The session «Ukrainian World Community» was held within the framework of the All-Ukrainian Forum «Ukraine 30», initiated by the President and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, in the context of discussing the priority areas of Ukraine’s foreign policy. The event was dedicated to the Ukrainian diaspora, its role and significance. At the invitation of the organizers, it was moderated by Iryna Kliuchkovska, Director of the International Institute of Education, Culture and Diaspora Relations, Lviv Polytechnic National University.
According to the moderator of the session, this was a significant event, which showed the development and deepening of cooperation between the state of Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora. After 30 years of independence, this cooperation has come a very difficult way: from the stereotypes left to us by the old Soviet system and deeply rooted in Ukrainian society, through complete rejection, denial and neutral attitude to the development of business relations. From traitors to partners. From complete disregard – to the gradual involvement of the diaspora to the development of Ukraine, its promotion in the world and the establishment of a positive image of Ukraine in the international community.
According to Iryna Klyuchkovska, «the Ukrainian diaspora today is a colorful mosaic: it is the third, fourth, and even the fifth generation of those who left Ukraine 130 years ago and those who have left Ukraine recently. These are powerful communities with a long history and those who were formed just a couple of years ago, diaspora who have the power to influence the governments and parliaments of their countries of residence, and new migrants whose communities are just getting back on their feet. Together they create the Ukrainian global world on all continents, working for Ukraine».
As 30 years of experience have shown, we come to the realization that:
- support of world Ukrainians is a strategic direction of the policy of the Ukrainian state;
- Ukrainian diaspora is a potential factor of significant influence on state-building processes in Ukraine;
- Ukrainian diaspora is an effective tool of political, economic, cultural influence in the countries of residence;
- Ukrainian diaspora is a powerful tool of establishing a positive image of our state abroad.
The session was opened by Paul Grod, President of the Ukrainian World Congress.
The discussion was attended by:
- Vasyl Bodnar, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine;
- Sviatoslav Yurash, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Relations and Protection of the Rights and Interests of Ukrainians Abroad, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation;
- Andrii Deshchytsia, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Poland;
- Marek Šafin, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Ukraine;
- Yaroslav Melnyk, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Italy;
- Larysa Dir, Head of the Department on Ukrainian Communities Abroad and Humanitarian Cooperation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine;
- Oleksandr Tsuprenko, Counselor of the Embassy of Ukraine to the Slovak Republic;
- Mariia Kupriianova, Executive Director of the Ukrainian World Congress;
- Stefan Romaniv, Vice President of the Ukrainian World Congress, Chairman of the Union of Ukrainian Organizations in Australia;
- Oleksandr Korniienko, People’s Deputy of Ukraine, Chairman of the Servant of the People Party;
- Andriy Futey, President of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA);
- Oles Horodetsky, President of the Christian Fellowship of Ukrainians in Italy (Rome);
- Dzvinka Kachur, President of the Ukrainian Association in the Republic of South Africa;
- Oksana Pidsukha, Director of the Museum of the Ukrainian Diaspora.
They discussed the following issues:
- global role of the diaspora in protecting Ukraine’s national interests in the world;
- diaspora as Ukraine’s ambassador to the world;
- strengthening dialogue in the migration and visa areas;
- dual citizenship for foreign Ukrainians;
and submitted to the authorities of Ukraine their proposals to improve the mechanisms of cooperation between Ukraine and its integral part – the Ukrainian diaspora.
In their speeches, the participants of the session highly appreciated the activities of the International Institute of Education, Culture and Diaspora Relations, Lviv Polytechnic.