“Diplomacy with a human heart”: Canada's governor general in ...

No. 20THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2009 13The governor general hosts a public youth dialogue on civic engagement with representativesfrom non-governmental organizations and youth organizations in Lviv.Diplomacy...(Continued from page 1)started with a full official state ceremonialgreeting, which was followed immediatelyby a private working meeting between Mr.Yushchenko and Ms. Jean at the official residenceof the president of Ukraine, knownas the Chimera Building on BankivskaStreet in Kyiv.After a wider briefing with officials of theUkrainian government and members of theCanadian delegation, Mr. Yushchenkothanked Canada at a press conference for its“long-term continued international supportof Ukraine.”He noted: “Canada was the first Westerncountry to acknowledge Ukraine’s independencein 1991, has been continuously supportiveof Ukraine’s entry into NATO andEU structures and most recently proclaimedthe Holodomor, the Famine in Ukraine artificiallycreated in 1932-1932 by the Sovietstate, a genocide against the Ukrainian people.”Governor General Jean, elegant inEnglish and eloquent in French, graciouslyconfirmed Canada’s above-stated commitmentto Ukraine and underlined “in this timeof international crisis we want you to knowthat Ukraine is not alone. This state visit willfocus on Canada’s ongoing support forUkraine’s democratic transformation andeconomic reform. Canada is with you.”The role of the governor general datesback over 400 years to 1608 and is the oldestcontinuing public office in Canada. Canada’ssystem of government is a parliamentarydemocracy and a constitutional monarchy.Queen Elizabeth II is queen of Canada andhead of state. Sworn in on September 27,2005, Ms. Michaëlle Jean, the 27th governorgeneral since Confederation, represents theCrown in Canada and carries out the dutiesof head of state.Immediately after the press conference,President Yushchenko and First LadyKateryna Yushchenko escorted GovernorGeneral Jean and her husband, Jean-DanielLafond, to the recently constructedHolodomor Memorial that commemoratesthe 10 million victims of the 1932-1933Famine-Genocide in Ukraine.In a small but touching ceremony, thegovernor general laid a wreath of flowers inmemory of those millions of perished souls.The monument stands tall on the right bankof the Dnipro River, not far from the imposingdomes of the Pecherska LavraMonastery in Kyiv.President Yushchenko proudly led hisguests to an imposing view of the historicDnipro from which, among many sights,one can see on the far left bank theResurrection Cathedral, the new seat of theUkrainian Catholic Church in Ukraine.Jurij R. Klufas is executive producer ofKontakt Ukrainian TV Network. He accompaniedthe governor general of Canada,Michaelle Jean, on her state visit to Ukraineas a member of the news media.MCpl Jean-François Néron, Rideau HallLater that evening the president hostedCanada’s governor general and her delegationat an elaborate state dinner within therenovated structures of the ancient St.Sopha Cathedral complex. This historic settingwas the perfect ambience for the governorgeneral to experience the cultural historyof Ukraine guided by the personal attentionsof none other than the Ukrainian president,one of the best advocates of Ukrainiancultural and historical heritage.Ms. Jean flew to Ukraine in a militarystate aircraft with an official delegation ofCanadian community and cultural leaders.One of the members of this delegationaccompanying the governor general wasPaul Grod, president of the CanadianUkrainian Congress.“This visit is extremely important becauseit is the highest level of interchange betweenstates and governments. It is quite importantfor Ukraine to understand that it is not alonein its quest for a developed democracy, andCanadians of Ukrainian origin are confidentthat their government is contributing to thegrowth of an international civic society,”Mr. Grod commented.Governor General Jean was honored duringher stay in Kyiv by Prime Minister YuliaTymoshenko and Verkhovna Rada ChairmanVolodymyr Lytvyn, and in Lviv by the LvivOblast Chair Mykola Kmit and Lviv MayorAndrii Sadovyi.However, the Canadian leader’s interestand heart focused on the various workingroundtables designed to build creativity andarouse interest in the building of a civil societyin Ukraine. That is why Ms. Jean wasmost interested in the planned meeting withstudents of the National University of KyivMohyla Academy (NUKMA).In her opening remarks to the eagerlygathered students at NUKMA, the governorgeneral said she was one of the millions ofenthralled worldwide viewers of the OrangeRevolution.“When put to the test, Ukrainian societydemonstrated its ability to come together forthe good of all to triumph over the forces ofdestruction. Each of you who is involved incivic life is our greatest promise for thefuture in these uncertain times,” she underscored.After an open two-hour discussion thegovernor parted with these thoughts for thestudents: “Everyone says that you are thefuture of society. I say that by participatingin civic life today you have the option ofmaking change today.”In Lviv, which Ms. Jean compared toParis, the governor general was very eagerto visit the Dzherelo Rehabilitation Centerfor Children with Cerebral Palsy. She wasgreeted by the enthusiastic singing of childrenin wheelchairs, parents and teachers ledby the founder, the inspirational ZenyaKushpeta of Toronto, who was the drivingforce in the creation of this progressive institutionin 1993.Immediately after a tour of the facility,the governor general participated in a round-(Continued on page 19)MCpl Jean-François Néron, Rideau HallTheir Excellencies the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, governor general ofCanada, and Jean-Daniel Lafond, are greeted upon their arrival in Ukraine.MCpl Jean-François Néron, Rideau HallGovernor General Michaëlle Jean and her husband, Jean-Daniel Lafond, andPresident Viktor Yushchenko and his wife, Kateryna, place bowls of wheat at theHolodomor Memorial in Kyiv.Sgt Serge Gouin, Rideau HallThe governor general of Canada delivers a speech at a state dinner hosted byPresident Viktor Yushchenko and First Lady Kateryna Yushchenko.MCpl Jean-François Néron, Rideau HallThe governor general receives a warm welcome from children at the DzhereloRehabilitation Center in Lviv.