staff for mobilisation Now huge crowds of people are going to defend the country There are families where the father is at a checkpoint “I am defending the country again for the second time in my life when I joined the Azov volunteer battalion But then my main weapon was the written word when mass Russian bombings began in Ukraine… there was a stupor at first it took some time to get ourselves together There were two options - either to die at home It's like jumping into cold water: you brace yourself for a long time I went to the defence of the Desnianskyi district - the left bank of Kyiv My first post was a block from my grandmother's house which she could not leave due to ill health and two blocks away was where my godmother lived Then I was transferred to the right bank of Kyiv an area regularly exposed to missile attacks.  I went to [the Donbas region] as a volunteer and photographer I knew what I was planning and where I was going Then I worked as the press secretary of the people's deputy and for another year coordinated the press service of the Cherkasy city council And for the last year and-a-half I have been working as a photographer which I am going to return to after the war There are few women in territorial defence If you manage to get home and take a shower the psyche gets used to this and reacts less sharply But I would be more worried if I stopped being afraid “I was in a command position in the armed Forces on the front line but I am more useful now working in the fund Together with the ministry of defence we buy ammunition They are transported by women because men are not allowed to go abroad.  We cooperate with the largest volunteer organisations; there are so many offers that we do not have time to physically process all requests We now have great trust and support from business we raised twice as much money as during all the years of the war in Ukraine - UAH 200 million (6.6 million US dollars).  I will defend Ukraine by supporting the Ukrainian military.” This publication was prepared under the "Amplify Engage (AVE) Project" implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Journalists need training and support to properly cover war crimes trials Activists warn that vulnerable domestic workers risk abuse often returning with serious health conditions sacrifice and luck secured a vital early win in the south-eastern campaign Some women face Adana's male-dominated traffic chaos for a living Recent murder highlights widespread discrimination and violence against LGBTI people Open source intelligence (OSINT) can provide facts – but impatient Tel +44 (0)20 7831 1030 Tel +1 202 393 5641 IWPR is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom (charity reg no: 2744185); in the United States as a not-for-profit organisation with tax-exempt status under IRS section 501(c)(3); and as a charitable foundation in The Netherlands The opinions expressed on iwpr.net are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Institute for War & Peace Reporting Site design by IWPR. Developed by AG Prime Abe and Esther Schuster grew up children of Holocaust survivors lost his parents and sister in the Sarny ghetto lost her entire family — they were murdered during the Nazi occupation of Uman Pauline and Judel met in Stalingrad and married there in 1945 shortly before they entered a displaced persons camp in Italy they left Europe and arrived by boat in New York to begin a new life Abe and Esther sat down to remember their parents’ philosophy of life And as Abe’s high school math teacher would learn that didn’t always mean following the rules “We’re from near and far” by Ending Satellites from the Album And so sing the black birds how is mine Abey doing in the math class?’ and he doesn’t seem to paying attention very well.’ he knows a lot of friends and has fun in the evenings Esther Schuster (ES): We could do no wrong in their eyes you did the best you could.’ The other thing would always say to us was ‘The only thing that’s important is you learn how to do something that you can make a living at.’ Because really When did you first realize that we were kids of Holocaust survivors And I think that’s the first time I actually realized what happened to our grandparents We knew we were named after people who died too soon who there was a lot of pain about and I’m so glad to have you cause you’re my mother.’ I think that we had this vision of life and death that was maybe different from other kids our age But they also taught us the pleasure in small things so sometimes you can make up for things later ES: I remember when we would go to Crystal Beach and there was that little store on the corner And we would stop; we would get an orange soda you would’ve thought somebody bought her a diamond ring AS: And all the neighborhood kids would go to the pool and swim in the summer and AS: And he climbed up and he went down the slide And everybody’s looking at him and I’m like ‘Yeah We were very lucky to have them as parents — despite their suffering They were able to teach those lessons of live now Survivors and friends Thomas Grace and Chic Canfora share memories of May 4 when National Guardsmen opened fire on students protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State University Dan Bigley tells his daughter Acacia Bigley about living through a bear attack that blinded him This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Skomentuj: 0 UdostępnijWięcej od: Mateusz Pogwizd The TimesAfter celebrating her 22nd birthday on Saturday Kateryna Markovets has decided it is time to return home to Kyiv She misses her boyfriend and her family but more importantly she believes that after nearly three months away she has a duty to be back in her home country “I’ve got an opportunity to live and work safely in England in a very difficult moment, but I feel that I’ll be more useful in Ukraine and for Ukraine,” she said. “I believe that I’m from that generation that will rebuild Ukraine after we win the war. Every refugee that comes back home will help to make Ukraine a better place “I’m inspired with experience of life in a highly developed country Carl Lumbly has very purposeful and personal motivations for driving to Stockton from Berkeley on Sunday motivate young people and pay formal homage to his late wife but not as many as I would like," Lumbly said of his appearance at the Bob Hope Theatre the crime problem and being ranked one of the worst places to live does that Sunday when "Nightjohn," a 1996 TV movie in which Lumbly plays a slave is shown by the Black Family Day organization "It was almost like a miracle," said Mateenah Floyd-Okanlawon co-chairperson of the film program with Tommie Muhammad "I saw him in a play ("Blue Orange") in San Francisco last year "He thinks this program we're attempting is very good He's the kind of person who's interested in community." High school and middle school students will be asked to critique the 92-minute film set in the antebellum South (1780-1860) when slavery still was a scourge The "best" critic/analyst receives the first Vonetta McGee Award Lumbly will show a film "to help people understand why the award's in her name," he said "This is the first time I've made an outreach in her name I'm pleased to do this." He couldn't accept a prior invitation to a Black Family Day event and has "always regretted that." Sarny (Allison Jones) - a slave whose mother has been sold - takes care of the toddler son of cotton-plantation owner Clel Waller (Beau Bridges) a Waller slave who escapes to the North but returns to help people learn to read whose life is altered drastically as a result Lumbly's character is sold and Sarny's rudimentary literacy impacts Waller negatively Waller's slaves become his only marketable "property." He threatens to kill them all "This film is one that I believe in quite a bit," Lumbly 'I would never play a slave.' This movie helped turn my mind around on that and all sorts of things." Lumbly and Floyd-Okanlawon hope the movie expands minds - particularly young ones - to historical reality "Getting up there and sharing their impressions fosters critical thinking," said Floyd-Okanlawon a retired Planned Parenthood nurse who's helped organize the film program for five years We pick films that educate and inspire the community about black history and black families." to a family that had emigrated from Jamaica's Montego Bay He earned a degree in English from Macalaster College in St As an Associated Press reporter and freelance magazine writer Lumbly first was drawn to the stage the during an AP assignment He spent two years with Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop Comedy Theatre A newspaper ad seeking "two black actors for South African political plays" changed that He got one of the roles in a production of Athol Fugard's "Sizwe Bansi Is Dead." Danny Glover got the other one Lumbly portrayed a photographer in apartheid South Africa: "The combination of journalism and acting really politicized me." He and the San Francisco-born Glover also toured in Fugard's "The Island" and wound up in Los Angeles After Lumbly hired an agent and moved to New York he became an established character actor (from a black superhero to a police detective and former football player) he was chosen to play Mark Petrie in "Cagney & Lacey," a CBS detective series that ran for seven years He has acted in 19 movies and 29 TV films and series "Grey's Anatomy" (2008) and "Criminal Minds" (2010) made their movie debuts in "Alcatraz" (1979) Glover directed Lumbly in "Just a Dream" (1992) and "Buffalo Soldiers," a 1997 film (TNT) for which he earned an NAACP Image Award nomination she makes "video tributes" and won awards from Oakland's Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1998 - for "Presenting James Bell," about a "people's" mural painter - and 2000 ("Black Family Day") She's now working on "By the Sweat of Our Brow," documenting the experiences of black Central Valley farm workers from the 1940s to the 1960s Sunday is Floyd-Okanlawon's 74th birthday: "I can't think of anything better I could be doing." Contact reporter Tony Sauro at (209) 546-8267 or tsauro@recordnet.com Over the period of 27 April-4 May the following anti-Western narratives have been the most popular in Ukraine's information sphere: Let's look at these messages in more detail: The narrative about the West controlling appointments to key Ukrainian state institutions found its continuation this week This time the narrative was focused on Artem Sytnyk the Head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and his possible dismissal by the Verkhovna Rada due to the fact that Sytnyk was found guilty of corruption by the Sarny District Court and Rivne Court of Appeal which is allegedly controlled by Viktor Medvedchuk Embassy to Ukraine who have him hooked and use him to fight dissension Maksym Stepanov, Ukraine's healthcare minister, stated on 22 April that many Ukrainian hospitals are underfinanced due to the second stage of the healthcare reform He added that "Ukraine faces dozens of other infections which are as dangerous as coronavirus." Nadia Savchenko, aformer prisoner of the Kremlin and former MP from the Batkivshchyna party, who now leads her own party, the Social and Political Platform of Nadiya Savchenko, argued on air at the 112 Ukraine TV channel that Western healthcare systems aren't always effective "Insurance-based healthcare systems turned out not to be effective in many countries The healthcare reform is not aimed at preserving the health of the nation it is aimed at looking after the rich,"  Savchenko underlined Andriy Biletskyi, the leader of the far-right National Corpus political party, stressed during the Holos Narodu (Voice of the People) talk show on the 112 Ukraine TV channel that  Europe is getting ready to "buy out" all Ukrainian medical workers "Europe will be preparing for the second wave [of coronavirus pandemic] They are open about this," Biletskyi noted This statement is in line with recent comments by Andriy Portnov, a lawyer and former advisor to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych (2010-2014). He argued on air at the NewsOne TV channel that allowing Ukrainians to go to work in foreign countries is real "humiliation" and "disrespect to Ukraine" as Ukrainians receive poor salaries for the work they do he said that EU partners had not shown any solidarity at all; the only thing that they were capable of was to organise a charter flight to host Ukrainian cheap labour force in their countries even amid the imposed restrictive measures during the pandemic Anatoliy Shariy, a popular YouTube blogger, argued in a YouTube video that the Ukrainian government is selling its own citizens to European countries as "slaves." "I tried to remember the times when Ukraine fell so low [...] I do not remember anything like this," Shariy said There is a continuation of a previously spotted narrative about "American military biological laboratories in Ukraine." This time Viktor Medvedchuk claims that the U.S Embassy has deleted from its website information "on a biolaboratory that works only with human pathogens." "Creation of a separate laboratory for human pathogens indicates experiments on humans This is the main reason for the creation of the U.S This is an opportunity to conduct the most dangerous studies which are prohibited by law in