Borys Wrzesnewskyj and UKL
UKL began as a personal initiative in October 1998, modeled on David Johnson’s
Russia List (JRL). The first issue was sent to fifty colleagues in Ukrainian
Studies. The List grew over the years, settling for a more or less weekly
occurrence, with occasional pauses due to other commitments or vacation
time, and periodic bursts of intensity in times of crisis, such as Kuchmagate
on December 2000. From what was then my professional home at the Watson
Institute for International Studies at Brown University, UKL was always
a volunteer activity. With my appointment as Chairholder of the Chair of
Ukrainian Studies at the University of Ottawa, in Summer 2003, UKL became
de facto one of the Chair’s main activities. Then came the Orange
tsunami.
The Orange Revolution transformed UKL. The List, which always featured a
mix of news articles, analysis and Ukrainian studies announcements, began
to include translations of items from various languages (Ukrainian, Russian,
French, German, and Polish), and sent out 67 issues during the 40 days of
the Revolution. In the post-Orange era, the “revolutionary”
pace could not be kept, of course, but the translations were maintained
and UKL began to develop a web archive (excluding items that cannot be permanently
posted due to copyrights restrictions). The “new” UKL was able
to sustain its new obligations thanks to modest, yet very timely, support
from the Kennan Institute, the Canadian Institute for Ukrainian Studies
and the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute (our gratitude goes to Blair
Ruble, Zenon Kohut/David Marples, and Michael Flier in that regard), but
the lack of a solid foundation was putting a strain on the Chair and its
team of enthusiastic students.
The breakthrough came last month. On October 25, 2005, during a reception
held at the University of Ottawa, Mr Borys Wrzesnewskyj, a Deputy in Canada’s
Federal Parliament, representing the Toronto riding of Etobicoke Centre,
announced that his family’s charitable foundation, the Dopomoha Ukraini
Foundation, will contribute $Can70,000 to the Chair of Ukrainian Studies,
with the bulk aimed at supporting The Ukraine List, and a portion to be
used as seed money to develop a project of Contemporary Ukraine Archives
at the Chair. Mr Wrzesnewskyj has played a pivotal role in Canada’s
engagement during the Orange Revolution, leading countless fact-finding
missions to Ukraine, and being instrumental in Canada’s unprecedented
decision to send 500 election observers to the crucial round. Mr Wrzesnewskyj
understands the role that a medium like UKL can play in relaying analytical
information to an ever increasing select international audience from the
constituencies of academia, business, government, the media, NGOs and diaspora
communities. (Since November 2004, the UKL subscription base has more than
doubled).
With the support of the Dopomoha Foundation, UKL will be able to consolidate
its network of translators and research assistants and to make available
its multi-year catalogue of issues on the web, beginning with the entire
run of the Orange Revolution. Issues of UKL are currently thematically archived
since January 2005, available at http://www.ukrainianstudies.uottawa.ca/ukraine_
list/ukraine_list.html.
UKL has been traditionally run like a shoestring operation (which mutated
into a guerrilla operation during the Orange days). Thanks to Borys Wrzesnewskyj
and the Dopomoha Ukraini Foundation, it can now actually be run like a project
to meet the expectations of its international audience. Serdechno diakuiu
vam, Pane deputate, our trilingual Chair is ever grateful for your support,
votre appui survient à un moment décisif dans le développement
de notre jeune Chaire.
-- Dominique Arel
Borys Wrzesnewskyj Committed to Supporting the Ukraine List, the Calling
Card of University of Ottawa’s Chair of Ukrainian Studies
October 25, 2005 – Mr. Borys Wrzesnewskyj, MP in the Toronto riding
of Etobicoke Centre presented a cheque in the amount of $70,000 to the
Chair of Ukrainian Studies of the University of Ottawa on behalf of his
family’s charitable foundation the Dopomoha Ukraini Foundation to
fund the Chair’s electronic newsletter, The Ukraine List (UKL),
the calling card of the Chair.
During the Orange Revolution, UKL experienced phenomenal growth reaching
thousands of scholars, diplomats, international journalists, businesspeople,
non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and community members, in over
forty countries. The initial contribution of the Foundation will support
UKL, its network of research assistants and translators, as well as a
project of web archives. This will enable UKL, and therefore the Chair,
to strengthen its visibility internationally. The Foundation is also underwriting
an initiative aimed at developing a Centre for Contemporary Archives on
Ukraine.
The Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Ottawa is the first
research unit focused on the study of political, economic and social issues
in contemporary Ukraine. The Chair considers itself a national institution,
reaching out to communities across Canada.
