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About

CEED is dedicated to a single idea: promoting Western-European-style, liberal democracy in Eastern Europe. Its purpose is to help mobilize leaders who seek to build democratic institutions and implement democratic systems of government in the countries of Eastern Europe.

CEED is a resource and development centre supporting democracy throughout Eastern Europe.

The CEED concept is to create an "ideas without borders" movement, coordinated by a centre committed to "direct person-to-person grassroots action” focused directly on animating Eastern European leaders, rather than preparing academic papers for libraries or policy memos for bureaucrats and politicians in foreign affairs departments.

CEED is a resource and development centre supporting democracy throughout Eastern Europe.

The CEED concept is to create an "ideas without borders" movement, coordinated by a centre committed to "direct person-to-person grassroots action” focused directly on animating Eastern European leaders, rather than preparing academic papers for libraries or policy memos for bureaucrats and politicians in foreign affairs departments.

CEED is a resource and development centre supporting democracy throughout Eastern Europe.

The CEED concept is to create an "ideas without borders" movement, coordinated by a centre committed to "direct person-to-person grassroots action” focused directly on animating Eastern European leaders, rather than preparing academic papers for libraries or policy memos for bureaucrats and politicians in foreign affairs departments.

Initial Directors Group of CEED

Andy J. Semotiuk

Andy Semotiuk is a U.S. and Canadian immigration lawyer and a member of the New York and California bars in the United States, and the Ontario and B.C. bars in Canada. In his career, he has helped over 10,000 clients with various legal problems. A former U.N correspondent in New York, Mr. Semotiuk also served as a member of the Tribunal Panel of the Canadian Human Rights Commission. Mr. Semotiuk is of Ukrainian heritage and is a published author. In 2020, Toastmasters International gave him a DTM, its highest award for his leadership and public speaking. Mr. Semotiuk is a Forbes contributor and his articles on immigration have been read by over one million readers.

Ihor Bardyn

Ihor Bardyn is a Principal Partner of the Law Firm of Mitchell, Bardyn and Zalucky in Toronto. For over 30 years Mr. Bardyn has been the Director of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program, a parliamentary democracy internship initiative in the Canadian House of Commons, for university students from Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora world-wide. Mr. Bardyn is the President of the Chair of Ukrainian Studies Foundation supporting academic work at the University of Toronto and Co-Chair of the Trust Advisory Committee of the John Yaremko Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Toronto.

Khrystyna Yankovska

Khrystyna is a lawyer and a member of the Ontario Bar. She is also the Manager of the Immigration Department at Pace Law Firm. She is an Executive Member of the Immigration Section of the Ontario Bar Association, and a past President In-Pace Toastmasters Club in Toronto. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto which she received with high distinction, and earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Birmingham in the U.K.

Yuri Grytsevych

Yuri is a student at the Schulich School of Business, York University Toronto, as a Bachelor of Business Administration Candidate – Expected Graduation 2022. He is also at the School of Public Policy and Administration, at York University Toronto, pursuing a Professional Certificate in Public Administration and Law (CPAL) – Expected Graduation 2022. He has been an Executive Member of the Ukrainian National Youth Association – Toronto Branch.

Contact

Centre for Eastern European Democracy – 15 Viking Lane, Suite 607, Toronto, Ontario M9B 0A4.

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