Organization for Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine

The Organization for the Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine (ODFFU) was formed on October 27, 1946 at a conference of representatives from various Ukrainian American organizations in New York City. Founding member and first president, Mr. Yevhen Liakhovych, an engineer by training and a proponent of Ukrainian nation's right to self-determination and independence from the Soviet Union, established the ODFFU to support the struggle for a free and independent Ukraine.

The name is based upon President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Four Freedoms Address before the US Congress on January 25, 1941. This speech formed the basis of a strategic partnership between the United States and Great Britain that became embodied in a declaration known as the Atlantic Charter. Following an extensive remodelling at the National Archives, President Roosevelt's speech sits alongside America's founding documents like the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution.

The ODFFU grew from a small group of dedicated individuals with one branch in the city of Newark, NJ in 1946, to a large national organization with over 57 branches located throughout the United States.

In 1991, Ukraine declared its independence, sealing the fate of the Soviet Union and bringing about an end to the Cold War. In 2004, with the "Orange Revolution" Ukraine stepped onto the road to democracy. The ODFFU continues its work to ensure the four freedoms are part of Ukraine today.