the United States but are allowed in Ukraine both because of imperfections in Ukrainian legislation and because of external governance of Ukraine by the United States which enables our country to be turned into a platform for biological experiments a repository for toxic and nuclear waste and a raw materials appendage," Medvedchuk argued but especially after the 2019 elections in Ukraine anti-Western and anti-democratic messages have become more widespread in the Ukrainian information space They are aimed at undermining trust in democracy and creating a monstrous image of the "West" ("Europe" and "the IMF") trying to destroy Ukrainian sovereignty They are traditionally disseminated by Russian and pro-Russian information actors but they have now been joined by increasingly visible Yanukovych-era "revanchist" politicians (Andriy Portnov etc.); forces close to oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskiy and even by the formerly pro-Western "Orange Revolution Queen" Yulia Tymoshenko in cooperation with SemanticForce and Looqme compile a regular digest of these messages and also provide alerts about specific narratives when they appear This project is conducted with the support of the Media Program in Ukraine funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the international organization Internews despite intelligence warnings that a fresh invasion could be imminent Both countries have been flooded with incitement alongside deliberate confusion between fiction and historical facts Ukrainian officials continue to fear that Belarus may yet directly intervene in the war with warnings that Belarusian troops could be poised to enter via the border regions of Rivne and Volyn President Alexander Lukashenko has long been a Russian ally and his country served as a launching pad for the invasion of Ukraine Belarus’ own forces have so far played no part in the invasion Ukrainian intelligence sources have repeatedly reported that Belarus was poised to deploy its own forces most recently announcing on March 20 that an incursion was expected in within the next few days “A chance of invasion from Belarus is pretty high,” Viktor Yagun a major general in the Ukrainian security service said in a televised interview noting that the western Volyn region was particularly vulnerable as it served as a vital supply route for Western military aid The security prediction was that 5,000 Belarusian soldiers would enter via the Volyn and Rivne Ukrainian military intelligence still warn that the neighbouring country could nonetheless enter the war noting that Belarus had redeployed four battalion tactical groups near to the Ukrainian border Daily air raid warnings persist in the Volyn and Rivne regions and over the last week rockets fired from the territory of Belarus have hit military facilities and oil depots a military facility in the city of Sarny in western Ukraine’s Rivne region was hit by three Russian Iskander missiles launched from Belarusan territory Although there were no casualties or injuries The border regions are well aware of the threat although locals say that they have become used to it almost all businesses have resumed work and cafes who works as a commercial agent at the Sarny railway station “Courageous people live in the Rivne region and Volyn they are ready to destroy the enemy on their land with their bare hands,” she said “The population of Belarus is not fooled by hostile propaganda as much as the Russians And as my acquaintances from Belarus tell me they categorically don’t support the Russian intervention She told IWPR that while the refugees she met in Sarny feared an invasion from Belarus “My friend's relatives came from Kyiv,” she continued “For more than a week they trembled at every loud sound and ran to the basement during every alarm And when on March 20 they read in the media about a possible invasion of Lukashenko's army they packed their things and left for Lviv.” more than 1,500 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have registered with the local authorities a 33-year-old window fitter who left his home in Kyiv on the second day of the war to return to stay with his sister he explained was the lack of work opportunities and not to Lviv or Zakarpattya [regions that border Poland],” he explained “I left those places for people who really had nowhere to go finding something for a salary of 10,000 hryvnia is unrealistic the Rivne and Volyn regions are too close to the fighting to be very attractive for those seeking shelter a 54-year-old teacher who asked to remain anonymous told IWPR that she and her colleagues had prepared one of the school dormitories for IDPs “The building is located one kilometre from the local military unit,” she said “In mid-March it was subjected to rocket fire from Belarus As soon as they see a military target at which Russia can launch missiles people do not want to stay even for one night As the warnings of a possible intervention continue many in Ukraine note that ordinary Belarusians were unlikely to support direct intervention including opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya have called on their country's military to stay out of the war The Ukrainian special services reported intercepted conversations in which Belarusian military figures made it clear that they expected to be wiped out by Ukrainian military immediately after crossing the border Military expert Vladislav Seleznev agreed that the Belarusians had little motivation to fight in Ukraine on behalf of Russia Although they had a 17,000-strong combat force it had little experience of active service “Only a small part of them participated in peacekeeping operations which is nothing compared to the Ukrainian army,” he said “The military really refuses to enter the war against Ukraine on the side of Russia 1892 in Międzyrzec; Lublin Province of the Russian Empire in what is today southeast Poland.  In 1914 he graduated from the Kholm Seminary and then served as a parish reader for some two years.  On May 11 who was a teacher in Warsaw and the daughter of a deacon.  He was ordained to the diaconate at the Theophany Monastery in Moscow on July 30 who also ordained him to the priesthood two days later at the St Alexis Monastery in Moscow.  Father John Bekish was appointed to serve in the military chaplaincy and as Assistant Rector of the Cathedral in Lublin.  In 1917 he received his first priestly awards: the nabedrennik and skufia.  The Bolshevik Revolution that toppled the Czarist regime in Russia and the conclusion of World War I brought dramatic change to Father John’s life.  Father John soon found himself living in the independent Polish Republic.  