Havrylyshyn Bohdan
Date and Place of Birth: October 19, 1926, Koropets' village, Ternopil Oblast , Ukraine
Died: October 24, 2016 (age 90 years), Kyiv, Ukraine
Date of Interview: September 4th, 1972
Place of Interview: Geneva, Switzerland, at the Seaway Towers Hotel
Interviewer: Andrew Grigorievich
Length of Interview: 50 min
(Excerpt):
You mentioned one point in your talk yesterday, the great advantage that Canadians have because of the multicultural nature of the country, that the character of many Canadians allows them to identify and understand better other cultures, in particular, in what ways do you think that the Ukrainian-Canadian character lends itself to, say, the international scene?
B.H. Well, it's not that I think there is something unique or so special about Ukrainians or their characteristics that qualify them for success in the international field.
But if they simply don't have any complexes about being Ukrainian, speaking a second-class language or something like that, as some people may have had in the past, the very fact that they are plugged in to another culture, that they do speak another language,
the Ukrainians, as you know, are much more, say, spontaneous or even sentimental than their Anglo-Saxon co-citizens in Canada are, by and large, perhaps.
Well, using that example, you see, they would find it easier to work with or understand some other nationalities that also tend to be somewhat spontaneous, unduly effervescent, some of the Latins, for example.
So the very fact that they have roots in at least two different cultures enables them to learn faster about others, to relate to other people better. It gives them a greater flexibility. Their vision is not so polarized as it is of monocultural people, where they have to relate everything else to their set of standards, to their values.
And a Ukrainian would automatically have here from Canada at least two different reference points, two points of vision of the world.
He should be able to perceive a bit more automatically.
What you're saying then is that it certainly should not be in any way a liability of a person having an insight into two cultures as a person of the Ukrainian background would have?
B.H. Absolutely not. I really feel quite to the contrary.
In other words, I don't feel that the Ukrainian can succeed in spite of the fact that he is Ukrainian, but sometimes because he is Ukrainian.
Now, this I don't say in any chauvinistic, nationalistic fashion. Let me stress, it isn't that we have something, that we have some superior talents, even though I found out that a number of my colleagues are exceptionally gifted people, can learn a great deal.
But say that very fact that we are culturally polyvalent, to use a chemical language, that we are not monochromatic, but polychromatic, enables us to perceive, to understand more, and therefore to relate better with various people, and therefore be more effective.
And in international careers, you see the ability to work with multinational teams of people is the indispensable ability.And working with the right people means understanding the right of people.
So to back up again, if you have at least two points of view, two reference points, two sets of standards, rather than just one, it's much, much easier.
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