Minutes
of the Monthly Meeting held on May 17, 2010 at Queen’s Park
Present:
Thomas
S. Saras
Asha
Rajak
Jonathan
Annobil
Dr.
Khoda Khan
Dumitru
Popescu
Charlos
Dovasagayan
Ned
Blair
Irene
keroglidis,
Trifon
Haitas
Parry
Long
Suleyman
Guven
Mario
Spataru
Iosif
Spataru
Bahram
Bahrami
Hassan
Zerehi
Teshome
Wordeamaluel
Marek
J. Goldyn
WZ
Zanerouz
Muse
Kulow
Alamgir
Hussain
Spd
Abdul Goffar
Liz
Philbert HK Magazine
Pobeda
Piskaceva
Gerald
Paul
Ahmed
Hotaki
Viara
Dimitrova
John
Saraidaris
Shaukat
Malik
Jose
Donnan
Moorthy
Sellathurai
Muraleethura
n Kanthaswamy
Srimal
Abeyewardene
Mila
Astroga- Garcia
N.
Logendialighgam
Hermie
Garcia
Lankathaw
Rathmanathan.
Agenda
1.
Welcome Remarks by the chair.
2.
Minutes of the previous meeting.
3.
Presidents Report
4.
New Business
5.
Adjournment
Welcome
Remarks by the Chair:
M. Saras chaired the meeting
and declared the meeting open.
Irene moved a motion to
approve the agenda of the meeting. Dr. Khan Khoda seconded it. The motion
was carried.
Minutes of the previous meeting:
Suleiman
Guven moved a motion to approve the minutes of the previous monthly
meeting held on April 12, 2010 Bahram Bahrami seconded it. The motion was
carried.
President’s
Report/Discussions:
·
President
Thomas Saras was pleased to announce that the recently concluded annual
ethnic press exhibition from Monday May 10th to Sunday May 16, 2010
organized by National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada,
in the Rotunda of the
Toronto City Hall, was a great success. This year’s theme of the week
long exhibition was “WORLD’S FREEDOM OF THE PRESS”.
·
Main speaker of the
opening ceremonies was the
Hon. Michael Ignatieff, M.P, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and
Leader of the Official Opposition. Mayor David Miller, Dr Erick Hoskins,
M.P.P, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration of Ontario, Hon. Sophia
Aggelonidis, Ontario Minister of Consumer Services,
Mr. Reza Moridi MPP, Concillor Joe Mihevc, Concillor Shelley Carrol, Ms.
Lydia Fitcho, Social Development and Finance, Mr. Micheal H. Williams
General Manager Economic Development and Culture, Mr. Renato Discenza,
President and CEO Invest Toronto, Ms.
Sue Corke, Deputy City Manager, Hon. Madeline Blackman, Consul General of
Antigua and Barbuda, Mr. Robert Luck Consul and Trade Commissioner Consul
General of Austria, Hon. Lerory McClean, Consul General of Barbados, Hon.
Jonathan Dart, Consul General of Britain, Consul General of Cuba, Madam
Aurelie Fraval Press Office Consul General of France, Hon. Dimitris
Azamopoulos, Concul General Greece, Hon. Seth George Ramoca, Consul
General Jamaica, Mr. Fernando Goncalves, Consulate General Portugal, Mr.
Charles Cole, Consulate General of the USA, Chris Dudsley, Dean of School
of Business Seneca College, Natalie
Turvey, Executive Director The Canadian Journalism Foundation, Heather
McCall, GJF Program manager, Chief David Sheen, and Deputy Fire Chief,
Toronto Fire Servicew, Chief Commissioner Barbara Hall, Ontario Human
Rights Commisioner, Dr. George Andrew Gekas, Professor of Business
Administration Ryerson
University, Representativew from the summerhill Group, Mr. Costas Pappas
from the Representing the Greek Journalists, Jack Kyriazakos, President
and CEO Brazilian Canadian Co.
·
Mr. Tom Michalopoulos, President and CEO Coffee Time Group of
Companies, Norman Kelly, Consillor Scarborough-Agincourt,
and other dignitaries were also among the other guest speakers. Following
the speeches the NEPMCC organized a grand reception for VIPS and all
attendees/participants with multicultural entertainement.