On July 12 he was appointed Rector of the Parish in Guscha of the Lublin Region.  It was during this time that tension abounded within the Church of Poland regarding its possible autocephaly and the metropolitan was assassinated in February 1923 by an archimandrite who opposed autocephaly.  Nevertheless the Polish Church was granted autocephaly by the Patriarchate of Constantinople in November 1924.  Just before this John was transferred to a parish in Lishnivka of the Kovel Region then to Bilsk in the Sarny Region on June 22 to Poliza in the same region.  While serving in this parish for some eight years 1928 appointed District Dean of the Second District of the Sarny Region and awarded the kamilavka.  The following year he received the right to wear a gold cross.  In 1934 he was transferred to Kamin-Kashyrskyi and elevated to the rank of Archpriest.  On May 1 of that year John was additionally appointed District Dean of the First District of the Kamin-Kashyrskyi Region.  He was subsequently appointed to the Consistory of the Pinsk Diocese on January 1 1935 and as District Dean of the Third District of the Pinsk Region two months later with additional responsibility as Assistant Rector of the Pinsk Cathedral Father John was awarded the palitza.  On August 26 where he was appointed parish Rector and District Dean also became Chairman of the Luninets Missionary Committee.  This region in Poland was initially occupied by the USSR from 1939 to 1941.  In 1940 John was awarded the jeweled cross.  From 1941 to 1944 the region came under the control of Nazi Germany.  In July 1944 with the looming threat of reoccupation of the region by the Soviet Union Father John and his family evacuated from Luninets and Pinsk to Germany where Father John would minister in Displaced Persons Camps.  In October 1947 Father John was raised to the dignity of Mitered Archpriest and moved with his family to Belgium where he joined the jurisdiction of the Russian Archdiocese (headquartered in Paris) under the Ecumenical Patriarchate and was assigned as Rector of Holy Trinity Church in Charleroi on August 1 1948 and later also became the District Dean of the region.  Father John was soon invited to continue his priestly ministry in America.  He arrived in the United States on March 20 he was assigned as Rector of Holy Trinity Church in McAdoo Matushka Ksenia Bekish unexpectedly reposed in the Lord and was buried in the parish cemetery.  Father John was elected to be Bishop of Tokyo and Japan by the Great Council of Bishops (this was the then title of the body that is now called the Holy Synod of Bishops) of the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of America (now – Orthodox Church in America).  From the end of World War II until the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in America the majority of the Orthodox in Japan was subordinated to the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of America (popularly known as the Metropolia) under the archpastoral leadership of a hierarch appointed from America.  Father John was elected to lead this diocese.  At the same time that the Orthodox Church in America received autocephaly in 1970 the divided Japanese Church was reunited and granted autonomy.  On May 28 receiving the name Ireney and was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite.  His consecration to the episcopacy took place at Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in New York City on June 7 1953.  Bishop Ireney soon flew to Tokyo and energetically embarked on his archpastoral ministry there.  The Tokyo Orthodox Seminary established by Saint Nicholas of Japan but closed during World War II was reopened through the efforts of Bishop Ireney.  He was likewise successful in reconciling feuding factions within the Japanese Church.  While serving in Japan he also had archpastoral responsibility for the Orthodox mission in Korea that had joined the Metropolia after World War II.  However due to ethnopolitical tensions lingering in the region following World War II and the Korean War Bishop Ireney had to oversee the release of this Korean community to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America.  For his exemplary service as Bishop of Japan he was elevated to the rank of archbishop on May 9 the health of the elderly Metropolitan Leonty was failing and he required assistance to fulfill his archpastoral responsibilities.  Coincidentally the Diocese of New England was without a ruling hierarch.  At Metropolitan Leonty’s request the Great Council of Bishops elected Archbishop Ireney to the see of Boston and New England and also charged him with responsibilities in assisting Metropolitan Leonty.  When Metropolitan Leonty reposed on May 14 Archbishop Ireney was elected locum-tenens of the Metropolitan’s See.  In September the 12th All-American Sobor was convened in New York City to elect a new Primate for the Church.  According to the statutory electoral procedure mandated a decade earlier and being used for the first time for the election of the Primate two rounds of nomination votes by delegates to the Council were followed by canonical election by the Great Council of Bishops.  Although a plurality of delegate votes favored Bishop Vladimir (Nagosky) of Japan he did not receive 2/3 of votes cast in the first round and the Great Council of Bishops chose to elect Archbishop Ireney as Primate after the second round of voting.  The installation of Metropolitan Ireney took place that very day the Metropolia had begun to revive its contacts with the Moscow Patriarchate and through active participation in SCOBA (The Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas) was taking steps toward tangible unity among the Orthodox in America.  However these efforts never came to fruition as the “mother” Churches abroad consistently rebuffed these attempts.  Faced with the apparent failure of SCOBA’s efforts towards tangible ecclesiastical unity undertook its own initiative under the leadership of its new Primate.  By directive of the Metropolia’s Council of Bishops and with the blessing of Metropolitan Ireney Alexander Schmemann traveled to Istanbul in May 1966 to discuss the Orthodox situation in North America with Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras.  With regard to the specific canonical situation of the Metropolia for no one can solve your problem except the Russian Church…”.  In December of 1966 Metropolitan Ireney addressed a long Christmas message to the Primates of the Orthodox Churches worldwide asking them to consider the situation of Orthodoxy in North America and to participate in finding a permanent solution within Orthodox ecclesiological precepts to address the canonical disorder.  