The Ukraine List (UKL) is an academic/current affairs newsletter aimed
at and sent to a select audience of scholars, journalists, government
analysts and decision-makers, and businessmen, NGO practitioners, community
activists and people interested in Ukraine matters. Nearly half of UKL
subscribers joined the List since the historic November 21, 2004, second
round vote.
The generous donation was accepted on behalf of the University of Ottawa
by Dr. François Houle, Dean for the Faculty of Social Sciences,
and Chairholder Dr. Dominique Arel. In his opening remarks during the
presentation, Mr. Wrzesnewskyj stressed that:
“Last year was historic in many ways for Ukrainian Canadians. Thousands
of Canadians of Ukrainian origin reaffirmed their ties to the homeland
of their ancestors by taking time away from their own families during
Christmas and traveling to Ukraine to help ensure democracy prevailed
during the Orange Revolution. This was one more example of the special
relationship and bond that exists between Canada and Ukraine. There are
many institutions in Canada that also played an important role in these
events and The Chair of Ukrainian Studies of the University of Ottawa
is certainly one such institution. The Chair’s research and dissemination
of critical findings related to governance and public policy in contemporary
Ukraine is extremely important and its academic/current affairs electronic
newsletter The Ukraine List benefits thousands of scholars, journalists,
government analysts and decision-makers, business persons, NGOs, and community
activists in deepening their knowledge of Ukraine.”
Both Dr. Houle and Dr. Arel thanked Mr. Wrzesnewskyj on behalf of the
University of Ottawa and noted that the donation represents a critically
important gesture for the development of the Chair of Ukrainian Studies
into a national program devoted to the study of contemporary Ukraine.
“The University made a commitment in making possible the appointment
of a Chairholder. We are delighted that Mr. Wrzesnewskyj and the Dopomoha
Ukraini Foundation recognize the importance of the Chair in funding one
of its most ambitious programs,” said Dean Houle. “Mr. Wrzesnewskyj
played a phenomenal role during the Orange Revolution and understands
that maintaining a high level of Canadian engagement in Ukraine as a sine
qua non for the success of Orange reforms requires up-to-the minute access
to analytical information about Ukraine, which The Ukraine List provides
for a global select audience. His support is hugely significant for the
growth of The Chair of Ukrainian Studies,” added Dr. Arel.
The mission of The Ukraine List is to present a selection of the most
pertinent English-language news items, provide an English translation
of important articles published in the Ukrainian, Russian, and non-English
language European media, offer a forum to academics and other experts
for analysis, commentaries, and other original contributions on Ukraine,
and post relevant announcements on academic gatherings, scholarly competitions,
new publications, job offers and the like, pertaining to the burgeoning
field of Ukrainian studies.
UKL’s strength lies in the quality of its selected items. It aims
at presenting various viewpoints, an effort enhanced by its translation
service, and regular analysis of ongoing issues. UKL has established itself
as the List of reference for an understanding of the complexity of contemporary
Ukraine.
Mr. Wrzesnewskyj has dedicated much of his life to working with community
groups and humanitarian causes both here and abroad. As an activist in
Ukraine, Mr. Wrzesnewskyj funded, organized and supported civil rights
groups and democratic reform on the ground in Ukraine prior to glasnost
and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Throughout the recent crisis in Ukraine, Borys Wrzesnewskyj worked tirelessly
to reach all-party consensus in Canada’s Parliament to support the
struggle for democracy in Ukraine. Last year, Mr. Wrzesnewskyj spearheaded
a unanimously accepted House of Commons motion on October 26, an emergency
debate on November 24, and another unanimously accepted motion on November
25. He was instrumental in securing the Government of Canada’s commitment
to send 500 election observers to Ukraine for the December 2004 Presidential
election.
Today, the Wrzesnewskyj family continues to work in Ukraine, funding and
organizing both relief efforts for orphans, and post-secondary scholarship
funds for promising students in need.
For more information about UKL or the Chair of Ukrainian Studies, please
call the Chair of Ukrainian Studies at 613 562-5800, ext. 3692 or send
an email at ukrain@uottawa.ca.
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Borys Wrzesnewskyj
Biography
On June 28th, 2004, Borys Wrzesnewskyj (Liberal) was elected
Member of Parliament for the riding of Etobicoke Centre.
Mr. Wrzesnewskyj is a member of the House of Commons Standing
Committee on Public Accounts, the Standing Committee on Transport
and the Special Liberal Caucus Committees on Immigration and Global
Affairs.
