CALGARY EUROMAIDAN DECEMBER 1st Singleness of Purpose

Calgary November 23,2013

Soaring expectations for change fed by the Ukrainian government's negotiation with the European Union have whetted the appetite of Ukrainians everywhere! Months of anticipation spawned a civic awakening in Ukraine, an optimism dashed in the recent disappointing government refusal of the EU offer.  It seems these were pseudo negotiations, and today's social, economic and political situation in Ukraine has galvanized an invigorating civic awareness, leading citizens to press for the removal of their ruling elite. Today, extreme disappointment with political leadership, and hungry for political change, has led to hundreds of peaceful mass protests in Ukraine and her widely spread diaspora.  A pressure cooker of change is currently brewing.
The prognosis for the future of these protests is yet to be decided but hopeful.

Singleness of purpose is a gift that keeps giving.  Chasing the truth truth through history, archaeology, and literature is one thing.  But the burbling anger emerging from analysis of statistics is different.  Historical documents now proving the horrendous acts contributing to the Ukrainian Holodomor of the 1930's continue to shine light on uncomfortable truths. And as my daughter once said, "Once someone tells you who they truly are, believe them!" Former subjects of a regime, and now citizens of a baby democracy schooled in the social media age, Ukrainians cannot deny the false premises upon which their government has gained such access and opportunity for kleptocratic behaviour.  Public awareness is rising, but Ukraine has been denied so often, it's enemies are cunning and patient.

Anyone paying attention to the hot spots in social media this week recognizes the importance of the Euromaidan protests in Kyiv and elsewhere in the world.  Hundreds of thousands of people are watching in nervous anticipation. For a patient people, such exaggerated focus on the protests resulting from Ukraine's disappointing government refusal to sign the EU Association agreement is perhaps out of character. Other issues generally usurp everyone's attention, but for today this issue must be kept relentlessly in the foreground! Ukraine's opportunities to grow into a prosperous free and democratic nation have been been insidiously infected with parasites.  Given a choice, nobody has wanted to speak on such issues. But developing trends in politics, high stakes power struggles, machinations and clashing interests are subjects of public discourse in this young democracy. At the very core of this protest movement is the belief that Ukraine's biggest obstacle to her future prosperity is myopic, fearful denial of truth. A growing maturity of purpose is evident in the latest protest demonstrations in Ukraine.  Recognizing the risks, the Ukrainian people are hugely optimistic for the potential for change. Change is coming.  May it help the Ukrainian nation.

Supporters of this movement, Ukrainians and Canadians of good will are rallying together Sunday, December 1st at Olympic Plaza in Calgary at 3:30 PM!

CALGARY EUROMAIDAN DECEMBER 1, 2013

Standing in Solidarity - Calgary EuroMaidan Євромайдан

It has been a particularly busy Ukrainian Calgary weekend; warm, satisfying, thoroughly moving, and an indication of the values retained by Canadians of Ukrainian decent here on the western prairies of Canada. 

Filling St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Cultural Centre upper hall, Saturday's Commemoration of the Holodomor began with the singing of Otche Nash by Korinnya Choir, conducted by Iryna Kalynovich.  Then the Ukrainian clergy of Calgary led the Panachyda/Requiem.  Korinnya then sang the traditional Song of the Cranes, a song of farewell.  Dr. Bohdan Klid spoke about the intense academic and research work being conducted worldwide in regards to the truths hidden in documents only recently available to the public!  Very special guests Spiritus Chamber Choir of Calgary performed the Ukrainian Requiem for the Holodomor,as composed by Roman Hurko, with amazing bass-baritone soloist Paul Grindlay intoning the priest's part, conducted by Tim Shantz.  Svitanok, a girls singing group performed a couple of beautiful pieces. Then a dramatic reading/presentation involving the young people of CYM Ukrainian association was followed by a communal singing of Vichnaya Pamyat' - Eternal Memory.   

To a person, the community was very focused, still and extremely attentive to the program.  Appreciative of the great effort, love and care taken by the program participants in preparing for this important commemoration, comments included, "tremendous!", "so thankful to have been here", "what an important community connection we have here", "these are the best people!" Many, many were especially thankful for the deeply moving singing of the Requiem by Spiritus, an English speaking, Canadian choir.  It was an important day to honour the memory of the Holodomor victims in a quest to sensitize people to the lessons in world history.  May we never forget, and may the world be protected from such horrendous cruelty!  Never again!

Ukrainian churches across Calgary served memorial requiem Panachyda prayers Sunday morning. 
And on Sunday night in peaceful solidarity with thousands of Ukrainians across Ukraine, Canada and the world, about a hundred Calgarians gathered at Olympic Square across from City Hall for Calgary's EuroMaidan, Євромайдан, Showing their solidarity with the 100,000 (in Kyiv alone!) Calgarians voiced their concern for Ukraine's disengagement with their landmark opportunity for association with the European Union. Singing anthems, hymns, and joining together in common support for Ukrainian aspirations to European democratic values, and economic opportunity, these are Canadians of merit and principle!  

Together, we are many!  This weekend in particular, those of us with ancestry in another land, far away, were intensely thankful for our Canadian way of life! Appreciative, and aware that people in other lands aspire to such opportunities and privileges, we stood together in solidarity! 

To hear Korinnya check https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR1e83UfIGU&feature=youtube_gdata 
And for a melodic reminder of how long Ukrainians have carried these ancestral aspirations check here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E09kWXwsEj8  for

Боже Великий Єдиний (God Great One) - spiritual anthem of Ukraine

ps proud to say Calgary was only one of the 92 ( to date ) EuroMaidan events!
check the map here https://a.tiles.mapbox.com/v3/euromaidanmap.gccpeja0/page.html#4/50.82/44.47

Former Prime Minister Campbell on Ukraine

Ethics, enterprise, and equity - these are words I  would like to hear more often when discussing the future of Ukraine.  Possibly the most important of them would be ethics - the ethics of a free and democratic state building a bright and prosperous future for all its citizens. 

Thankfully, the Ukrainian Canadian community has communicated long and well with our elected officials, and besides concerning themselves with the wellbeing of Canadians, many of these gracious individuals are doing more than simply listening intently.  In fact, besides the Observer Mission to monitor the upcoming Parliamentary Elections in Ukraine on October 28th, Canadian officials from Prime Minister Harper, to Former Alberta Premier Stelmach, to Former Prime Minister Campbell are advocating for Ukraine's democratic freedoms.

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/former-canadian-premier-free-trade-area-with-eu-better-for-ukraine-than-customs-union-with-russia-314752.html