2024 Ukraine Delegation Flag Raising
Ukrainian Flag Raising Ceremony & Celebration
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
8:30 AM
James P. McEntee Plaza
County of Santa Clara Government Center
70 W. Hedding Street, San José, CA 95110
In partnership and coordination by the County of Santa Clara's Sister County Commission, Congressional Office of International Leadership, COIL, and County Board of Supervisors Vice President Otto Lee, the County of Santa Clara is honored to welcome our second Sister County Commission COIL Open World Delegation from Ukraine. A special flag raising event and celebration will be held for the 2024 Open World Ukrainian Delegation visiting September 20-27, 2024. We invite our community to attend this solidarity event.
After the flag raising ceremony, the delegation will be recognized at the County of Santa Clara's Board of Supervisors meeting.
2023 Ukrainian Delegation
The County of Santa Clara hosted a COIL Open World Delegation from Ukraine in May 2023. This was the first international delegation since the COVID pandemic, and was a unique chance to celebrate citizen diplomacy and international relationships, while also extending our solidarity with Ukraine and Ukrainian Americans.
Click HERE for more information about the 2023 Ukraine Flag Raising
Click HERE for Press Release - Supervisor Lee & Sister Commission welcome Ukrainian Delegation
Click HERE for video of 2023 Ukraine Flag Raising
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.
The Sister Commission organized the delegations, and the Board of Supervisors approved a resolution in support of these two Ukraine delegations at the April 4, 2023 meeting.
Thanks to the diligent work of Commission Chair Nancy Madison and the ad-hoc committee’s outstanding dedication to citizen diplomacy the May 2023 delegation was a success. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the October 2023 delegation was rescheduled to September 2024., and is planned to include members of Parliament.
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
REFUGEE SUPPORT & RESOURCES
Did you know 1 in 40 residents in County of Santa Clara is a refugee - more than 50,000 of our neighbors?
Humanitarian crises occurring in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Palestine, and other locations across the world are impacting families here in County of Santa Clara, and many of our local community organizations are taking an active role in helping families here and abroad. We're honored to support our immigrants and refugees and connect community with support - follow link for more information.
nformation about refugee support and resources
