December 7, 2010
PRESS RELEASE
NATIONAL HOLODOMOR REMEBRANCE DAY IN OTTAWA
On November 30, 2010 the President of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) Eugene Czolij took part in the Canadian national Holodomor Commemoration Ceremony at the Government Conference Centre in Ottawa. The event was organized by the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group headed by Member of Parliament Mark Warawa and the Embassy of Ukraine in Canada.
The ceremony was attended by Ukrainian clergy, members of Canada’s Parliament, representatives of Ukraine’s diplomatic corps and the Ukrainian community.
A memorial service for the victims of the Holodomor was conducted by His Eminence Yurij Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Canada and Fr. Kyrylo Mykytiuk of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg.
The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism represented the Government of Canada at the ceremony. He said that “establishing a memorial day and recognizing the Holodomor as an act of genocide expresses the fundamental values Canadians hold dear: freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.” He also said that the Government of Canada is committed to “heightening international awareness of what happened more than three-quarters of a century ago” in Ukraine.
UWC President Eugene Czolij spoke about the scope of the genocide that took million of lives in the last century in a country known as the breadbasket of Europe. The UWC President also praised the Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper for honouring the victims of Holodomor during his official visit to Ukraine and Canada for recognizing in 2008 the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people.
The full text of the UWC President’s address is available online at:
The President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Paul Grod thanked the Parliament of Canada and the legislative assemblies of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec for recognizing the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people and called for this tragic page of humanity’s history to be properly represented in the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.
The ceremony included speeches by leading Canadian politicians and representatives of the Ukrainian community, presentation of Holodomor exhibits and an artistic program.
UKRAINIAN WORLD CONGRESS
145 Evans Ave., Suite 207
Toronto, ON
M8Z 5X8 Canada
website: www.ukrainianworldcongress.org
