Canada to shine spotlight on issues in contemporary Ukraine

An international forum and conference  will take place on March 7th and 8th, 2012 at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, Ontario.

The one and a half day conference, entitled “Ukraine at the Crossroads” is a landmark event
in the history of the Ukrainian community in Canada. It will bring together key government representatives, leading civil society activists, business leaders, expert scholars, media analysts and policy specialists from across North America, Europe and Ukraine to discuss democracy, human rights, the rule of law, economic freedom and foreign policy in contemporary Ukraine.

“We believe that our gathering of internationally renowned experts and activists on the ground will make an important contribution to raising awareness of some of the on-going developments in Ukraine that could have far-reaching regional consequences and also affect European stability,” said Jars Balan, Organizing Committee Chair.

The conference will be of particular interest to politicians, policy makers and business leaders in Canada, the USA, the UK, the EU, and Ukraine, as well as North American media, and anyone concerned about the situation in Ukraine and its potential impact on Eastern Europe.

Topics to be discussed:

• Democratic Governance
• Rule of Law
• Human Rights
• Media Freedom
• The 2012 Parliamentary Elections
• Energy, Economic Freedom and Corruption
• Geopolitics & National Security
• Ukraine and Russia

Speakers representing Ukraine, the European Union, the US State Department and Canada’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs include:

• Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament, former Prime Minister of Poland
• Andrew N. Robinson, Ambassador of Canada in Kyiv during the Orange Revolution
• Borys Tarasyuk, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
• Eugenia Tymoshenko, daughter of imprisoned former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko
• Dominique Arel, Chair of Ukrainian Studies, University of Ottawa
• Eugene Czolij, President, Ukrainian World Congress
• Paul Grod, President, Ukrainian Canadian Congress
• Morgan Williams, Chair, US Ukraine Business Council
• Bob Onyschuk, Chair, Canada Ukraine Foundation
• Zenon Potoczny, President, Canada Ukraine Chamber of Commerce, Toronto
• Anders Aslund, Peterson Institute, Washington
• Mykhailo Honchar, Energy Study Centre NOMOS, Ukraine
• Mykola Riabchuk, author, political analyst and senior research associate at the Ukrainian Centre for Cultural Studies in Kyiv
• Other diplomats, activists and academics

 “Western pressure must be maintained on the Ukrainian Government to return to democracy. Without democracy, Ukraine will be isolated and may be forced to accept Russian hegemony,” said retired Ambassador Derek Fraser.

For more information contact Lubomyr Kwasnycia at 416-561-7778 or by email.