Canadian Friends of
In a press release, Canadian Friends of
Ukraine welcome the historic legislation, Bill C-459, put forth in the
Parliament of Canada House of Commons by Conservative MP James Bezan on June
13, 2007 calling for the recognition of the forced Ukrainian Famine of 1932-33
as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian People.
“We are proud to have
played a key role in the drafting of this historic legislation,” said Jurij
Darewych, President of Canadian Friends of Ukraine.
Canadian Friends of Ukraine
have worked closely with the Office of the Prime Minister, the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, and the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian
Identity to ensure that comprehensive legislation is put forth by the Canadian
Government in the House of Commons recognizing the Ukrainian Famine as an act
of genocide.
In presenting his Bill, Mr.
Bezan, a Ukrainian-Canadian MP for
Speaking in the House of
Commons, Mr. Bezan said:
“I am a Ukrainian-Canadian and want to put
forward this bill so that our government will acknowledge the deaths of 10
million victims as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian People,” said
Bezan. I am also calling upon historians, journalists, and
educators to record and include the facts from this horrible genocide so that
all Canadians can learn from this tragic piece of Ukrainian history.”
Mr. Bezan’s legislation,
known as Bill C-459 is entitled “An Act to establish a Ukrainian
Famine and Genocide Memorial Day and to
recognize the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-33 as an act of genocide”
“This piece of legislation
is significant because it not only designates the fourth Saturday of November
as a Memorial Day for the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide, but acknowledges irreversibly,
that the forced Famine of 1932-33 was an act of genocide against the Ukrainian
people,” said CFU Executive Director, Lisa Shymko.
Mr. Bezan further stated:
“The omission of this
forced famine and genocide from our history books is very troubling to me and I
hope that this bill will bring to light the atrocities that were committed
against the Ukrainian people. Canada has a long-standing history of condemning
all war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocides and this bill will once
and for all acknowledge the forced famine and genocide against the Ukrainian
People.”
The Bill comes this year as
the Ukrainian-Canadian and international communities mark the 75th
Anniversary of one of the most heinous crimes in Modern History – the
state-sponsored Famine-Genocide of 1932-33 perpetrated by the Soviet regime
under Joseph Stalin against the Ukrainian People.
Mr. Bezan’s Bill was
seconded in the House of Commons by fellow Conservative Ed Komarnicki, MP for
“Canadian Friends of
Ukraine further recognize the contribution to this issue made by Senator
Raynell Andreychuk whose initiative in 2003 for a motion that passed
unanimously in the Senate of Canada helped spearhead awareness of this issue in
both Canadian Houses of Parliament,” said Margareta Shpir, Vice President of
Canadian Friends of Ukraine.
Canadian Friends of Ukraine
recently initiated a series of activities and projects aimed at raising
international awareness of the 1932-33 Famine-Genocide of the Ukrainian People.
For
further information, contact:
Canadian
Friends of
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Tel:
(416) 964-6644
Fax:
(416) 964-6085
Email:
canfun@interlog.com
www.canadianfriendsofukraine.ca