Regional party organizers from Ukraine train in United States

by Stephen M. Wichar

WARREN, Mich. - A delegation of regional political party organizers from Ukraine came to Washington and Michigan for a two-week training program late last October. The group's trip was organized by the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDIIA).

Six Ukrainian political activists representing reformist political groups comprised the delegation. The principal mission of this group was to strengthen the parties in preparation for Ukraine's next national and local elections, scheduled for March.

Their five-day program began in Washington and Virginia, where participants focused on the American party system, party organization during an election cycle with a concentration on public opinion research, message development, media relations, fund-raising, voter targeting and contact, field organizing, civic advocacy, coordinated campaigns and voter participation.

After Washington, the delegates went on to Minnesota and Michigan to observe first-hand how state party organizations function and are planning for the 1998 elections.

In Michigan, the delegation met with Rep. David Bonior from the 10th Congressional District, a Democrat and the minority whip, and with his staff, as well as with Stephen M. Wichar, state chairman of the Ukrainian Clinton-Gore Committee. Discussions were also held about the forthcoming Ukrainian elections with members of the Detroit chapter of the Coordinating Committee to Aid Ukraine.

The NDIIA is a non-governmental organization that conducts programs to promote and strengthen democratic institutions in emerging democracies around the world. The NDIIA has a field office in Kyiv, and the organization has worked extensively with political and civic activists, as well as elected officials from across Ukraine for the last five years.

Participating in the observation and study tour were: Hryhorii Hutsenko, Democratic Party of Ukraine; Liuba Chub, Labor Party; Myroslav Slepko, Democratic Party of Ukraine; Viktor Kopetskyi, Democratic Party of Ukraine; Yelyzaveta Aulina, Democratic Party of Ukraine; and Andrii Klepikov, Social Democratic Party of Ukraine. Kay Fox, assigned by the U.S. Election Observation Study Program, was the group coordinator.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 25, 1998, No. 4, Vol. LXVI

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