PYI Youth Leadership Canada’s Parliament Educational Forum

By Paul Migus

The late Senator Paul Yuzyk, the namesake of the Paul Yuzyk Institute for Youth Leadership (PYI), is considered by the Canadian government to be the “Father of Multiculturalism” in Canada. Since the 1960s, the Ukrainian Canadian community was considered a leading promoter of multiculturalism. Those roles in the past history of multiculturalism continue to be acknowledged today. For example, the federal government annually awards the Paul Yuzyk Award for Multiculturalism and $20,000 prize to an outstanding contributor in the field. Paul Yuzyk was also the “father” of the Ukrainian National Youth Federation of Canada in 1934 and community activist building the Ukrainian National Federation and its affiliated UNYF with 91 branches across Canada before the Second World War.

Past acknowledgement of the community’s leadership role in multiculturalism, however, is not the same as providing leadership for the future. That is why the PYI "Canada’s Parliament Educational Forum” held in Ottawa, October 3-7, 2012, started with the premise that today’s youth have a role to play in leading multiculturalism, but they need to prepare themselves for this task by learning about past and current issues, and realities. Our visit to Canada’s Parliament helped develop leadership in multiculturalism by exploring the topic in its various aspects and by comparing the experiences of Ukrainian Canadians along with other groups.

The Paul Yuzyk Institute as part of the Ukrainian National Federation of Canada and affiliated with the Ukrainian National Youth Federation of Canada, invited high school and university age students to participate in an exciting five-day exploration of the Ukrainian contribution to Canada’s Parliament, and to our Canadian policy and legislation on Multiculturalism. Fifteen students between the ages of 14 to 20, with an almost equal gender balance, came from Edmonton, Winnipeg, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Toronto, and Ottawa.

The educational forum included:

• Parliament Hill visit with guided tour of the House of Commons (including attendance at Question Period), Senate and Library of Parliament; meetings with elected Members of Parliament to discuss issues of interest to youth in the Ukrainian Canadian community; and discussions about famous Canadians of Ukrainian background who chose a Canadian political life and helped build the nation of Canada.

• Canadian Museum of Civilization visit with its world famous architecture and collection, including the 1907 St. Onuphrius Ukrainian Catholic Church from Smokey Lake, Alberta.

• Family genealogical and community exploration at the National Library and Archives Canada with leading Ukrainian Canadian researcher and archival expert Myron Momryk.

• War Museum of Canada visit for an understanding of Ukrainian heritage through museum displays depicting Ukrainian Canadians during Canada’s wars - heroes, internees, Canadian soldiers.

• Conversations and social interaction with students from Ottawa and the 35 students from the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program interning with MPs in Parliament.

• Site visits to St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Shrine, Taras Shevchenko Monument, and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

On behalf of the Participants

“/ want to thank you and your colleagues who made this trip possible. It was definitely an eye opening trip; it was extremely informative, resourceful and fun. This trip was hands down the best educational trip I’ve ever been to. Learning about the Ukrainian-Canadians really brings up pride to be a Ukrainian living in Canada, this information is extremely crucial for young Ukrainian-Canadians who often struggle to find their identity in Canada. This trip definitely has taught me a lot about Ukrainian Diaspora and how important it is to the world we live in today. Meeting with MPs, going to parliament for dinner and tours has definitely made me look into a career related to politics and I am extremely thankful for that.

“Overall the trip was one of the best weeks of my life and I’m eternally grateful for it. With that being said, I would love to give back to the Paul Yuzyk Institute in one way or another. If you need help with organizing trips either here or in Ottawa, or helping you in setting up with anything, I will be more than excited to do it. Whether it’s this program or any program that you might choose to do, I will be ready to take responsibility and help you in any way, and I hope we keep in touch.”

– Oleh Feday, Toronto

Thank You to the Organizers and Parliamentarians

A very warm thank you goes to our UNF National President, Taras Pidzamecky for his leadership, vision and energy. Thank you to all who have made the Parliament Educational Forum possible: Borys Gengalo, Vicki Karpiak, Paul Karpiak, Anya Yablonska, Paul Kozak, Myron Momryk, Olenka Reshitnyk, Oleh Belkin, Vera Hutzuliak, Mike Reshithnyk and the Ukrainian Orthodox parish, Bohdan Nakoneczny, Olya Grod, Natalie Witiuk, Kristin Glover, Frank Cedar, Chrystia Chudczak and all 35 members of the Canada Ukraine Parliamentary Program (who made the Forum weekend’s Friday and Saturday evening events special).

Special thanks go out to Senator Raynell Andreychuk and the Members of Parliament who took the time to meet with our students and to share their wisdom and encouragement: Robert Sopuck, Rick Dykstra, David Sweet, Bernard Trottier, Ted Opitz, and James Bezan.

Above all, a special note of gratitude is for one of our branch members, Adriana Zeleney, who worked tirelessly to ensure that the program itinerary items were not at risk nor compromised, and that all organizing details were complete. She oversaw the Forum participant’s accommodations, successful arrangement of meetings with Members of Parliament, ground transportation needs, and airport arrival pick-up and departures for the students. All of the students and the PYI team wish Adriana, husband Olaf and new baby daughter Georgia Anastasia, a wonderful life together, who was born during the Forum on October 5.

Paul Migus, Branch President, UNF Ottawa-Gatineau, made his report to the Branch Annual General Meeting held on November 23, 2012.

PHOTO

Olya Korzachenko, UNF Ottawa-Gatineau Branch Secretary presents Branch President Paul Migus with a UNF of Canada 80^th Anniversary print “Celebrating Our Culture” by artist Larisa Cheladyn Sembaliuk, for his exceptional work in pioneering the PYI Youth Leadership Parliament Educational Forum