NEWS AND VIEWS: U.S.-Ukraine community partnerships seminar in D.C. initiates new program (06/28/98)

NEWS AND VIEWS

U.S.-Ukraine community partnerships seminar in D.C. initiates new program

by Olenka Dobczanska

WASHINGTON - The U.S.-Ukraine Foundation recently sponsored a seminar in Washington for the U.S. partners selected for its new U.S.-Ukraine Community Partnerships for Local Government Training and Education Project. Seventeen representatives from eight U.S. cities came to Washington on April 23-25 to formally start up the project and to become better acquainted with the situation in Ukraine, the procedural requirements of the project, the various organizations that will implement the project and fellow partners from the United States.

The first six partnerships have been announced: Lviv-Colorado Springs, Colo.; Donetsk-Tulsa, Okla.; Kalush-Little Rock, Ark.; Mukachevo-Burlington, Vt.; Krasnodon-Birmingham, Ala.; and Artemivsk-Omaha, Neb.

The U.S.-Ukraine Foundation was awarded the cooperative agreement for this project by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which administers the U.S. foreign assistance program, providing economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 80 countries worldwide. The goal of the Community Partnerships Program (CPP) is to provide targeted cost-effective technical assistance to local governments in Ukraine.

After opening remarks by Nadia K. McConnell, president of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, a number of officials from the United States and Ukraine who have been active in influencing and implementing U.S. policy toward Ukraine, greeted the participants.

Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) and Reps. Benjamin Gilman (R-N.Y.), both members of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, represented the legislative branch of the U.S. government. Congresswoman Kaptur, who traces her roots to western Ukraine, spoke about how power is shared in this country and the importance of "unleashing power at the local level both here and in Ukraine." Congressman Gilman also took time from a busy schedule to offer words of encouragement. "I want to commend the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation and our U.S. Agency for International Development for the willingness to come together and undertake this worthwhile program," he said.

From the Ukrainian side, Dr. Yuri Shcherbak, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, stressed the strategic partnership between the U.S. and Ukraine. According to the ambassador, programs such as CPP promote this partnership in a more personal way, using "the language from the open heart to the open heart ..."

Yevhen Kushnariov, chief of President Leonid Kuchma's Administration, also spoke. Having been involved in a similar partnership with Cincinnati, when he was mayor of Kharkiv, Mr. Kushnariov said he believes that projects like the CPP are very much needed in Ukraine.

Gregory Huger, the USAlD/Kyiv regional mission director, said that he sees the CPP as a real credit to the relationship between the U.S. and Ukraine." He mentioned the broad range of projects sponsored by USAID in Ukraine and other East European countries that "empower people to take their future into their own hands," and offered the full support of USAID in helping CPP partners benefit from the valuable experience of these previous programs.

George Ingram, deputy assistant administrator of USAID, told participants they become citizen-diplomats when they go overseas and praised the CPP in particular, saying that "in several areas you are really leading in the direction that AID is going."

Concluding the opening session, Ambassador Richard Morningstar, special advisor to the president and secretary of state on assistance to the NIS, summarized the current economic situation in Ukraine, pointing out major accomplishments and challenges. "There are no other programs that we have in Ukraine that are more important than yours, " he added.

The opening session was followed by a reception on the Senate side of the U.S. Congress. Sens. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) stopped in to say a few words in support of the project. Mr. Kushnariov reiterated his support and ceremoniously cut a celebratory cake.

The second morning of the seminar, which took place at the Woodrow Wilson International Center Library in the Smithsonian "Castle" Building, gave a broad overview of local government programs in Ukraine so that participants of the Community Partnerships Program could see how this project fits in. Dr. George F. Hamm, president of the University of Texas at Tyler (UTT), described how the university is working to develop the training curriculum and evaluation procedures for the project.

Judy Hansen, municipal development advisor at USAlD/Kyiv, described in greater detail the activities of USAID in Ukraine, especially community-based projects. USAID is active in all 24 oblasts and has instituted multiple projects in every major city in Ukraine.

Thomas Blinkhorn of the World Bank talked about World Bank-sponsored community-based projects in Ukraine.

Kathy Chumachenko, the country director of the Barents Group/KPMG, a banking/consulting firm working in Ukraine, who is also the vice-president of U.S.-Ukraine Foundation, gave some very practical pointers for people who work with Ukrainians or in Ukraine, based on seven years of in-country experience.

Carlos Pascual, director for Russian, Ukrainian and Eurasian affairs at the National Security Council, tried to place Ukraine into a broader policy context. Mr. Pascual stated that although Ukraine has a long history as a people, as a state it is in its infancy. "In light of this, the progress that Ukraine has made is rather remarkable," he said. "In its transition from the communism to capitalism, Ukraine is currently experiencing the worst of the two worlds, that is, pain without hope," he added. Through projects like this one, he told the partners, they could tap into the suppressed initiative within the Ukrainian people and help them overcome their historic legacy from a grass-roots level.

At noon, Blair Ruble, the director of the Kennan Institute, introduced Mr. Kushnariov, who provided an analysis of the recent parliamentary elections in Ukraine as part of the Kennan Institute's Noon Discussion series. In general, Mr. Kushnariov said he believes the elections confirmed the Ukrainian people's commitment to the democratic process. He saw it as a positive sign that even old-line Communists, who had previously considered elections "bourgeois nationalism," took part in them.

The afternoon session was a "nuts-and-bolts" training session designed to familiarize participants with the structure of the CPP project itself. Participants heard from Olivia Kew, deputy project director for CPP; Markian Bilynskyj, USUF's coordinator of field operations and director of the Pylyp Orlyk Institute; and Tony Lucenko, USUF local government advisor, of whom all described various aspects of the project in greater detail.

Ms. Hansen spoke about how CPP fits into USAID strategy in Ukraine. USUF Financial Administrator John Kun and Financial Assistant Balaram Joshi answered questions about financial procedures. The day ended with a reception at the Embassy of Ukraine, where participants had an opportunity to get to know one another better and talk more informally.

On Saturday, April 25, the third day of the seminar, Volodymyr Parkhomenko, field coordinator in Ukraine, described the situation in Ukraine with respect to the five focus areas of the project: budgeting, economic development, transportation, housing and communal services, and citizen participation. Among other topics discussed were the nature of the relationships between the U.S. and Ukrainian communities, the relationships between the Regional Training Centers, the role and responsibilities of the University of Texas at Tyler and guidelines for project workplans and for writing case studies that will be available at the regional centers.

For more information contact the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation,1511 K St., NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20005; telephone, (202) 347-4264; fax; (202) 347-4267; e-mail; [email protected]; website; http://www.usukraine.org.