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A native of Etobicoke, the son and grandson of Ukrainian
and Polish immigrants, Borys Wrzesnewskyj is the current President
and owner of both the Future Bakery and M-C Dairy – well established,
innovative businesses headquartered in Etobicoke. The Future Bakery,
founded by his grandparents, employs more than 80 people today.
Borys Wrzesnewskyj attended Humber Valley Village Public School,
transferring to Upper Canada College to complete his high school
education with distinction. From there, he went on to complete his
B.Com at Trinity College, University of Toronto, before taking over
the family business at the age of 22. Mr. Wrzesnewskyj is conversant
in French, Polish, Spanish and Ukrainian.
Since his university days Mr. Wrzesnewskyj has been keenly interested
in the promotion of civil and human rights, and has dedicated much
of his life to promoting tolerance and assisting various communities
in a number of humanitarian causes both here and abroad.
In the late 1980s to 1991 Mr. Wrzesnewskyj worked with former Soviet
political prisoners to help establish democratic fronts in the former
Soviet Union.
Through Future Bakery, Borys Wrzesnewskyj was one of the original
sponsors of the Out of the Cold program to aid the homeless. The
Wrzesnewskyj family has also funded and organized both relief efforts
for orphans, and post-secondary scholarship funds for promising
students in need in Ukraine throughout the 1990s to early 2000s.
Most recently, the Wrzesnewskyj family foundation donated to several
Canadian NGO organizations to send election observers to Ukraine,
including $250,000 to the University of Alberta’s Canadian
Institute of Ukrainian Studies to establish the Ukraine Transparency
and Election Monitoring Project.
Throughout the recent crisis in Ukraine, Borys Wrzesnewskyj worked
tirelessly to reach all-party consensus in Canada’s Parliament
to support the struggle for democracy in Ukraine. Mr. Wrzesnewskyj
spearheaded a unanimously accepted House of Commons motion on October
26, an emergency debate on November 24, and another unanimously
accepted motion on November 25. He was instrumental in securing
the Government of Canada’s commitment to send 500 election
observers to Ukraine for the December 2004 Presidential election.
Mr. Wrzesnewskyj’s business curriculum has included participation
as co-founder and executive member of the Annex Business Improvement
Area, co-founder and president of the Garrison Village Business
Association, and executive member of the Niagara Neighbourhood Association.
He was named one of Ontario’s “Top 100 Entrepreneurs”
by the Ontario Business Journal.
Ottawa Office:
555-D, Centre Block
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Phone: (613) 947-5000
Fax: (613) 947-4276
Riding Office:
140 La Rose Ave. Unit 14
Toronto, ON M9P 3B2
Phone: (416) 249-7322
Fax: (416) 249-6117
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| Borys Wrzesnewskyj |
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Borys Wrzesnewskyj, Dominique Arel,
Chairholder, Chair of Ukrainian
Studies, and François Houle, Dean, Faculty
of Social Sciences |
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| Dominique Arel, Chairholder, Chair of Ukrainian
Studies. |
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| Assistants at the Chair of Ukrainian Studies (from left to right):
Isabelle Gilbert, graduate student and research assistant;
Sarah Malik, undergraduate student and general assistant,
Ifeoma Ojukwu, undergraduate student and administrative
assistant, and; Yulia Yarotska, law student and general
assistant. |
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Françoise Ducros, Director General, Canadian
International Development Agency, Russia, Ukraine, Nuclear Safety
and Institutional Partnerships
Programs (RZF); Vadym Prystaiko, Chargé d'Affairs,
Counsellor, Embassy of Ukraine in Canada, and; Pierre Guimond,
Director, Foreign Affairs Canada, Eastern Europe and Balkans Division. |
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| Isabelle Gilbert, graduate student in political
science and research assistant at the Chair of Ukrainian Studies,
and Natalka Pastiurko, PhD student in Sociology at
McGill University. |
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| François Houle, Dean, Faculty of Social
Sciences, and Gary Slater, Dean, Faculty of Graduate
and Post-Doctoral Studies. |
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| Borys Wrzesnewskyj and François
Houle, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences |
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François-Pierre Gingras, School of Political
Studies, and Linda Cardinal, Director, Chaire de
recherche sur la francophonie et les
politiques publiques |
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| Gary Slater, Dean, Faculty of Graduate and Post-Doctoral
Studies, and Borys Wrzesnewskyj. |
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| Borys Wrzesnewskyj |
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