UKELODEON: For The Next Generation (05/12/02)

UKELODEON

For The Next Generation

A sixth grader's view: we should be thankful for Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms

by Kassandra Luciuk

I am not that old, but already I know that I am lucky to have been born in Canada.

Why?

Because my grandparents and great grandmother have told me what they went through before they came to Canada. And I am pretty sure that they don't tell me everything.

They survived Nazi and Soviet oppression. Even before the second world war, when they lived in Ukraine, they would often find themselves at the mercy of governments that persecuted them, only because they were Ukrainian. They suffered under governments that denied them their basic religious, cultural and political rights, under regimes that denied them education, that prevented them from speaking their own language, regimes that even claimed there was no such thing as a people called Ukrainians.

How different is the world we live in, here In Canada! Laws govern our society. Together we have built a society where everyone is free to believe whatever they want to, to speak openly about their beliefs, and to do so without having to worry about being arrested, or worse.

My grandparents and great grandmother never enjoyed those basic freedoms - not until they came to Canada. And so they are very grateful for the sanctuary and the liberty Canada gave them.

All Canadians, whether we were born here, or came here as immigrants, or were political refugees like my family, enjoy the same rights and freedoms. We are all Canadians regardless of where we came from, or when; or the faith, or race, or beliefs of our ancestors.

I have learned about this from both my parents. My mother became a lawyer in the very same year that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms was proclaimed. Her copy is in Ukrainian! Imagine that! Canada issuing one of its most basic documents, not just in our two official languages, but in Ukrainian, a language that my grandparents had to struggle to preserve when those who occupied their homeland tried to stamp it out!

My father is a professor. He also has told me about how important the Charter is. He served as a member of the Immigration and Refugee Board. I used to visit his office and even went into a hearing room. He explained how our Charter protects people who come to Canada to seek our protection, refugees like my grandparents.

I also know, because my father writes about these things, that before the Charter there were dark periods in Canada's own history, when the human rights and civil liberties of innocent people were not respected.

Many of us know about how badly Japanese Canadians were treated in World War II. But fewer people know that in World War I many thousands of Ukrainian Canadians and other European immigrants were put into Canadian concentration camps and labeled "enemy aliens" - not because of anything they had done but only because of where they came from.

My father writes a lot about that sort of thing. He can do that because the Charter exists and protects his freedom of speech, and ours. And the Charter also makes sure that the injustices that happened decades ago in Canada will never happen again.

Like many others I watched the terrorist attacks against New York and Washington. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It did not look real. I don't pretend to understand why those who killed so many innocents did what they did.

I can't believe those responsible were truly religious for I do not believe God wants us to take other peoples' lives. I think we must now fight against terrorism. But, even as we do, I am glad to know that in Canada we have a Charter of Rights and Freedoms. That will help ensure that the mistakes that were made in Canada's past, when innocent people were arrested and interned in times of hysteria and prejudice, do not happen again.

We must stand on guard for Canada. We can do so with confidence. For guarding all of us, as Canadians, is our Charter. For that all of us should truly give thanks.

Kassandra Luciuk is a Grade 6 student at Josyf Cardinal Slipyj Ukrainian Catholic School in Toronto. She spoke recently at Osgoode Hall for the opening of Law Week, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Charter. That same speech was broadcast, nationally, on CBC Radio One on the morning of April 17, marking the 20th anniversary of Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Children celebrate Easter by performing "hahilky"

HILLSIDE, N.J. - Local children shared Easter joy by participating in "hahilky" (ritual spring dances and songs) after the divine liturgy on Sunday, April 7, at Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church in Hillside, N.J. Odarka Polanskyj-Stockert and Christine "Tynky" Janak lovingly taught the children five different hahilky.

The audience and children seemed to especially enjoy "Posadzhu ya Hrushechku," which translates as "I Will Plant A Pear Tree," which describes the steps in planting and nurturing a pear tree.

It was gratifying to see this group of children, from many ethnic backgrounds, join together to learn a beautiful Ukrainian tradition - and most importantly - to celebrate Christ's Resurrection.

