Future leaders attend USUF's third annual Youth Leadership Program (10/03/04)

Future leaders attend USUF's third annual Youth Leadership Program

WASHINGTON - The U.S.-Ukraine Foundation hosted its third annual Youth Leadership Program in August in Washington. The weeklong program introduces college students age 18-22 to essential elements of leadership, civic engagement and the political process during meetings with key leaders in the U.S. capital.

Seventeen students participated in this year's Youth Leadership Program, among which nine were Ukrainian Americans and eight Ukrainians. The mix allowed for greater learning and growth, as Ukrainians shared their stories about life in present-day Ukraine and Americans searched for ways that they could be helpful to the young and growing Ukraine.

The 2004 Youth Leadership Program participants were: Maryna Yaroshchuk, a junior at the International Christian University - Kyiv; Nadiya Ostrovska, a recent graduate of the International Christian University-Kyiv; Muhammed Menzatov, a senior at the National Aviation University in Kyiv; Katerina Golitsina, a second-year student at the European University of Economics, Enterprise and Business in Kyiv; Ruslan Tykholaz, a junior at the Vinnytsia Trade-Economic Institute of Kyiv National Trade-Economic University; Ihor Novosyadlyy, a junior at Ternopil Experimental Institute of Pedagogical Education; Andriy Bilozir, a senior at Taras Shevchenko Kyiv State University, Institute of International Relations; Oleh Krykavskyy, a senior at the National University of Ostroh Academy; Mariya Tarassishina, a recent graduate of Bernard M. Baruch College in New York; Tanya Soluk, a senior at the Claremont McKenna College, Calif.; Anya Sophia Maziak, a graduate of the University of Michigan; Larissa Hotra, a graduate of the University of Michigan; Christina Olha Jarymowycz, a junior at Cornell University; Maria Alexandra Woloshyn, a junior at the University of Virginia; Andrew W. Laszyn, a recent graduate of Mercer County Community College; Christopher Wlach, a junior at Columbia University; and Mark Semotiuk, a recent graduate of UCLA.

Similar to past years, the 2004 Youth Leadership Program was free to participating students. All program costs, including lodging, were borne by the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation. The foundation appreciates the financial support provided by the following organizations, which makes this program possible: Drs. Dmytro and Jaroslava Jarosewycz Memorial Charitable Gift Fund, Self Reliance (N.Y) Federal Credit Union, Ukrainian Federal Credit Union (Rochester, N.Y), Chopivsky Family Foundation, Heritage Foundation of First Security Federal Savings Bank (Chicago), Selfreliance Ukrainian American Federal Credit Union (Chicago), Ukrainian Selfreliance Federal Credit Union (Philadelphia), Cygnus Technologies of Southport, N.C., Self Reliance (N.J.) Federal Credit Union, SUMA (Yonkers, N.Y.) Federal Credit Union and Ukrainian National Federal Credit Union (New York City).

Program activities

By interacting with leaders working in governmental and non-governmental areas, this year's participants gained an understanding of the American political process, U.S.-Ukraine relations, public policy, and the role of the Ukrainian-American community in U.S.-Ukraine affairs. They also explored such issues as the upcoming presidential election in Ukraine, youth engagement in democratic and transparent governance in Ukraine, and their possible leadership roles. In addition, a special roundtable discussion on environmental issues in Ukraine was included in this year's program.

One of the most memorable meetings in the program was with Gloria Steele, deputy assistant administrator of the Bureau for Europe and Eurasia at the U.S. Agency for International Development. She described her career at USAID, the current projects of the agency in Ukraine, and then opened the floor for a vibrant discussion on USAID's possible assistance activities in the area of trafficking of persons from Ukraine. The students commented on which methods they felt would be most effective in increasing awareness of this issue in Ukraine and decreasing the numbers of people that are being enslaved.

Students also met with Paula Dobriansky, undersecretary of global affairs at the U.S. State Department. Ms. Dobriansky, a Ukrainian American, currently oversees humanitarian assistance to Iraq and Afghanistan, and has worked in the past with several programs in Eastern Europe including Ukraine. At present, the issues of concern for the U.S. Department of State in Ukraine are the upcoming presidential election in Ukraine, trafficking in persons and energy-related issues.

John Bass, special advisor on national security affairs at the Office of the Vice-President, discussed the state of U.S.-Ukraine relations and the upcoming elections in both countries. He stressed U.S. support of democracy-building in Ukraine, but also noted that the U.S. can do no more than "help Ukraine to help itself." When asked what democracy for Ukraine means, Mr. Bass answered that it is not about seeking U.S. approval in political actions, but it is about the Ukrainian people themselves choosing and pursuing the fundamentals of democracy, and the country growing and maturing. "The choices that you make as citizens of Ukraine will have a global impact," he told the students from Ukraine.

Representing the judicial branch, Federal Judge Bohdan Futey from the U.S. Court of Federal Claims welcomed the students to his office at Madison Place and spoke on the role of the judiciary in governance, different branches of the judiciary and his career as a federal judge. Judge Futey, who was involved in the design and writing of Ukraine's Constitution, continues to help advance Ukraine's judicial branch through various programs and workshops in Ukraine.

Participants also met with Orest Deychakiwsky, staff advisor at the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, better known as the Helsinki Commission. In a lively exchange, students asked questions about the status of human rights and democracy in Ukraine, the upcoming elections in both Ukraine and the United States and the future of cooperation between the two countries. When they asked what they could do to help Ukraine advance in its way to democracy, Mr. Deychakiwsky said "You don't know what may help, but the worst thing is to do nothing and be silent." He urged them to act consistently on both personal and country levels.

Environmental roundtable

A very lively forum on the environment was held on one of the last days of the program. Presenters at the environmental panel included Andew Bihun, former U.S. commercial attaché in Kyiv; Ken Bossong, co-director of the Ukrainian-American Environmental Association, coordinator at the Sustainable Energy Coalition and former U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Lviv; Paul Ivanicky, a private consultant to several U.S.-Ukrainian private-sector agricultural projects and a former deputy director of Louisiana State University's Ukrainian Agricultural Extension Project; Oleksiy Kalynychenko, Muskie Graduate Fellow at the University of Delaware, and an intern at the IUCN - The World Conservation Union, U.S. office; Tanya Murza, graduate of the Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program at Evergreen State College, in the state of Washington, and an intern at the Washington, D.C., office of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service; and Nataliya Parasyuk, Muskie graduate fellow at Brown University and an intern at the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress.

They gave the students a brief overview of energy and environmental issues in Ukraine, nuclear power in Ukraine, the role of energy efficiency in the United States and Ukraine, renewable energy development in Ukraine with a focus on wind power, and sustainable agriculture in Ukraine. The students were involved in a stimulating question-and-answer session with the panelists, trying to see how they could become involved in stabilizing the energy sector in Ukraine and increasing public awareness of environmental issues.

Additional events

The week finished with a reception at the Embassy of Ukraine. Before the social event, students met with Dr. Sergiy Korsunsky, minister-counselor at the Embassy, who answered questions on a variety of topics: the upcoming election, enabling Ukrainian citizens currently in the U.S. to vote in the upcoming presidential election in Ukraine, the current political course of Ukraine, and youth and exchange programs for both Ukrainians and Americans.

The program officially concluded on Friday morning with a certificate ceremony at the Taras Shevchenko monument in downtown Washington. The students, along with other dignitaries from Ukraine who were participating in another training program sponsored by the foundation, paid tribute to the great awakener of the Ukrainian nation, Taras Shevchenko, and sang his "Zapovit" (Testament).

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