Winnipeg, March 26, 2009 – The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) calls upon CBC Radio Canada International (RCI) to overturn their decision to permanently shutdown the Ukrainian Section of RCI effective this week after 57 years of service to Canada.
“We understand that the Ukrainian Section of RCI is the only foreign language department to be terminated,†stated Paul Grod, UCC National President. “Such a decision is unconscionable and is out of line with the Government of Canada’s commitment to Ukraine as one of its top strategic bilateral partner countries.â€
encouraging him to reconsider the decision to permanently shutdown the Ukrainian Section of RCI and find ways to increase its resources due to its strategic importance to Canada.
The Ukrainian Section at Radio Canada International (RCI) was cut. The surprise announcement was made this afternoon to the 2-member personnel of the section. The half-hour program was aired Saturdays and Sundays since it was cut in half in November 2004, after over 50 years of broadcasting on a daily basis.
Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney is quite busy these days. When he’s not barring British anti-war MPs from entering Canada, axing funding to Canadian-Arab groups, deporting war-resisters or even tweeting on Twitter, he’s busy shaping our multiculturalism in a very diverse way: English or French speaking only! Our minister’s latest fight is to deny citizenship to immigrants who can’t speak English or French well enough. He believes new Canadians " have a duty to integrate." and adds "We don’t need the state to promote diversity. It is a natural part of our civil society." With that his government has ceased funding programs such as heritage language classes, and Kenney commented:
"I think it’s really neat that a fifth-generation Ukrainian Canadian can speak Ukrainian– but pay for it yourself," – Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney
RosUkrEnergo said Ukraine’s state gas company Naftohaz could again have trouble finding the money to pay for the higher gas prices Russian Gazprom is now charging ($360 per 1,000 cubic metres in the first quarter up from $179.50 in 2008). But with a $16.4 billion IMF loan programme still on hold due to unresolved issues surrounding a large budget deficit, the government’s financial and gas reserves are dwindling. Naftohaz says the main problem it faces is non-payment by Ukrainian consumers, mostly in utilities. Tymoshenko has asked Russia for a $5 billion loan, a possible life-line that would give Moscow more leverage over Ukraine ahead of presidential elections which constitutional experts say must take place by late January 2010.
His bio is just plain ridiculous, who writes this stuff:
PRO: His steely-eyed fondness for Cold War–era diplomacy led to the invasion of Georgia and a showdown with the Ukraine over Russian-controlled gas lines.
CON: Anti-Putin protests are mounting, thanks in part to the country’s economic mess. And, as if you needed further proof that he’s the world’s most powerful ’70s nostalgist, Putin recently hired an ABBA tribute band to play a private gig.
Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney is quite busy these days. When he’s not 