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Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program’s 25th Graduation

Jun 14, 2016 | Featured, Newpathway, Community

New Pathway.

Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program (CUPP), founded and managed by its Director Ihor Bardyn, held its 25th graduation last Thursday, June 9, 2016. The Program provides Ukrainian students with 2 to 3 month placements to work and study in the Parliament of Canada. During their internships in Parliament, young Ukrainians learn how Canada's parliamentary system of government works, and, as Ihor Bardyn stated in his farewell address to the students, how the government serves the people, rather than rules them.

The graduates, who received their certificates at the University of Toronto's Faculty Club, were mature, thoughtful and very well spoken. Many of them gave their concise graduation speeches in fluent English. By the nature of the Program, its participants serve an important purpose as ambassadors of Ukraine on Parliament Hill. This year's participants found that the level of knowledge about Ukraine varied significantly among the newly elected Members of Parliament. The graduates shared their experiences of how they managed to increase awareness about Ukraine among MPs and their staff, especially by organizing Ukrainian Day on Parliament Hill which attracted a large number of Canadians in front of Centre Block of Parliament during the day, and a similar large number of MPs, in the evening information reception in the MacDonald Building.

In his address, Ihor Bardyn stated that CUPP for the last 25 years has been financed by the Ukrainian Canadian community. Those funds are now depleted and for CUPP to continue in its current format, it needs to be financed by the government of Canada. This year's participants were engaged in the fundraising campaign on Parliament Hill to lobby the government to assume the funding of CUPP.

At the graduation ceremony, Ihor Bardyn stressed the need for Ukrainian students to continue graduate studies abroad if the country wants to make progress. He provided the examples of post-war Japan and communist China which both sent large numbers of students to study in the West and consequently made considerable economic and technological progress. Mr. Bardyn said: “Ukraine needs the experience that you gained in Canada. There is a saying amongst the US Marines ‘we need a few good men (or a few good people) to learn how to succeed in battle.’ And Ukraine needs a few good men and women to begin implementing the skills that you may have learned in Canada. It is important for you to share your Canadian experience with your friends, family, at your university and whomever will listen to you.”

At the same time, Ihor Bardyn turned the graduates' attention to the fact that “Canada is not the answer for Ukraine – not every model works in another country. As you learned, Canada is nominally a bilingual country. And bilingualism is not a model for Ukraine, which first and foremost needs to develop the Ukrainian language.” Many graduates in their speeches also talked about the process of establishing Ukrainian as a universal language in its home country, Ukraine.

Ihor Bardyn also emphasized the need for perseverance in the graduates' future endeavors: “Whether you use the lessons and skills you have learned during the internship will depend on you. It is not the highest IQ or the highest marks from university that will ensure success. It is each person’s grit or perseverance. It takes grit to persevere, to retain your language, retain your traditions, and prosper. Ukraine is now independent and there is no reason for it not to thrive. The goal is to make Ukraine as prosperous and well-managed as Canada.”

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