Congress of Ukrainian Canadians concludes with a call for unity (12/16/01)

Congress of Ukrainian Canadians concludes with a call for unity

by Marco Levytsky
Ukrainian News

WINNIPEG - The 20th Congress of Ukrainian Canadians closed with a call for unity and a show of grassroots support for UCC initiatives on Canadian issues.

Two hundred twenty-one delegates were registered for the triennial congress, held in Winnipeg on October 5-7, of the umbrella organization representing the over 1 million Canadians of Ukrainian origin.

"I do not want for your and my children to have to hear that there are still war criminals from World War II within the Ukrainian community in Canada when the government of Canada not only cannot prove that in courts under criminal jurisdiction, but even in those desperate immigration procedures where the standard of evidence is not 'beyond a reasonable doubt,' but only 'a balance of probabilities.' And, as they say in English: 'It's not because of a lack of trying,' because great sums of money go into the denaturalization and deportation policy," said newly re-elected President Eugene Czolij in his acceptance speech.

"On the contrary, I want the majority of Canadians to understand the tragic past of the Ukrainian people - just as your and my children do," said Czolij, speaking in Ukrainian.

"I do not want you and my children to be 'foreigners' when they take part in Ukrainian art and culture in Canada: when they sing Ukrainian songs in choirs; when they dance Ukrainian dances in dance ensembles: when they speak Ukrainian amongst themselves in schools and elsewhere - though this, unfortunately is happening much less frequently," he continued.

"On the contrary, I want for your and my children to feel good as 'Ukrainian Canadians,' " said the UCC president, because the concept of multiculturalism was not just a policy set on paper, but is contemporary reality that the great majority of Canadians embodies in their daily life."

"So that we could attain and in general maintain our rightful place in Canada, bearing in mind our contribution to the development of this country and the fact that there are over 1 million Canadians of Ukrainian origin in Canada, then we need to have a united voice," said Czolij who was unanimously re-elected and given a standing ovation.

Mr. Czolij added that Ukrainian Canadian shouldn't accentuate their differences and misunderstandings, or argue who's a bigger, and who's a smaller Ukrainian, but instead adopt the cry of "in unity there is strength."

He also called upon the constituent organizations of the UCC and their members to support the work of the UCC both morally and financially and to more actively support many of the UCC's initiatives.

"For example, when we send out press releases about current events, or issue memorandums touching upon some issue that is important to us, then I most urgently ask all the provincial councils and branches of the UCC, our constituent organizations and all of you to see to it that as many Ukrainians as possible visit your members of Parliament and: 1) introduce yourselves; 2) declare that you live in his or her electoral district; 3) hand over our communiqué or memorandum to him or her; and 4) declare that: the UCC represents you; you agree with the position taken by the UCC in its communiqué or memorandum; and you are appealing to that parliamentarian to take an interest in that issue and support us.

"From that point, a week later, you need to call this parliamentarian and ask him or her whether they can support us on this issue. Then the government will look upon and react much more favorably to our appeals and the UCC will be able to speak much more convincingly in the name of the Ukrainian community in Canada," said Mr. Czolij.

Admitted to the Quebec Bar in 1982, Mr. Czolij became a partner in 1991 at Desjardins Ducharme Stein Monast, one of the largest law firms in Quebec, with more than 120 lawyers at its offices in Montreal and Quebec City. Desjardins Ducharme Stein Monast is the exclusive member from Quebec in Lex Mundi, an international association grouping 14,000 lawyers, who work in 375 offices located in 90 countries. Mr. Czolij specializes in commercial litigation and insolvency; pleads before the Superior Court and the Court of Appeal of Quebec, and the Supreme Court of Canada.

He spends numerous voluntary hours with non-profit community organizations. Mr. Czolij has been a member of the UCC national board since 1994. During his last three years as UCC president, he met Ukrainian Canadians across the country, prepared several UCC position papers, communicated with Canadian and Ukrainian ministers, and appeared before parliamentary standing committees to voice the opinion of the Ukrainian Canadian community on various important issues. He is also a member of the board of presidents of the Canadian Ethnocultural Council, which unites 32 ethnic congresses in Canada.

Since 1993 he has been a member of the presidium of the Ukrainian World Congress (including five years as President of the Conference of Ukrainian Youth Organizations). He has also been a member of the Ukrainian World Coordinating Council since 1999. Mr. Czolij chaired or was a speaker at nine conferences in Ukraine (1991-2001).

At the first plenary session of the congress on October 5 reports were delivered by: Mr. Czolij on the past three years work of the UCC; Michael Ilnycky, chair of the Constitutional Committee; activities; and Andrew Hladyshevsky, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko.

The convention was officially opened later that evening, with Metropolitans Wasyl Fedak of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Michael Bzdel of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, presiding. Greetings were delivered by John Harvard, Member of Parliament (Winnipeg - St. James/Charleswood/Assiniboia) on behalf of the federal government; Roseanne Wowchuk, Minister of Agriculture, for the Province of Manitoba; and Deputy Mayor Lillian Thomas for the City of Winnipeg. Also present were Manitoba Minister of Industry, Trade and Mines Mary Ann Mihaychuk and Manitoba Liberal Leader Dr. John Gerard (MLA, Winnipeg-River Heights). Greetings were sent by Alberta Premier Ralph Klein and federal Justice Minister Anne McClellan and posted on the UCC's website.

October 6 was devoted to the Vision Quest Conference - an examination of the Ukrainian community in Canada and proposed directions for it. The morning session consisted of four addresses on various aspects of the Ukrainian community delivered by Jars Balan, Nadia Kostyshyn-Bailey, Dr. Jaroslav Rozumny and Dr. Oleh Wolowyna.

During the afternoon session, delegates were split into several roundtables where they brainstormed and came up with several proposals on priorities for the Ukrainian community and the UCC. The most common points made were the need to increase youth participation in the UCC, the need to expand its membership and the need for political action by the community.

The UCC will soon be issuing a report on the results of the Vision Quest Conference.

That evening was devoted to an awards banquet.

On October 7 delegates participated in Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox divine liturgies, ceremonies at the Taras Shevchenko monument and internment memorial, and a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument to victims of the Famine-Genocide of 1932-1933.

The guest speaker at the luncheon was Elizabeth Wilcock, former Chief judge of the Citizenship Court of Canada.

That afternoon the congress passed a number of resolutions which were to be disseminated as soon as the final wording is complete.

The reports on pages 8 and 9 about the Ukrainian Canadian Congress are reprinted with permission from Ukrainian News, an Edmonton-based newspaper serving the Ukrainian Canadian community.

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