On September 15, 34 Ukrainian interns arrived in Canada to participate in the 21st annual Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program. The Internship Program, established by Toronto attorney Ihor Bardyn, gives university students from Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora the opportunity to serve a 2-month internship with a member of the Canadian Parliament or Senate.
This year students from the University of Rome, Ostroh University, Kyiv-Mohyla University, University of Lviv (Ivan Franko), Lomonosov Moscow University, University of Kharkiv (Vasyl Karazin), Yaroslav the Wise Law Academy, Kazan Federal University, Moscow Linguistic University, Humboldt University of Berlin, University of Kyiv (Taras Shevchenko), Kyiv Polytechnic, Lviv Polytechnic, Yuriy Fedkovych University of Chernivtsi, Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv University of the Arts, Vadym Hetman University, Ukrainian Catholic University, University of Flensburg, Ternopil National University, Maastricht University, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian University, Kyiv School of Economics, Petro Mohyla Black Sea University, University of Luhansk (Taras Shevchenko) and the University of Toronto were working as Interns on Parliament Hill.
During the two months, the Interns attended the tribute to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and meetings at the Embassies of Poland, Russia, United Kingdom, United States and Ukraine, and participated in workshops on the Rule of Law and Civil Society at the Migus Seminar in Quebec and at the University of Ottawa and St. Paul University. They held workshops with Senator Raynell Andreychuk, MPs Fin Donnely (British Columbia), Peter Stoffer (Nova Scotia), Brian Masse (Ontario), Deepak Obhrai (Alberta), Peter Goldring (Alberta), James Bezan (Manitoba), Shelly Glover () and the Hon.Wayne Easter (PEI). Other students completing Internships came from Canadian Universities, as well as from France, Israel, United Kingdom, and the United States and from the Jewish-Canadian community. The Canada-Ukraine was the largest Internship Program in the Canadian Parliament, as it traditionally has been for the past 21 years, only surpassed by the USA in some years.
The interns added to their understanding of parliamentary democracy by attending Question Period, ParliamentaryStanding committee meetings, house debates and meetings with NGOs. They also attended Ukrainian community events and performed volunteer work with several of Ottawa’s food banks and homeless shelters. An integral part of exploring Ottawa was the visit to the new Taras Shevchenko monument.
The interns hosted a traditional Ukrainian evening at the Embassy of Ukraine at which Robert Sopuck, Chair of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group, presented certificates of participation signed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper to each intern. As a part of Ukrainian Day on Parliament Hill, the interns presented a concert of Ukrainian songs in the Rotunda of Centre Block of Parliament.
Inspired by the effectiveness, tranparency and accountability of the Canadian political system, a new generation of Ukrainians is being prepared to lead the establishment of the Rule of law and civil society in Ukraine.