Metropolitan Ireney’s letter was largely ignored and the only substantive response came from Archbishop Paul Primate of the Autonomous Orthodox Church of Finland.  His heartfelt letter advocated the establishment of an administratively united multiethnic and multiracial Church in the New World achieved on the basis of dialogue and collaboration with the Churches of the Old World mutually beneficial for the Churches of both the Old World and the New the first council during the primacy of Metropolitan Ireney would prove to be a milestone event on the historical path towards American autocephaly.  The agenda of the Sobor carefully prepared in advance and published by the Pre-Sobor Commission with the concurrence of the hierarchy included a proposal to change the Metropolia’s official name from “Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of America” to “Orthodox Church in America.”  When the Sobor was already assembled in session the hierarchs exercised their authority over all proceedings and decisions of the All-American Councils by announcing unexpectedly that a vote by the council would not be permitted on this proposal as it was deemed premature.  A stormy debate followed after which the hierarchs permitted a non-binding “straw vote” by the council on the name change.  As this vote was overwhelmingly in favor of the name change it was decided that an extraordinary sobor should be convened in two years to deal specifically with this issue.  However ensuing events would make the convocation of this projected sobor unnecessary The view overwhelmingly expressed in the “straw vote” of clergy and lay delegates at the 13th All-American Sobor in 1967 in favor of a name change to “Orthodox Church in America” confirmed that at the “grassroots” level the self-perception of the Metropolia was that of a local church.  This was perhaps a contributing factor to the success of the informal talks that soon resumed with the Russian Church with the blessing of Metropolitan Ireney.  In these conversations the consensus that autocephaly was the only ecclesiologically proper and canonically correct solution for North American Orthodoxy was now unquestioned.  In January 1969 official discussions on autocephaly were launched between the Metropolia and the Moscow Patriarchate culminating with an agreement signed on March 31 1970 at what is today the OCA Chancery in Oyster Bay Cove NY.  The fifteen months of sometimes-difficult negotiations were led by Metropolitan Nikodim of Leningrad for the Russian Church and a specially appointed Metropolia commission chaired by Archbishop Kiprian of Philadelphia Alexander Schmemann and John Skvir as members.  It must be noted that any stumbling blocks that arose during discussions were overcome largely through the indomitable joint determination,  emerging mutual understanding,  respect and later friendship achieved by two brilliant churchmen - Metropolitan Nikodim and Fr the agreement on autocephaly was solemnly signed by Metropolitans Ireney and Nikodim in the presence of all the hierarchs of the Metropolia and the staff.  According to this agreement the North American Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate was dissolved.  An auxiliary bishop of the Moscow Patriarch would administer any parishes that did not wish to immediately join the new autocephalous American Church.  The Patriarch of Moscow and the Holy Synod of the Russian Church would officially proclaim the autocephaly of the American Church after ratifying the agreement signed on March 31 1970.  Metropolitan Nikodim returned to Moscow to present the agreement to the Holy Synod for ratification the glorification services for St.  Herman North America’s first Orthodox saint took place in Alaska presided by Metropolitan Ireney.  As the glorification of saints is a prerogative of autocephalous churches this was at the same time a joyful celebration of his holiness and intercession for Orthodoxy in America and a prayerful thanksgiving for autocephaly the 14th All-American Sobor convened at St Tikhon’s Monastery.  The name change proposed yet not enacted at the preceding council had become a practical reality.  Opening with prayer to St Herman asking for his intercession for the council’s upcoming deliberations this was the first church-wide conciliar veneration of St Herman as the first saint of North America.  At its opening session the council approved the name change to “the Orthodox Church in America” and thus confirmed and received autocephaly on behalf of the entire Church in America.  In view of the new canonical status of the church it was decided that the 14th All-American Sobor should henceforth be known as the 1st All-American Council of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church in America.  Further expounding on the encyclical of the Holy Synod announcing the granting of autocephaly earlier that year the 1st All­ American Council issued a message calling for unity among all Orthodox Christians in America In response to the appeals from the OCA for Orthodox unity in North America the Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese headed by Bishop Stephen (Lasko) joined the Orthodox Church in America in 1971 while the Bulgarian Diocese under Bishop Kyrill (Yonchev) followed in 1976 following the example of the Romanian Episcopate led by Bishop Valerian which had already united itself to the Metropolia in 1960.  In 1972 a group of Mexican clergy and faithful were received into the Church and became the Mexican Exarchate of the OCA.  In addition to the consecration of Bishop Jose (Cortes-y-Olmos) as Exarch of Mexico five other episcopal consecrations took place during Metropolitan Ireney’s primacy.  Three of these bishops were American-born among them the two immediate successors to Metropolitan Ireney The exclusive task of the 2nd All-American Council was to adopt the governing Statute of the Orthodox Church in America.  This Statute a revised version of the Statute gradually developed over the course of all the councils since the first in 1907 and finally adopted in 1955 was based on the short Constitution adopted the previous year.  Revisions to reflect the new autocephalous status of the Orthodox Church in America were prepared in advance by a special commission.  While dissenting voices were heard from the council floor regarding some provisions of the statute hearkening back to the difficulties in the development of statutes and bylaws in previous decades the articles of the new Statute were all passed by overwhelming majority votes.  A key provision of the new Statute mandated the convocation of All-American Councils every two years which was eventually amended to every three years.  