Following the hahilky, the children engaged in an Easter egg hunt on the parish grounds.

Eighth-grader continues school's success in National Geography Bee

NEWARK, N.J. - Eighth-grader Evan Litosch has carried on a proud legacy at St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic School of Newark, N.J., as in April he competed at the New Jersey state level competition of the National Geography Bee.

Evan, a resident of Summit, N.J., won the school-level competition of the National Geographic Bee on January 4. He subsequently took a written test, the result of which qualified him for eligibility in the state competition held on April 5 at Rutgers University's Busch Campus in Piscataway.

Evan became the seventh St. John's student in as many years to qualify for the state championship of the National Geography Bee, which has been held annually for the past 14 years.

The National Geography Bee, a competition open to students from grades 4-8, is sponsored by the National Geographic Society. Thousands of schools in the United States and in the five U.S. territories participate in the event.

This year's oral bee began the week of November 26, 2001, in the various schools. The top school winner was then required to take a written test; 103 top scorers in 433 participating New Jersey schools were invited to compete in the state bee.

The National Geographic Society provides an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington for state champions and teacher-escorts to participate in the national championship on May 21-22. The first-place national winner receives a $25,000 college scholarship and a lifetime membership in the society.

"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek, who is of Ukrainian background, will moderate the national finals on May 22; the program will air on the National Geographic Channel, and a afterwards on PBS stations.

Artist teaches students about icons

NEWARK, N.J. - Catholic Schools Week brought to St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic School a fascinating visit with Christina Saj, an accomplished New Jersey artist who creates modern icons. Ms. Saj discussed traditional icons and instructed children in kindergarten through fifth grade on how to create their own découpage angels and saints in her very unique and engaging style. The children's work was on display during the last week of April at St. John's Church Hall as part of the school fair spotlighting the students' myriad projects in subjects ranging from art and science, to history, social studies, religion and math. Above, Ms. Saj tells the schoolchildren about icons.

Mishanyna

To solve this month's "Mishanyna," prepared on the occasion of Mother's Day, please find all the words that appear in the story below in capital letters.

(A special challenge: one of the words appears in the grid five times. See if you can find it!)

Today is Mother's Day. The SECOND Sunday in May has been celebrated as a special day for all mothers, as well as GRANDMOTHERS, godmothers, aunts, etc., since 1911.

However, the tradition of honoring mothers goes way back to ANCIENT GREECE. Such celebrations were held during the SPRING, when the Greeks paid tribute to RHEA, the mother of the gods. In the 17th century people in England honored mothers on a HOLIDAY called MOTHERING SUNDAY.

In the United States, it was in 1872 that Julia Ward HOWE suggested the idea of the day to honor mothers. She saw the day as one dedicated to PEACE and organized the first observances in BOSTON.

Later, Anna JARVIS of PHILADELPHIA began a CAMPAIGN to celebrate Mother's Day nationwide. First she persuaded her mother's church in WEST VIRGINIA to observe the day on the second Sunday in May, Ms. Jarvis and her supporters wrote to politicians, businessmen and ministers to encourage them to establish a national Mother's Day. By 1911 the day was celebrated in just about every state of the United States.

In 1914 Mother's Day became a NATIONAL holiday, in accordance with an official announcement by President WOODROW WILSON. Today the day is also celebrated in many other countries around the WORLD.

So, dear readers, how will you CELEBRATE with your MOM on this lovely day? Will you GREET her with FLOWERS, or perhaps a CARD? We suggest something simple: a HUG, a SMILE and an "I LOVE you."

OUR NEXT ISSUE: UKELODEON is published on the second Sunday of every month. To make it into our next issue, dated June 9, please send in your materials by May 31.

PLEASE DROP US A LINE: UKELODEON, c/o The Ukrainian Weekly, 2200 Route 10, P.O. Box 280, Parsippany, NJ 07054; fax, (973) 644-9510. Call us at (973) 292-9800; or send e-mail to staff@ukrweekly.com. (We ask all contributors to please include a daytime phone number.)

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