UCC Board Meets with Human Rights Museum

UCC - The Ukrainian Canadian Congress National Board of Directors concluded an intense two-day Board Meeting on December 1-2, 2012, in Montreal on issues of importance to the Ukrainian Canadian community such as: inclusion of Canada’s First National Internment Operations and the Holodomor in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR); recent election results in Ukraine and the large Canadian election observer presence; and community development. In addition, the UCC Board selected Toronto as the venue for the 2013 Triennial Congress of Ukrainian Canadians, tentatively scheduled for late October.

Mr. Stuart Murray, President and CEO of the CMHR, Dr. Clint Curle, Head of Research, and Ms. Angela Cassie from the Museum made a presentation to the UCC Board on the current plans of the Museum regarding issues of interest and concern to the community. A very direct and frank discussion followed with questions and answers. The UCC Board passed a motion re-iterating its support for the UCC position of a distinct, prominent and permanent gallery for the Holodomor and Canada’s First National Internment Operations.

“We appreciate that the CMHR’s CEO, Head Curator and Director of Communications attended our meeting and presented to our Board the proposed content and layout of the museum. Our Board was disappointed in the manner in which the Holodomor and the First World War internment operations are to be presented in the CMHR, and have outlined those concerns both during the meeting and in a letter to the CMHR Board,” stated UCC National President Paul Grod.

“We believe that this meeting fell short insofar as we have not received assurances that the Holodomor and Internment will be presented prominently, distinctly and permanently,” said Grod. “I have written to Mr. Murray to indicate the position of the Board and we hope to hear back shortly.”

The UCC Board further established the UCC Advisory and Coordinating Committee on Exhibits (ACCE) to provide support to the CMHR on academic, research and artefacts on Ukrainian issues, including the Holodomor, the Internment of Ukrainians during WWI and the oppression of Ukrainians by the Nazi and Soviet regimes during WWII and post war period, including the struggle for the independence of Ukraine. The Committee will be convened and directed by Dr. Jurij Darewych, Ms. Valentina Kuryliw and Ms. Iryna Mycak.

In addition, the UCC Board heard reports from the Canada Ukraine Committee’s chair, Jars Balan, on avenues for continued engagement with Ukraine, specifically people to people contacts and contacts with NGOs and civil society groups. The Board also heard from Paul Grod in his capacity as Co-chair of the Ukrainian World Congress Election Observer Mission, as well as from Taras Zalusky and Ann Szyptur who worked on the CANADEM mission about the findings of their respective election observer missions for the October 28, 2012 Parliamentary Elections in Ukraine.