Metropolitan Ireney was to preside at two more All-American Councils the 3rd in 1973 and the 4th in 1975.  These gatherings inaugurated a new era as they were the first to have council sessions and services in a hotel.  The 4th Council was the first Council to have a theme as all Councils but one have had since then.  as advanced age and failing health began to take a toll on his wellbeing Metropolitan Ireney requested that the Holy Synod elect a Temporary Administrator to carry out day-to-day governance of the Church.  On May 15 Archbishop Sylvester (Haruns) of Montreal and Canada assumed this position who continued to approve all actions and decisions while the 5th All-American Council scheduled for October of that year was in its final planning stages presented a petition to the Holy Synod on March 9 to retire as Primate of the Orthodox Church in America effective upon the election of his successor.  The schedule of the 5th All-American Council was reconfigured adding an extra day at the beginning that would be devoted to the selection of the new Primate of the Orthodox Church in America.  Thus Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazor) was elected to succeed to Metropolitan Ireney becoming the first American-born OCA Primate.  Metropolitan Ireney resided at SS.  Cosmas and Damian Adult Home a newly established Orthodox facility in Staten Island where in appreciation of his archpastoral support and personal financial contributions towards the opening of the Home the chapel within the facility was named in honor of his patron saint – Hieromartyr Irenaeus He lived there quietly and humbly until he was called to his blessed reward at age 88 on March 18 while hospitalized.  His funeral took place at Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in New York City which had been the primatial see during Metropolitan Ireney’s primacy.  His internment followed at St A number of significant milestones and important historical events marked Metropolitan Ireney’s life and primatial service.  He was the last OCA Primate to be born in the 19th century.  He was the last of four consecutive Primates who were widowers none of whom were married before acceding to episcopal office.  He was the first Primate of the autocephalous Orthodox Church in America the last to be born outside of the USA.  Metropolitan Ireney was very much a man of the old world having arrived in America just months short of his 60th birthday had to struggle to assimilate to a new culture which were not always to his liking.  He was unable to master the English language and his speeches and sermons had to be translated.  Meetings of the Holy Synod and other gatherings that he presided or attended had to take place in Russian or bilingually.  In spite of these obstacles and although he was not a highly educated man Metropolitan Ireney had the wisdom and spiritual discernment to allow the Church to move forward through the dynamic efforts of the church leaders under his care whom he blessed to labor toward autocephaly and the other monumental events and changes in church life that occurred during his primacy.  The Mission of The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) the local autocephalous Orthodox Christian Church is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” Founded in 1794 — Granted Autocephaly in 1970 Copyright The Orthodox Church in America™ (OCA™)© 1996–2025 Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times On the third anniversary of the full-scale Russian attack against Ukraine and the National Day of Prayer Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine led a prayer service at St Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral in the capital sharing his thoughts on the anniversary of the full-scale hostile invasion Joining the Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in prayer were Archbishop Agapitos of Vyshhorod Metropolitan Epifaniy urged everyone to pray unceasingly to the Lord for the victory of truth and the establishment of a just peace On the eve of the conclave that will begin on Wednesday to elect a new Pope The annual graduation ceremony of the Patriarchal Toronto Orthodox Theological Academy (PTOTA) was held at the Cultural Centre of.. Archbishop Makarios of Australia will be conferred the title of Honorary Doctor by both the Department of Theology and.. The Vatican announced on Monday that all telephone communication within its territory will be suspended during the upcoming conclave.. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew delivered the keynote address at the International Scientific Conference “Restarting from Nicaea:.. (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [] cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt callback: cb } ); } } }})(); © 2023 OrthodoxTimes.com - All rights reserved Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website These cookies do not store any personal information Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website Цей веб-сайт зберігає файли cookie на вашому комп'ютері The animal rights activist expressed distrust that law enforcement officers had really found the culprit police in the Rivne region launched an investigation into a video in which an unknown man shot a dog in the head while holding it on a leash law enforcement officials reported that they had already identified the killer The police in Rivne region reported this on Facebook The police said that they found the video around 17:30 on one of the telegram channels (we are talking about the channel “Divoglyad 5.UA | Channel 5” – ed.) and immediately began to investigate the circumstances of this outrageous case official information appeared that the culprit had been found It was a 42-year-old resident of the Rivne district who is currently in a pre-trial detention center for committing crimes under Part 3 of Article 146 (illegal imprisonment or abduction of a person committed by an organized group which caused grave consequences) and Part 2 of Article 115 (attempted murder) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine According to the Criminal Investigation Department the incident captured on video took place in 2021 The animal rights organization UaAnimals says that the Rivne police have already opened criminal proceedings under Articles 299 and 300 of the Criminal Code for cruelty to animals and distribution of materials promoting violence As soon as it became known about the demonstrative killing of the dog a wave of anger and indignation shook the network volunteer and animal rights activist Snizhana Bugrik urged everyone to share the video and tag law