Welcome to #450UA ... pronounced HASHTAG - FOUR - FIFTY - U - A ... a unique approach to broadcasting - available as a special segment on KONTAKT Ukrainian Television and a new online media project - right here at 450ua.blogspot.ca ... for an overview of this project, watch the backgrounder segment on Kontakt TV by clicking here ... also, please read the backgrounder transcripthere.
This week, PAVLO VEZDENETSKY and I talk about grassroots activism in Ukraine, especially the work of SPLINA SPRAVA (COMMON CAUSE), an activist organization of which Pavlo is a member.
Also - watch Steven Sackur's interview with Vitaly Klitschko on BBC's HARDtalk.
Welcome to #450UA ... pronounced HASHTAG - FOUR - FIFTY - U - A ... a unique approach to broadcasting - available as a special segment on KONTAKT Ukrainian Television and a new media project online at http://450ua.blogspot.com ...
My name is Andy Holowaty or Andrij Holovatyj - take your pick - and in this episode, I will present a backgrounder to this project which I call #450UA, to help you better understand its intent and its method.
#450UA will help fill a void which is mostly evident in the mainstream global media, where there is a lack of regular and comprehensive film, video and television coverage of NEWS & INFORMATIONfrom and about Ukraine for the English-language media - especially that of a political nature. KONTAKT Ukrainian Television has made room for the production of a regular segment to highlight news & information from today's Ukraine that focuses on the presidency and parliament of Ukraine - the main areas of Ukraine's government which are coming under intense scrutiny from various interested and affected groups. It will be the goal of #450UA to provide a starting point for an English-language audience to better know and understand the political situation in Ukraine and how it affects the government of Ukraine.
#450UA is primarily an extended online round-table discussion focusing on politics in Ukraine. My guests and I will discuss people, places and things that are related to government and politics specifically in that country. KONTAKT will broadcast a preview segment of each discussion and viewers will then be invited to watch the extended discussion following KONTAKT - online at http://450ua.blogspot.com … Serious questions, comments and suggestions can be left online and I will then read, consider and answer as many as possible - seriously.
So, whether Ukraine finds itself in a political and social crisis, like it is today under the Yanukovych regime, or whether the great stories of government and politics in Ukraine simply have trouble finding airtime, column space or search engine hits, #450UA will hope to provide information and insight into this complex and dynamic situation in Ukraine.
Now - about the name #450UA …
"HASHTAG" - this is a shout out to members of the online community. Popularized by Twitter, hashtags have become a great way to promote content online. Other social networking sites have embraced hashtags and similar keywording sensibilities. I intend to promote the reported news and information with relevant hashtags and keywords, including my custom tag of #450UA.
"FOUR FIFTY" - this is a simplified form of the number four hundred fifty, which represents the number of members that are voted into Ukraine's legislature. Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada parliament is the key element to Ukraine's success in altering the political immaturity of a 20-year-old country, beset by problems entrenched in a volatile history marked by a culture of foreign interference and occupation, which still heavily affects the country today. The Verkhovna Rada has many unsavoury members, yet there is a growing core of MPs, veterans and rookies, who wish to follow the various rules and regulations and - above all - the constitution, in order to pass the laws needed for an emerging democracy to be on a solid path of growth and prosperity. In this 7th convocation which began after last October's parliamentary election, the good work of these good people needs to be highlighted.
"UA" - well, that's easy. UA is Ukraine's ISO country code. It makes Ukraine quickly and easily identifiable with two simple letters. Just as - for example - Canada is identified by CA, the United States by US and France by FR, Ukraine is identified by UA.
So, enjoy #450UA on KONTAKT Ukrainian Television and online at http://450ua.blogspot.com … get up to speed on an important topic and get involved in spreading the news about and from Ukraine for the English-language media and its audience.
See you online. And remember, be careful when you log out and shut down. Goodbye!
Without reasonable cause, Serhiy was stripped of his status as People's Deputy of Ukraine by a Higher Administrative Court and has been prevented from performing his duties in the Verkhovna Rada parliament as an elected official. Ihor offers his insight and analysis, with an interesting comparison to former MP Stepan Khmara's plight a couple of decades ago.
More about Ihor …
Ihor Walter Bardyn is a founder and director of Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program.
Mr. Bardyn has found great satisfaction volunteering his time in various capacities. In the past he was the Ontario Director of the Council for Canadian Unity, a representative for Amnesty International and the President of the Ukranian Canadian Professional and Business Association of Toronto. Currently, Ihor is a member of the Council of Administration of Saint Paul University, a member for the Atlantic Council of Canada. Among his many awards, Ihor has received the Commitment to Voluntarism Award, awarded by the Ministry of Culture and Communications of the Province of Ontario and was recently awarded the Commemorative Medal on Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee.
Ihor completed his B.A. at McMaster University in 1964 and received his LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1967. He was called to Bar for the Province of Ontario in 1969.
Also, here is a link to an in-depth exclusive interview (in Ukrainian) conducted last week with Serhiy Vlasenko by Artem Shevchenko of TVi's"Znak Oklyku!" program ...
"Знак оклику!" ... 13.03.2013 ...
Захисник Юлії Тимошенко Сергій Власенко розповідає про позбавлення його депутатського мандату та заборону виїзду за кордон.
#450UA ... pronounced HASHTAG - FOUR - FIFTY - U - A ... is an online round-table discussion focusing on politics in Ukraine. Episode №0001, "EU-Ukraine Summit" (from 20130304 & produced by @UANews4ENMedia) features host Andy Holowaty with his guests Taras Kuzio and Walter Derzko, as they discuss the recent 16th European Union-Ukraine Summit in Brussels which took place on February 25, 2013. This video is the full version of the first episode, which was previewed during Kontakt Ukrainian Television's March 9th episode.
Today, #450UA starts to help fill the void in the English-language media with respect to news about Ukraine. Whether Ukraine finds itself in a political and social crisis, like it is today under the Yanukovych regime, or whether the great stories from Ukraine simply have trouble finding airtime, column space or search engine hits, #450UA will hope to provide information and insight into the complex and dynamic political situation in Ukraine.
Host Andy Holowaty (aka Andrij Holovatyj, aka Aндрій Головатий) will feature lively discussion and debates about politics in Ukraine, with the focus being on the presidency and the parliament. Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada has been saddled with problems that are hitting extreme levels and not allowing the 450 seats in parliament to be taken up by those who wish to follow rules, regulations and - above all - the constitution in order to pass the laws needed by an emerging democracy on the road to European integration.
If you are visiting this page after watching the preview for #450UA on Kontakt TV - WELCOME!
Keep up to date with News about Ukraine for the English-language Media (UANews4ENMedia) right here, as well as these other fine sites on the internet ...
News about Ukraine for the English-language Media (UANews4ENMedia)
