Toronto, November 8, 2010
PRESS RELEASE
UKRAINIAN WORLD CONGRESS CALLS UPON YOUTH IN UKRAINE AND THE DIASPORA TO TAKE PART IN THE XI PETRO JACYK INTERNATIONAL UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE COMPETITION
On November 9 2010, the Day of Ukrainian Language and Writing, the XI Annual Petro Jacyk International Ukrainian Language Competition will be launched in the village of Verkhnie Syniovydne, Lviv oblast, Ukraine. This important international event isaimed at improving Ukrainian language skills, establishing the language’s stature and raising its prestige.
In the decade since its inception, the international Ukrainian language competition founded by renowned Ukrainian Canadian philanthropist Petro Jacyk, has spread to nearly thirty countries and seen more than five million contestants take part. This success is due to the desire of Ukrainian schoolchildren and students to learn the Ukrainian language, the selfless contributions of contest organizers and supporting philanthropists and the leading roles of parents and teachers who have helped entrench love for their native language.
As our people’s most valuable treasure, the Ukrainian language performs a unique role in strengthening Ukrainian statehood, preserving national identity and consolidating the international Ukrainian community. The language is native for tens of millions of Ukrainians who reside in Ukraine and worldwide and facilitates communication among the international Ukrainian community. Thus the UWC attaches special significance to overcoming the consequence of centuries of russification, establishing Ukrainian as the state language in Ukraine and developing the language throughout the Diaspora in the face of assimilatory pressures.
Dear Ukrainian schoolchildren and students in the Diaspora and Ukraine! The UWC appeals to you to take part in the XI Annual Petro Jacyk International Ukrainian Language Competition. We wish you new and great achievements in discovering the depth of your native language. Love, keep and cherish your native tongue, use it every chance you get in your daily lives and be proud of belonging to the great Ukrainian nation!
UKRAINIAN WORLD CONGRESS
145 Evans Ave., Suite 207
Toronto, ON
M8Z 5X8 Canada