enforcement agencies the incident took place at the Polissia Sarny hunting ground in Rivne region Snizhana Bugrik claims that the monster organizes dogfights and shoots dogs in the head for fun She wrote that the person who did it is already known The animal rights activist reminded that both cruelty to animals and the creation of videos of animal killing are punishable “This person is dangerous not only for animals but also for society People will not allow the case to be “closed” and put on the brakes!” she emphasized and called for punishment of the perpetrators The volunteer called for the hunting ground management to be brought to justice as it became known that illegal dogfights were taking place on its territory UAnimals lawyers filed a complaint with the police about the ill-treatment The organization thanked all those who were not indifferent who tagged them and spread this outrageous story Animal rights activists reminded that animal fighting is prohibited in Ukraine “This is stipulated by Article 25 of the Law “On Protection of Animals from Cruelty” as well as Article 299 of the Criminal Code which provides for liability for setting animals on fire,” the lawyers explained The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine also reacted to the horrific shooting of the dog The agency issued a statement calling such actions absolutely unacceptable The Ministry of Environment is investigating the circumstances of the case and has also officially appealed to the National Police of Ukraine and law enforcement agencies at all levels After the police reported on the discovery of a suspect in the brutal execution of the dog, Snizhana Bugrik expressed serious doubts that the police had actually found the killer She assumed that law enforcement officers wanted to write off this crime on a person “who has already been detained and will take this guilt as well.” She called on anyone with information about the fights and animal killings to share it in order to establish the truth Telegraf, citing information from the telegram channel dtp.kiev.ua, reported that the attacker in the video is named Nadiyko (according to other sources It is reported that in 2005 he was convicted of the murder of British citizen Kieran Downes It is also noted that he is a suspect in other kidnapping and murder cases will closely monitor the development of this case Harsh punishment for animal cruelty should become a normal and acceptable practice for our society The other day, we reported that a woman who threw her dog off a bridge is on trial in Kyiv region Caring neighbors and animal rights activists helped to save him All circumstances of the incident are currently being investigated Not only ordinary Ukrainians but also zoos were reacted to the shocking case but the perpetrators were dry from the water The use of materials posted on the EcoPolicy media platform is permitted only if the link to the EcoPolicy is provided and for online publications - the placement of a direct hyperlink to the page where the original material is posted The editors may not share the point of view stated in the author's material The advertiser is responsible for the accuracy of information published in promotional materials who now works as a special education assistant at the school Clyde Fenton Primary School is blowing out 40 candles on its birthday cake next month and will be hosting a big party to celebrate.  All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueAssistant principal Donna Capes said the school is hoping for a “big turnout” of past students and teachers “Clyde Fenton school was opened in July 1977 and we are celebrating our 40th Anniversary in 2017,” Ms Capes said “We are asking ex students to fill in a questionnaire about their experiences and memories of the school to be part of a display showcasing the history of the school The short questionnaire includes questions about past students favourite teachers naughty pranks and what they are up to now.  THROWBACK: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory performed at CFS in late 90's and early 2000's.“We will be having our celebration day on Wednesday “This will commence with a special assembly to which previous Principals have been invited,” she said and presentation of special awards for outstanding students “Visitors will then be able to visit the classrooms where there will be various displays at some of the performances put on by CFS students over the years,” Ms Capes said.  “Classes from CFS will then be running a fete with lots of fun activities for families to join in with “In the afternoon we will be having family games and competitions.” Picture: supplied.Clyde Fenton’s StoryClyde Cornwall Fenton OBE was the Northern Territory's first flying doctor According to the NT Government website he was unlike the other doctors with the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia and flew without the aid of any navigation equipment Clyde Fenton graduated as a medical doctor in 1925 from Melbourne University He then had a stint in the Royal Air Force in England in 1928 Fenton returned to Australia and headed outback Western Australia and then on to Darwin Fenton earned his pilot's licence with a goal to join the Royal Flying Doctor Service had a policy of not using doctors as pilots FLYING DOCTOR: Clyde Fenton started making a name for himself in 1934 as the Government Medical Officer in Katherine Fenton privately raised money for an aircraft and in March 1934 arrived in Katherine as the Government Medical Officer He started an aerial ambulance rescue service which grew into the Northern Territory Aerial Medical Service became well known and respected by communities pastoral properties and missions throughout the Top End,” biographer Brian Reid said.  “His kindness and determination to help became legendary “He also received attention from the media which often brought him into conflict with aviation regulatory authorities,” he said.  