U.S.-Ukraine Foundation holds its first Youth Leadership Program in Ukraine (09/18/05)

U.S.-Ukraine Foundation holds its first Youth Leadership Program in Ukraine

KYIV - Twenty-two students stood in Kaniv at the grave and monument to Taras Shevchenko, considered to be one of Ukraine's greatest leaders. They sang the "Zapovit," Shevchenko's testament, and those who were ready signed prepared commitments to leadership at this historic site.

The session ended with tearful goodbyes to new found friends and a new group of young leaders inspired to serve Ukraine in their communities.

The students were there as part of the fourth annual U.S.-Ukraine Foundation's Youth Leadership Program 2005, which took place in Ukraine for the first time. This year's program, held on July 24-31, boasted the largest number of students ever - a total of 22 from more than 70 applicants. The final group consisted of four Ukrainian Americans, one Ukrainian from France, and 17 Ukrainians from all regions of Ukraine.

The foundation recognizes the great need for encouraging young people in Ukraine who have a desire to become future leaders. Talented and dynamic students who have not had the opportunity to participate in leadership programs sponsored by the West were specifically selected from the foundation's community partnership cities.

Past sessions of the YLP that were held in Washington had shown that a combination of Ukrainian and American students created an exciting and dynamic program which reminded American practitioners in the field of U.S.-Ukraine relations that their work affects society both now and in the future. The foundation wanted to make that same strong statement to Ukrainian leaders and to inspire them with the youthful enthusiasm that invariably emerges from the program.

The initial session of YLP 2005 took place on Sunday afternoon at the Kyiv University of Tourism, Economics and Law, where participants lived during the week. Nadia McConnell, president of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation (USUF), Markian Bilynskyj, USUF vice-president, Kyiv; Vera Andrushkiw, Community Partnerships Project (CPP) director, Washington; and Marta Kolomayets, CPP director, Kyiv; introduced the program, as well as the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation to the students.

Later in the week Ms. Andrushkiw also held a session with students on the history of relations between the U.S. and Ukraine, highlighting the important role that the Ukrainian American community plays in these relations. As in previous years this was the first time that many of the students were exposed to this information. She also spoke about the struggles and challenges of Ukrainian national identity preservation during Soviet times.

Ihor Dobko of the Lion Association in Lviv conducted an interactive workshop on the characteristics of leadership and led a lively discussion on the differences between leaders and managers. It was interesting to note that students in Ukraine identified many of the same leadership characteristics and picked many of the same people as examples of true leaders as students in previous YLP sessions in Washington did.

In addition to touring the Verkhovna Rada building, where they saw first-hand many of the sites made famous during the Orange Revolution, students visited a number of offices in the executive branch of the Ukrainian government. During visits within the president's administration they met with several high-level government representatives, including Pavlo Matsepa, chief consultant of the Main Information Service of the Secretariat of the President of Ukraine; Ilia Shevlyak, vice minister of youth, and sports; and Oleh Shamshur, vice minister of foreign affairs. These officials gave a candid portrayal of the day-to-day workings of their ministries, as well as their limitations in terms of analysis and evaluation of programs.

Discussion at the Ministry of Education with Yaroslav Bolyubash, head of the University Level Department, and Omelian Sukholytkyi, head of the International Relations Department, was especially candid since students were most familiar with its operation. Overall, the students were impressed with the dynamism and efforts of these individuals.

From the American government, Sheila Gwaltney, deputy chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, briefed the students on the current issues in U.S.-Ukraine relations. Lisa Heller, counselor in the U.S. Embassy's Public Affairs Section, and representatives from American Councils for International Education and IREX Ukraine catalogued the many opportunities for study abroad and exchanges available to Ukrainian students.

A trip to Kaniv provided an opportunity for students to learn more about local government in Ukraine and how they can become more involved. Upon arrival, a welcome and introduction was given by Kaniv Mayor Vasyl Kolomiyets, Mayor, Fritz Meies of Verzen, Germany, who is chairman of the Friends of Kaniv Association, and Ms. McConnell.

Larysa Tomilyeva-Kuhno, Kaniv City Council secretary, moderated a roundtable discussion titled "Role of Youth in the Decision-Making Process on a Municipal Level." Tetyana Orobchenko, a youth policy expert from Komsomolsk, also held a seminar on "Practical Steps on How Young People Can be Involved in the Decision-Making Process on a Municipal Level."

Representatives from various non-governmental entities, including the School of Policy Analysis at National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy, the election education initiative "Pora," the Youth Center of the Atlantic Council of Ukraine and the Peace Corps also met with the students. Yaroslav Pylynsky, director of the Kyiv Kennan Institute, took the group on an informative, historically focused tour of two sites of mass executions in the Kyiv area: Babyn Yar and Bykivnia.

Vadim Bodayev, head of the Representative Office of SigmaBleyzer, gave insight into entrepreneurial endeavors in Ukraine. Ihor Silchenko, marketing director for Softline, one of the companies in which SigmaBleyzer has invested, gave a talk about the company's business practices and future goals.

Toward the end of the program, the students went to Pushcha Vodytsia to participate in a service project that helps get street kids settled back into normal lives, known as "The Ark" run by Father's Care. Channeling some of their youthful enthusiasm to constructive ends, the students made great strides in cleaning up and organizing the yard work efforts on the grounds of the project. In addition, they met and connected on a personal level with some of the children helped by the center.

At the concluding ceremony in Kaniv, near Shevchenko's final resting place, Ms. McConnell, Mr. Bilynskyj, Ms. Andrushkiw and Ms. Kolomayets presented participants with a two-volume edition on Ukrainian culture, a USUF pin and a certificate of completion of the program.

The YLP graduates surprised USUF organizers with a poem, written by one of the students, and a vase filled with confetti, symbolizing the participants' dreams, wishes and goals engendered by the program.

For more information about the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation and its Youth Leadership Program readers may visit www.usukraine.org.

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