Wacław Kujbida
On September 8th, 2014 the Polish Gazette Club in Ottawa and the Ukrainian National Federation, Ottawa-Gatineau hosted a dinner and presentation by special guest from Poland, Tomasz Sakiewicz, Editor-in-Chief of the Polish Gazette and TV Republica.
This was an informative evening to learn first hand how this Polish journalist and author has been a key support to the Ukrainian Government in its efforts to denounce Russian sponsored terrorism and separatism in Eastern Ukraine as well as the illegal annexation of Crimea.
In his speech, mr. Tomasz Sakiewicz also said: Ladies and Gentlemen,
I represent a media group and a social movement that are involved in helping Ukraine. Among these media is a daily newspaper “Gazeta Polska Codziennie”, Poland’s oldest weekly “Gazeta Polska”, which has been published for almost two hundred years, monthly magazine “Nowe Panstwo”, and news portal “Niezalezna.pl”, as well as associated with it online TV channel, which has one and a half million viewers. I also represent here the TV channel “Telewizja Republika” established by journalists of different backgrounds. Under the auspices of the weekly “Gazeta Polska”, we have founded in Poland and around the world four hundred clubs that gather together very patriotic and public-spirited citizens of our society. We are essentially financed by our readers. We also receive donations to our Foundation of Independent Media (Fundacja Niezalezne Media). And it turned out that these modestly financed media could play an important role during the Maidan Revolution and they still play their part while the war is going on. The concert on Kiev’s Independence Square (Maidan ) organized by our TV channel “Telewizja Republika”, which was interrupted by an attack of government forces, coincided with key moments in the struggle for a change of power in Kiev.
Journalists of our media were on Maidan; some were wounded. Every day, from the outset of the revolution, they have been covering the war in Ukraine. We organize demonstrations of support for the Ukrainian people struggling for freedom and we also arrange financial assistance. In recent days, for example, we supported the Polish humanitarian convoy.
Besides, we demand from the Polish government to provide the real assistance to Ukraine. This aid must range from money to arms deliveries. We feel obliged to require such help on the grounds of our common tradition of fight against totalitarianism and belief that only by joining together can we defend independence:
• http://www.tvniezaleznapolonia.org/polish-ukrainian-dinner-in-ottawa