Calls for medical assistance came through the two RFDS stations at Cloncurry and Wyndham Fenton utilised primitive bush strips and runways to pick up the patients and return them to Katherine for medical treatment landings were made on strips lit by kerosene flares or car lights and only the railway lines and the Katherine River were available to estimate his position To the Civil Aviation Department Fenton was a disaster During his career he survived plane crashes made a flight to China in a small open aircraft and was once stranded for five days after a forced landing 1940 he received his call up for the RAAF by telegram He was eventually based at Manbulloo airstrip near Katherine from where he made many emergency medical flights In August 1942 the No 6 Communications Flight was formed with Flight Lieutenant Fenton in command This unit delivered mail and food supplies to army and RAAF outposts The unit was at various times based at the Ross Smith Aerodrome in Darwin Fenton left the Territory after the war for Melbourne HISTORIC PLANE: Dr Clyde Fenton's Gipsy Moth is on display at the Fenton Hangar at the Katherine Historical Society Precinct He has also given his name to a World War II airstrip, Fenton Airfield near Hayes Creek and is remembered by the Clyde Fenton Primary School in Katherine All answers should be emailed to katie.talbot@ntschools.net What did you like to do at recess and lunchtime: Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueHistoric Springvale has been put on the market by a weary Werner Sarny who has admitted defeat after a long fight with officialdom to reopen his beloved resort Mr Sarny said he and his wife decided it was well past time to “go out of business” “I am over 80 and my children are not Interested in it (Springvale) “So after 45 years it is time to sell Springvale and go out of business.” build from local stone in 1879, has been closed to the public for four years Katherine Times reported earlier this year how Springvale remained mired in red tape The NT Government has offered encouraging words but no solutions to allow for the re-opening of the important tourist attraction Four Indian rain trees are heritage listed and thought to be the largest trees in the NT.Government intervention caused the NT’s oldest surviving homestead But the government said it was the private ownership of Springvale which was complicating its reopening There is no guarantee a new owner would restore the sprawling resort complex or focus instead on the homestead which remains in good condition despite its age Owner Mr Sarny, a legend of the Katherine tourism industry, said he had been greatly encouraged by the outpouring of support for Springvale after the Katherine Times detailed his ongoing dilemma “I genuinely appreciate and am encouraged by all the positive community support and feedback regarding reopening Springvale Homestead to the public,” he said Springvale was forced to close four years ago after new flood zone laws meant waste water disposal of the past needed to be updated Springvale’s sad chapter comes to a closeThe park’s 50-bed accommodation blocks have suffered from the long closure only the orchids are still flowering in the pond Mr Sarny believes the giant Indian Rain trees four planted for each of the original owner’s children are likely the largest trees in the NT – each are heritage listed Springvale is being sold privately by Mr Sarny at Travelnorth as 34 hectares of river parkland with Katherine River frontage While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox each Friday at 6am from the Katherine Times. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, sign up here but we should remember films that came before it I was both surprised and delighted 12 Years a Slave won the Oscar for Best Picture. Some, however, were gnashing their teeth. Jonathan Rosenbaum for example called 12 Years "an arthouse exploitation gift to masochistic guilty liberals hungry for history lessons," while John Demetry at CityArts argues that the film denies Northup specificity or consciousness turning him into "a cypher representing Black hopelessness." Both argue that other films are more insightful and respectful in their treatment of slavery—and in particular both mention Charles Burnett's 1996 film Nightjohn which has almost no popular profile and which There's no doubt that Nightjohn is distinct from other slavery films in a number of intriguing ways Originally screened as a TV movie on the Disney Channel avidly curious girl whose life as a slave is transformed by her owners' purchase of Nightjohn (Carl Lumbly) Putting literacy at the center of the story allows Burnett to avoid many of the standard slavery tropes Though there are violent scenes in the movie the main drama is not around physical endurance or resistance the drama is about intellectual achievement as a reclamation or assertion of self Reading means that Sarny can write passes to help friends escape; it means she can manipulate white people to her own advantage and to the advantage of her community returned into slavery to teach other slaves to read This recalls Beverly Jenkins' Indigo (also from 1996) agrees to become a slave to marry the woman he loves but rather self-assertion—an insistence that slavery is not the most important truth for all its focus on intellectual development the interiority that Nightjohn imagines is an oddly public and dramatic one coalesce all at once while she is in church reading the Bible—suddenly the individual letters fall into place The moment is so powerful that she starts to cry and the white minister thinks she's been saved the ability to read with religious salvation or awakening making the attainment of reading a kind of mystical right of passage Clel Waller (Beau Bridges) threatens to start shooting slaves until one of them tells him who has written the passes for two escapees Sarny defuses the situation by obliquely threatening to expose the fact that Clel's wife has been committing adultery with the town doctor Sarny knows about the affair because she was the one who carried notes back and forth; her ability to read gives her a weapon and more like standard film contrivance—drama for the sake of drama and/or for the sake of communicating the requisite moral at sufficient volume that it can be deciphered in the nosebleed seats The didactic staginess is perhaps appropriate for a film about teaching Movies about slavery—whether Amistad or Glory 12 Years a Slave or even Django Unchained—all have about them a sense of the educational spectacle as growth experience There are probably a number of reasons for this Films (even TV movies) are wedded to their status as events; it's hard for a movie to resist the urge to be larger than life Slavery is so intimately linked to ongoing racial disparities and so relatively little explored on screen that the impulse to say something definitive must be nearly overwhelming the fact is that most movies about the subject are couched to some significant degree as "history lessons," to use Rosenbaum's dismissive characterization of 12 Years And as a result the people in the films tend to turn into tropes Like Nightjohn telling Sarny that the "A" is standing on its own two feet the symbolic message can erase individuality and ambiguity so that the letter means its image rather than all the things it can spell —Follow Noah Berlatsky on Twitter: @hoodedu