Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

Ukrainians are frequently used to waiting until somebody else makes decisions for them. Citizens expect decisions from the government; students wait until the dean decides which student societies will be organized; children wait for their parents’ approval of their plans. However, when active Ukrainians and Americans unite for a cause, there is nothing that can stop them.

After a few years of building a relationship with Arlington, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C., an eight-member delegation from Ivano-Frankivsk arrived in the United States to sign a friendship agreement with Arlington County on April 22. This initiative has neither been sponsored by governments nor promoted by politicians.

Arlington already has a few sister cities: Aachen, Germany; Coyoacan, Mexico; Reims, France, and San Miguel, El Salvador. These partnerships are mostly education and culture-oriented. They helped international students from all around the world to see the American capital and Arlington students to visit other countries.

The Ukrainian initiative, at this point is different, since it includes an economic component, an attempt to boost connections development between Ukrainian and U.S. businesses, and bring Ukrainian professionals to internships in the area of Washington, D.C. which has many institutions, universities, and businesses.

After the signing ceremony, a sugar maple tree was planted. When this tree turns orange in the fall it will remind people in Arlington about the country where the Orange Revolution took place.

The story had started long before the actual signing of the agreement by Arlington county board chair Barbara Favola, chair of Arlington Sister City Association Sandra MacDonald and former first deputy governor of the Ivano-Frankivsk oblast Andriy Romanchuk took place.

It was started by the activists and unpaid volunteers who organized movie showings in public libraries, guest speakers’ presentations, exhibitions and other events about Ukraine for Arlingtonians. They brought the Ukrainian world to local US households, created public awareness about Ivano-Frankivsk, and sparkled interest in Ukraine.

A group of volunteers, including but not limited to Arlington dweller Khrystya Sonevytska, former Peace Corps volunteers in Ukraine Shane Ahn and Ken Bossong, author of Ukraine: The Bradt Travel Guide Andrew Evans, Ukrainian-American Xenia Jowyk, adviser at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Nataliya Holub, and other enthusiasts volunteered their time and efforts to create interest in Ukraine in Arlington.

When this initiative was supported by the local community, the next milestone was the approval of the Arlington Sister City Association (ASCA), a non-profit organization which promotes Arlington’s international profile, fosters global tourism, and helps its citizens to get more opportunities in education, commerce, culture and the arts. Sandra MacDonald, the chair of the Association, has strongly supported this initiative.

Another side of the story, full of challenges, includes difficulties for Ukrainians to get visas when they need to come to the United States. The bureaucracy system gives our citizens tough times when they apply even though they are invited by the whole Arlington community.

This first step of signing a friendship agreement is only the beginning of the long road to becoming sister cities. As the sugar maple tree planted after the signing ceremony, this initiative needs care, help and a lot of effort from both sides.