First Lady Kateryna Yushchenko addresses World Affairs Council (06/11/06)

First Lady Kateryna Yushchenko addresses World Affairs Council

by Andrea Fylypovych
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

PHILADELPHIA - First Lady Kateryna Yushchenko of Ukraine was the honored guest on May 30 at the annual meeting of the World Affairs Council (WAC) of Philadelphia held at the stately Union League Club.

The evening began with a traditional Ukrainian welcome of bread and salt on an embroidered ritual cloth. Mrs. Yushchenko was ushered onto the stage by WAC President Buntzie Ellis Churchill and Ukrainian Human Rights Committee President Ulana Mazurkevich. A pair of youngsters dressed in embroidered Ukrainian shirts greeted her with flowers.

Accompanying Mrs. Yushchenko were members of the Ukrainian diplomatic corps headed by Dr. Oleh Shamshur, ambassador to the U.S., and Mykola Kyrychenko, consul general in New York.

Congressman Curt Weldon (R.-Pa.) offered a spirited introduction. Referring to Ukraine's president, Viktor Yushchenko, he noted that "dynamic leaders need our support." He also praised Mrs. Yushchenko's "special commitment to children."

The program continued with a question/answer dialogue between Ms. Churchill and Mrs. Yushchenko.

Mrs. Yushchenko responded to questions on a variety of topics ranging from the aftereffects of her husband's dioxin poisoning to the elimination of corruption in Ukraine. Ukraine's first lady made it clear, however, that her main concern on this U.S. visit was to raise funds for improving health care in Ukraine, specifically for children.

The centerpiece of her program, called Hospital to Hospital, is to build a state-of-the-art children's hospital in Kyiv that includes a research center for neonatal and genetic testing. This pediatric center would aid in combatting the lingering health problems associated with the Chornobyl accident that occurred over 20 years ago. In addition, much-needed hospitals would be built in each of Ukraine's 25 oblasts.

A foundation has been set up in Ukraine to collect funds for this cause. Telethons and sales of bracelets also have been used raise money.

Mrs. Yushchenko noted that the concept of philanthropy in Ukraine had disappeared after the Soviet Revolution in 1917. She stressed that volunteerism needs to be revived and, in a barb tossed at Ukraine's new ultra-rich class, suggested that "possibly illegally gained profits" should be channeled to charity.

A non-profit foundation is also being set up in the United States. Ms. Churchill of the WAC offered to have her organization act as a necessary go-between for donors.

Mrs. Yushchenko also requested help in the areas of technology and training to bring Ukrainian hospitals up to world standards. Specifically, she asked that doctors from the West come to Ukraine in order to help develop its health care system.

Other topics included the creation of a free market society and judicial reform in Ukraine. Mrs. Yushchenko, who holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, believes that the top economic priority is the establishment of small and medium-sized businesses. She said that the change to a more stable economic environment is more of a psychological hindrance for the Ukrainian people than a tangible one. She hopes that people begin to look for long-term business benefits rather than for short-term profits. Judicial reform also is considered a must for businesses, as court integrity has been difficult to maintain under post-Soviet conditions, she added.

Most importantly, Mrs. Yushchenko emphasized the need for human contact between Americans and Ukrainians in order to develop stronger ties between the two nations - a lesson she said she learned from former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley of New Jersey more than 20 years ago.

She mentioned a recent poll conducted among residents of the eastern Ukrainian city of Artemivsk which sought to determine which nation the local populace would most like to have as a "partner" in the future. Seven percent replied "Europe," 13 percent identified Russia, and a surprising 80 percent indicated the United States. Interestingly, many Ukrainians in Artemivsk had already been corresponding with Americans in Omaha, Neb., as part of the sister city program. As Mrs. Yushchenko pointed out, positive interpersonal relations clearly have a strong influence on public perception.

Responding to questions from the audience, the first lady demonstrated her mettle by quickly dispensing specific economic development statistics, including the fact that bank deposits in Ukraine are up 80 percent over the prior year, a development that indicates a growing confidence by the local populace in their own financial markets.

Mrs. Yushchenko also addressed an important concern of charities who find it difficult to ship humanitarian goods into Ukraine because they are often charged import duties. She explained that this was a result of authorities targeting all charities due to the abuses of certain organizations. Mrs. Yushchenko noted that "religious organizations in neighboring countries" have used foundations for the purpose of smuggling in liquor and tobacco products, and this is causing the Ukrainian authorities to be overly cautious.

One questioner wanted to know which regions of Ukraine would be most interesting to Western tourists. After a pause and an explanation that she did not want to offend any region of Ukraine by excluding it from the list, Mrs. Yushchenko declared that Kyiv, the Carpathians and Crimea are the three "must see" destinations. She eloquently noted that Kyiv is "not only a city with parks, but a park with a city in it." The Carpathians offer a glimpse into the simple life and organic foods, while Crimea, "like California," offers the sea, forests and desert, with the "added allure of sultans' palaces and ancient Greek ruins."

After the conversation, Mrs. Yushchenko joined guests for a dinner reception.

As the event drew to a close, Ukraine's first lady was presented with a small replica of the Liberty Bell with the inscription "Presented to Kateryna Yushchenko from the Mayor of Philadelphia, John F. Street." Referring to the Liberty Medal presented award to her husband last September in the same city, Mrs. Yushchenko laughed that he would surely be jealous because "he got the medal, but I got the bell!"

Before leaving the Union League Club, Mrs. Yushchenko briefly met with Ukrainian Human Rights Committee members to discuss joint service projects for the future.

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