UCC Delegation Meets with International Cooperation Minister Julian Fantino

Toronto - On January 15, leadership from the Ukrainian Canadian community met with Canada’s Minister of International Cooperation, the Honourable Julian Fantino, M.P., P.C., to discuss the community’s priorities relating to CIDA’s Ukraine programming.

The delegation consisted of: Paul Grod, President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress; Ann Szyptur, Executive Board Member of UCC and Mission Canada 2012 Coordinator; Bohdan (Bob) Onyschuk, Q.C., President of the Canada Ukraine Foundation; Zenon Poticzny, President of the Canada-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce; Renata Roman, Co-President of the Children of Chornobyl Canada Fund; Taras Pidzamecky, representative from the Council of Ukrainian Credit Unions of Canada; and Borys Potapenko, Executive Director of the League of Ukrainian Canadians.

“We conveyed our thanks to the Minister and to the Government of Canada on the recent International Election Observation Mission which saw Canada send 500 election observers to Ukraine’s Parliamentary Elections,” stated UCC President Paul Grod. “We want to ensure that the Government of Canada maintains a policy of engagement with Ukraine… It is critical that Ukraine remains as a priority country for CIDA in order to support stability in a region that is facing significant democratic backsliding.”

The meeting focused on the value of the observation mission to both Canada and to Ukraine. The delegation noted that by their presence Canadian observers were able to deter significant election manipulation and fraud.

“The work done by CIDA supporting democratic initiatives in Ukraine through organizations such as IFES and OPORA is very valuable, as was the coordinating role the Government of Canada played through the Canadian Embassy in advance of the October parliamentary elections,” stated Ann Szyptur.

“Canada can make a difference in Ukraine and by actively engaging all spheres of Ukrainian society, we can help ensure their continued democratic development and economic prosperity,” said CUF President Bob Onyschuk.

One of the key areas for CIDA to focus upon will be providing mentorship, and enabling programs to assist in Ukraine’s economic development and the creation of a middle class through the emergence of a strong and competitive small and medium enterprise sector,” said CUCC President Zenon Poticzny.

The delegation also highlighted the need for development assistance to target those sectors where Canada has the know-how and experience to benefit both countries. “It will be important for CIDA to continue its work in healthcare [with] more focus being directed to improving the medical educational system in Ukraine… [and] ensure better healthcare for all children in Ukraine,” Stated CCCF co-president Renata Roman. “It will be important for future CIDA programming to involve… credit unions and producer cooperatives, and the small businesses and agricultural operations they support. Canada has a lot to offer in these areas,” said Taras Pidzamecky, CEO, Ukrainian Credit Union.

“Supporting democratic reforms, including in the sphere of historical research and academic freedom, is a focus of institutions like the Lonsky Prison Museum in Lviv and the National University of the Kyiv Mohyla Academy in Kyiv. Their work is critically important to Ukraine moving forward and deserves the support of the Canadian government,” noted Borys Potapenko.

The Ukrainian Canadian community has a long history and proud track record of successful projects in a number of areas, including: care for orphans, youth activities, social services, student internships, healthcare, democratic development, capacity building for NGOs, finance, and business.

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Left to Right: Renata Roman, Zenon Poticzny, Paul Grod, Hon. Julian Fantino, Ann Szyptur, Borys Potapenko, Bohdan Onyschuk and Taras Pidzamecky