·
More than 180 publications serving more than 60 linguistic
communities of the Canadian cultural mosaic, participated in this year’s
event.
·
Thomas
Saras thanked all members who contributed towards the event. He had
special word of mention for Ahmed Shah Hotaki, for his contribution in the
success of the exhibition
·
Motion:
Annual Exhibition next year
to be held form May 8-May15 in 2011. Irene Keroglidis moved the motion
Ahmad Shah Hotaki seconded it. The motion was carried.
·
Thomas Saras informed the members 1100 publications send
application to Ministry of Culture. A number of these publications were
approved by the ministry as yet. Majority of members of NEPMCC have been
approved under the PAP. .
·
One of the eligibility criteria for funding is to have 80-85%
Canadian content in the publications.
·
Members were urged to put stories of Canadians helping their
communities to integrate to Canadian society.
·
The Canada Day celebrations to be celebrated on July 2nd
and will be in honour of Premier Dalton McGuinty, for his generous
exemption to the Ethnic Press from the HST. The President suggested that
the Council give a special honour to the Premier during the Canada Day
celebration.
·
Thomas Saras invited suggestions from members of the Council in
honouring the Premier.
·
Motion:
Irene
Keroglidis moved a motion to present the Premier with a portrait along
with a personalized plaque. Ahmed Shah Hotaki seconded it. The motion was
carried.
·
A survey on economic situation of member publications to be
conducted on behalf of NEPMCC and presented to the Government. The survey
will be first National Survey of its kind. The President is working to
make a proposal on behalf of the Council. If the proposal comes through it
will be another landmark achievement for the entire ethnic media industry.
·
Dr. Khan Khoda would donate samosas for the Canada Day celebration
·
President Thomas Saras informed the Council that payment has
been made towards Word on the Street Festival.
·
NEPMCC received an invitation from UNESCO for a conference on Media
Statistics held in Montreal, President Thomas Saras represented the NEPMCC
·
CNE annual ethnic press festival would be held during the Labour
Day weekend.
·
One of the ministries is considering of jointly hosting the award
ceremony this year. There is a possibility of having a joint committee
along with the Council.
·
Hassan Zerehi to form the awards committee in the absence of Dr
Lamba
·
Thomas Saras suggested of publishing a book which would be released
during the award ceremony asked members to get ads from their respective
communities. This book would have a list of all the members and would be
distributed to the National Library and to all Canadian Public Libraries.
The book would carry the history of the organization and its members. The
book would highlight all the achievements of the NEPMCC towards the ethnic
media and the Canadian Society, thereby educating the Canadian readers.
Hassan Zerehi put a motion to
this effect. Irene Keroglidis seconded it. The motion was carried. A Publication Committee on this regard was
suggested
The
following members volunteered to be a part of the Publication committee.
They were
1.
Hassan Zerehi
2.
Gerald Paul
3.
Srimal Abeyawardene
4.
Asha Rajak
5.
Shaukat Malik
6.
Bahram Bahrami
7.
Parry Long
8.
Marek J. D Goldyn
·
The President had a special word of mention for Asha
Rajak for all her magnificent work she has done for the council.
New
Business:
·
Perry Long commented that mainstream media does not participate in
community events
·
Alamgir Hussain invited members of the Council for the Canada Day
celebration at Dentonia Park on July1
·
Trifon Haitas informed the members that the DVD copied for this
year’s annual ethnic press exhibition is available for a nominal fee.
New Members: The
council welcomed the following member
Charles Davasagayam – The
Tamil Mirror monthly newspaper.
Muse Kulow and Muraleetharan Kanthaswamy
Adjournment: Mohammad Tajdolati moved a motion to adjourn the meeting, Dr. Khan Khoda seconded it. The motion was carried. The chair adjourned the meeting at 9 pm. The next meeting would take place on June 14, 2010.
The minutes of the May 17th Monthly meeting have been prepared by Neel Nanda, Secretary General of the Organization.
