Ukraine Flag Raising 2023
Celebrating the County of Santa Clara's Open World Delegations and Solidarity with Ukraine and Ukrainian Americans
Flag raising event is in honor of the County of Santa Clara’s Sister County Commission Open World Ukrainian Delegation at the James P. McEntee, Sr. Plaza on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.
⇒ Press release about the Flag Raising and Solidarity event
⇒ Watch the live video from the event
This special event is a unique chance to celebrate citizen diplomacy and international relationships, while also extending our solidarity with Ukraine and Ukrainian Americans. There will be a brief program and presentation of certificates to the delegation.
Background:
Our County’s Sister Commissions have developed an excellent working relationship with the U.S. Congressional Office of International Leadership’s Open World Program, and we have hosted six very successful Open World delegations between 2009 and 2020.
After the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, Open World suspended all Russian delegations. In March 2022, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution condemning the invasion, standing in solidarity with Ukraine and Ukrainian Americans, and severing all ties with the County of Santa Clara and local and state governments with Moscow.
In late 2022, the Open World Program sought to expand their delegations to former Soviet States and our County Sister Commission was asked to apply to host delegations from Ukraine. In December 2022, the County Sister Commission was awarded two delegations in May 2023 and October 2023.
As the County of Santa Clara remains focused on fostering collaboration and partnership with international friends and allies, the Sister Commission organized the delegations. The Board of Supervisors approved a resolution in support of these two Ukraine delegations at the April 4, 2023 meeting.
The resolution affirmed our support for Ukrainian families suffering daily from the indiscriminate bombings, living without water, heat, and electricity, and the resolution formally welcomes the two Ukrainian delegations we will be hosting this year.
We thank Commission Chair Nancy Madison and the ad-hoc committee’s outstanding dedication to citizen diplomacy for organizing these delegations. Our office is excited to work with the Commission and our local Ukrainian community to host a flag raising event during the delegation visit.
This is the County of Santa Clara's first international delegation since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Information about refugee support and resources
Supervisor Lee visits Ukraine refugees in Poland during trip to Europe
Foreign affairs have a major impact on the daily lives of families across County of Santa Clara, especially as so many are connected to immigrants and refugees - nearly 1 in 40 County of Santa Clara residents. Shortly after the outbreak of the war, Supervisor Lee traveled to Europe, but he adjusted his schedule to see how he could help Ukrainians. He traveled to Poland to witness the plight of the Ukrainian elderly, women, and children at a refugee food distribution center. He saw them suffering the psychological trauma of war and how they need our assistance to resettle. ABC7 coverage of Supervisor Lee's visit.
"As an immigrant myself, I am so thankful to Santa Clara County and my colleagues for standing up to this war and continuing to be a welcoming home for those seeking and deserving to be free and live without violence. We stand in solidarity with Ukraine and call for an end to war." -Supervisor Otto Lee
Photo of Supervisor Lee with Christine Pelosi & Carolyn Fowler visit the Ukraine House in Washington, DC in March 2022
