Canadian Ukrainian "peace corps" sends volunteers to Ukraine

by Oksana Zakydalsky

TORONTO - "People can make the biggest impact" - that was the idea behind the creation of "Korpus Myru." Flushed with victory after Ukraine's referendum on independence last year, a group of young activists, who had taken part in the campaign under the leadership of Borys Wrzesnewsky, was elected to run the Toronto branch of the Canadian Friends of Rukh. One of their first projects, modeled on the U.S. Peace Corps (but using the Ukrainian version of the name to avoid confusion), was Korpus Myru, which sends volunteers to work in Ukraine.

The Korpus Myru committee, headed by Olya Kalymon, was set up in February and, a month later, Motria Onyschuk, a University of Toronto law student, and Mykhailo Zienchuk, a recent political science graduate of the University of Waterloo, went to Kiev to set up the project coordination office.

With the help of Mykola Deychakiwsky of the Advisory Council to the Supreme Council, they identified government ministries and establishments where volunteers from Canada could be placed. Rukh provided office space for the project and helped with administrative issues.

To date, 12 people have been sent by Korpus Myru to work in Ukraine. Their placements in Kiev have included the ministries of the environment, finance, foreign economic relations and health, as well as government and Parliament commissions and institutes. The volunteers are mostly young university graduates, although two pensioners, Stephania Hurko and Maria Sachryn, have also been on assignment.

The work the volunteers perform in Ukraine has been varied. For example, Ms. Hurko did translations for Les Taniuk's Committee on Ukrainian Culture and National Rebirth, while Ms. Sachryn assisted the Commission on Women, Mothers and Children on family issues. Walter Popiel, a University of Toronto graduate in economics, worked at the Ministry of Finance, where he helped with Ukraine's budget and was the liaison between the Ministry and the International Monetary Fund.

Oksana Lejbiuk is currently the full-time project coordinator in Kiev. All Korpus Myru workers fill out reports on a monthly basis for Ms. Lejbiuk, who forwards them to Toronto. There is constant feedback on who is happy, who isn't, and what and how volunteers are doing. As well, the ministry, or the establishment where the volunteers are placed, fills out a check-off report every two months. This two-way feedback helps to identify problems early. To date, these have been minor, chiefly in matching the right person to the right job.

Both the volunteers and the ministries involved are pleased with the results of the placements; since September the ministries have begun paying part of the monthly stipend for the work being done. So far, two volunteers have gone on to more permanent jobs in Ukraine: Ulana Trylowska with the Renaissance Foundation and Mr. Popiel with the Canadian government's Technical Assistance Program.

Some of the success of the project is due to the fact most of the volunteers are young, as are many of the people working in the offices in Kiev - people who will eventually be rising through the ranks and moving up in the ministries.

The funds for Korpus Myru, a total of $40,000 to date, are being provided by Canadian Friends of Rukh. They cover the costs of travel, accommodations and a monthly stipend for living expenses for the volunteers, as well as operating costs for the office in Kiev.

The recent changes in Ukraine's government and ministries necessitated a re-evaluation of placements, but Friends of Rukh intends to continue sending people to work in Ukraine. The Toronto branch maintains a list of potential volunteers and is looking for people with a university education and some work experience who are willing to give a minimum of six months to two years of their time, and are flexible and adaptable and interested in doing something different.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, December 27, 1992, No. 52, Vol. LX

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