In June 2024, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation organized a historic Canadian speaking tour for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk, the head of Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties. During her time in Canada, Ms.Matviichuk headlined 37 separate events in four Canadian cities: Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg.
Oleksandra Matviichuk’s Canadian visit constituted her longest speaking tour in any single country since she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of her Centre for their work investigating and cataloguing Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Ms.Matviichuk typically never stays in any country longer than three or four days, as her demanding schedule constantly takes her between the UN and the Hague, government meetings in global capitals, and conferences and symposia worldwide.
The Canadian tour objectives were threefold: to increase awareness of the war crimes perpetrated by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, including drawing attention to the plight of over 20,000 Ukrainian children abducted by the Kremlin and to raise funds for vital human rights initiatives.
The Canada-Ukraine Foundation thanks Ms. Matviichuk for giving so much of herself to this tour, which she afterwards said was the best she has ever had. These successes were only realized with our corporate sponsors, led by the Temerty Foundation, and the dozens of volunteers who helped plan, organize, and smoothly execute such an important event.
Through this tour, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation was able to raise over $300,000 towards human and civil rights initiatives aimed to address the critical needs of children who returned home from Russian captivity, women suffering at the hands of war and other key work in this sector.
On September 1st, 2024, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation opened its fall applications intake. We encourage groups and organizations focusing on human and civil rights work to apply. Please visit cufoundation.ca/apply for funding to learn about the granting process and other funding areas available this grant season.
Background
Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) – founded in 1995, CUF has a strong track record of providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the areas of healthcare, education and civil society. CUF collaborates with aid providers in Ukraine, Canada, and beyond to maximize impact and cost-effectiveness of your support.