| Update: Canada’s Foreign Affairs Committee In Ukraine CANADA’S FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE 5 DAY, THREE CITY, HEARINGS ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN UKRAINE May 29, 2012-Ottawa, Canada- The delegation from the Canadian Parliament in Ukraine concluded five days of meetings (May 14-18) in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv as well as Kharkiv and L’viv. Meetings were held with a broad spectrum of experts and monitors of the social, political, and economic and human rights situation in the country. Also, attending the meetings were representatives of the organized Ukrainian Canadian community including: Taras Zalusky, Executive Director, Ukrainian Canadian Congress; Bohdan Onyschuk, President, Canada Ukraine Foundation; and Borys Potapenko, Executive Director, League of Ukrainian Canadians. The delegation heard a consistent message in Kyiv, in Eastern Ukraine and in Western Ukraine about the importance of this fall’s Parliamentary elections in Ukraine and the importance of a strong international election observer presence as well as the importance of Canada supporting Ukraine’s fledgling democracy and civil society groups in the face of increasingly authoritarian trends. The visit began on Monday, May 14, 2012 with a session involving presentations by representatives, family members and attorneys of Yulia Tymoshenko, Yuri Lutsenko and Valeriy Ivashchenko. Eugenia Tymoshenko, daughter of the former Prime Minister, Iryna Lutsenko, wife of the former Interior Minister, and Valentyna Ivashchenko, wife of the former acting Defence Minister, discussed the circumstances surrounding the arrest, detention before and during trial, sentencing, and incarceration of their loved ones. They also expressed their concerns over the current circumstance and conditions of incarceration. In this regard, three key issues were raised: need for immediate medical attention, unconditional release from prison of these political prisoners and exoneration of all charges on which the convictions were based. |
| Mark Your Calendar UCC AGM & Board Meeting London, Ontario June 23-24, 2012 Dear UCC Board of Directors, Provincial Councils, Branches, Committee Chairs,
The next Ukrainian Canadian Congress Annual General Meeting and Board meeting
We look forward to seeing you there!
All eligible parties attending, please Click Here for more information
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Ukrainian Canadian Congress welcomes religious leaders from Ukraine to Canada
Toronto. April 23, 2011 – The President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) welcomed to Canada the members of the All Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) to Canada.
UCC National President Paul Grod welcomed the delegation of Ukraine’s most senior religious leaders who came to Canada on the invitation of the Ukrainian Jewish Encounter (UJE) initiative led by UCC Advisory Board Chairman James Temerty. The theme of the 4 city North American visit (Toronto-Ottawa-Washington-New York) is “Honouring Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky”.
“I was pleased to welcome Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate) and greet him on behalf of the Ukrainian Canadian community where he brought greetings at the St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Oakville,” said Grod.
“Patriarch Filaret brought greetings and visited the Ukrainian Care Centre, blessed the UPA memorial at the St. Volodymyr cemetery, and attended Spilne Sviachenne at the Ukrainian National Federation Hall.”
“In addition, I was pleased to meet Patriarch Svyateslav of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport along with Ukrainian Greek Catholic Bishop Stephen Chmiliar, assembled clergy and 50 youth, students and community leaders,” continued Grod.
The visit by Ukraine’s religious leaders has a number of purposes:
Events in Ottawa April 24 and 25 included a welcoming lunch on Parliament Hill; a motion in Parliament recognizing Sheptystky’s role and the importance of his legacy; a meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper; an interfaith meeting hosted by Rabbi Bulka which assembled the Ukrainian delegation with Canadian religious leaders; a banquet at Ottawa’s Chateau Laurier Hotel which brought together governmental leaders, Parliamentarians and community leaders; and a symposium on the 25th at the Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies.
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| Canada’s Foreign Affairs Committee Begins Hearings On Human Rights In Ukraine KYIV – MAY 14, 2012- Representatives of the Ukrainian Canadian community welcomed the opportunity to participate in the visit to Ukraine by Canada’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. The delegation consists of 7 Canadian Members of Parliament who will be conducting hearings of the Committee that will be open to the public and media in Kyiv, Kharkiv and L’viv, Ukraine. “These historic hearings on the human rights situation in Ukraine continue the work which the Standing Committee has begun in October 2011, and continued in March concurrent with the Ukraine at the Crossroads Conference, in Ottawa, in March this year and come at a pivotal time in Ukraine’s democratic development,” stated Taras Zalusky, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. “The ability of the committee to travel to Ukraine will afford them an opportunity to gain a firsthand look at the situation regarding human rights, politically motivated selective justice, and the rule of law on the ground in Ukraine. This will be very valuable information for the committee when it writes its report on recommended future actions by the government of Canada vis a vis Ukraine.” |
| Teachers’ Conference “Ukrainian schooling in Canada” concludes with tremendous success |
| Parliament Of Canada Passes Unanimous Motion honouring Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky
Ottawa, Canada – April 26, 2012- The Ukrainian Canadian Congress welcomes the unanimous adoption of a historic motion honouring Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky by the Parliament of Canada on Tuesday April 24, 2012.
“This very important tribute by the Parliament of Canada to the deeds of Metropolitan Sheptytsky in saving the lives of many Jews in the Nazi Holocaust during World War II is a testament to the world of his righteousness,” stated UCC National President Paul Grod. “The acts of Metropolitan Sheptytsky shine as a beacon for all of us to do the right thing in the face of difficult circumstances. We applaud this recognition and are grateful for the statement made by Ted Opitz, a Polish Canadian Member of Parliament, and to Minister Jason Kenney for proposing the motion as well as to all Members of Parliament for their principled and non-partisan unanimous approval.”
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| UCC & CUF Call for Long-Term Election Observers – DEADLINE EXTENDED Call for Long-term Election Observers for Ukraine 2012 Parliamentary Elections DEADLINE REVISED: JUNE 15, 2012 The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Canada Ukraine Foundation (CUF), which have successfully monitored several elections in Ukraine since 2004, are organizing an Election Observer Mission for the 2012 Parliamentary Elections, scheduled for October 28, 2012. UCC-CUF is looking for highly-qualified individuals to serve as long-term election observers (LTOs) on the ground in Ukraine. These LTOs will be responsible for: i) monitoring the run-up to the elections in Ukraine to ensure that the election is being organized in a fair and transparent manner; ii) monitoring such things as voter’s lists and the voters’ register; iii) monitoring access of parties and candidates to mass media; iv) monitoring the formation of election commissions; and v) overseeing the formation of new electoral boundaries for the 225 districts, the registration of single mandate district candidates, and the electoral campaign. The deadline to submit applications for LTO positions has been extended to June 15, 2012. |
