At the Ukraine Recovery Conference on June 11 in Berlin, Ukrainian World Congress President Paul Grod emphasized that the resources of the global Ukrainian community are crucial for Ukraine’s rapid post-war rebuild. The UWC President spoke on a panel entitled “Stronger Together: Strengthening Resilience and Social Inclusion,” which also featured Oksana Zholnovych, Ukraine’s Minister of Social Policy.
“We estimate the global Ukrainian community at around 65 million. If only 30 of them currently live on the government-controlled territory today, that means there might be more Ukrainians living outside of the Homeland for the first time in history than inside. It is a dramatically new context that provides us with new challenges in the fields of education, security, depopulation, human capital, and economic capacity. However, this also brings some huge new opportunities that we must explore and use,” said Paul Grod.
The key to engaging Ukrainians in the reconstruction of Ukraine is preserving their Ukrainian identity. “If we want to see at least some Ukrainians returning to Ukraine after the victory, if we want to see a strong, resilient society there, we must make sure the Ukrainians outside of Ukraine (including the recent immigrants) preserve the identity,” emphasized the UWC President.
The Ukrainian World Congress is committed to developing and supporting the global Ukrainian community. “From the cradle to the grave. This includes education, church, professional associations, culture, and business connections,” Paul Grod specified.
“In addition to international organizations and countries, we, the global Ukrainian community, must participate in the reconstruction. Our partners have heard of this request and are counting on us. We urge you to join UWC projects, particularly the Energize Ukraine, so that we can rebuild the energy system. And when Ukraine achieves victory, we will be ready for rapid reconstruction,” said the UWC President in a statement following the conference.
Left to right: Andriy Shevchenko, Zenon Potoczny, Rostyslav Sukennyk, Paul Grod.
The Ukrainian World Congress President discussed the importance of involving the Ukrainian diaspora in Ukraine’s reconstruction and the forthcoming URC set for Italy in 2025 with Antonio Tajani, Italy’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
On the sidelines of the conference, Paul Grod also met with the former US Ambassador to NATO and former US Special Representative for Ukraine, Kurt Volker, and Polish MP from the Civic Coalition, Paweł Kowal.
Left to right: Kurt Volker, Paweł Kowal, Paul Grod.
The President of the Ukrainian World Congress discussed advocacy for Ukraine and the contribution of the global Ukrainian community to victory with Roman Mashovets, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
Left to right: Paul Grod, Roman Mashovets.
