Minutes of the Monthly Meeting held on June 10, 2019, at Committee Room #2 City Hall.
Present:
Thomas S. Saras
Neel Nanda
Maria Saras-Voutsinas
Rosemary Sadler
Ricky Castellvi
Jonathan Annobil
Pooyan Tabatabaei
Nisanta Dun
Lydia Sun
Leila MonteiroLins
Jonathan Annobil
Mohammed BagherSamimi
Ali Mahmoud
Mohammad Tajdolati
GhulamRasool
AnfisaLyasota
Ranjit Wicks
Sandie De Freitas
Norman Hart
Kathy L. L. Li
WaisPopalzai
Teshome Woldramanuel
Khalid Magen
Mooka Tamil
Bobby Wang
Maria Swietoizacki
Elizabeth Muzalc
Anastasio Chatzhstaphanou
Peter Catrayannakis
MikrKolososki
Joe Volpe
Susana Donan
S. Krishnalingan
Khalid Menan
Nagamany Longediably
Hermi Garcia
Mila Garcia
MawrinFwrah
Eugenia Boukchwou
Vanessa Wheatle
ElsayedNashr
MizhardBagant
CefarBangu
GezahegnMekonnenDemissie
SaadAlsafar
Rui Yang
HaiTien Lin
Logan Longarigham
KumananThnambi
Nishrite Don
ErnestoDonan
Isa Melo
ThavapalanKathiravelu
Yuri Natcetoi
John Saraidaris
Said Henry
LuiQueano
ElizabethMurok
S. Krinalingam
Inga Cernei
Hermie Garcia
Mila Garcia
KumayanThambi
NajibullahPopalzai
Robin Beckosian
Khalid Magnam
HannanMamun
NobodiNews
AysegulKalkan
ErsoyKalkan
Nishanta Don
Ali Mahboub
MulugetaZergaba
JanuszNiemczyk
Denis Brito
Stensont A
GeethaNangarajh
Syed Irbal
Mike Kolosowski
EugineaBakchinow
Boddy Wang
AnastasiosChatzitheofanous
MuhacumadNaeemUl Islam
NajibPopalzai
WaisPopalzai
Foe Jole
Nishantha Dion
ThanapalanKathivarelu
DimitrisVohaitis
DarilBrar
Ahmad Rostamijam
LalitThakar
Lawrence Joseph
Ronny Yason
KhuvanAftab
Abdul Azeem
Qazi AFRASIAB
NawrinFoorah
S Krishnalingam
Sonny Mir
Shaiful Horn
Khalid Morgan
Bobby Wang
Ahmad Hotaki
Thomas Galgor
S. Sivamohan
Kathy Geraklis
AthanasiosKourtesis
KumananThambi
Tamil Muraka
Hermie Garcia
Mila Garcia
Solomon Areinu
BetyGlothai
Salah Allam
Stena Allam
Elizabeth Muzale
Agenda of the day:
- Welcome Remarks by the chair.
- Minutes of the previous meeting
- Report of the President/Discussions
- Presentation By Sonja Tsiros – Consular Chief US Consulate
- New Members/New Business
- Adjournment
Welcome Remarks by the Chair:
Dr. Tajdolati chaired the meeting and declared the meeting open. Dimetris Vohaitis moved a motion to approve the agenda. Arif Ahmed seconded it. The motion was carried. .
Minutes of the previous meeting:
Minutes of the previous monthly meeting. Error. Marek Goodyn moved a motion to approve the minutes of the previous monthly meeting with a correction Dimitris Vohaitis seconded it. The motion was carried.
President’s Report/Discussions:
Thomas Saras welcomed everyone to the monthly meeting of June 2019. NEPMCC had another productive year and the organization is working on a number of important projects this year which will benefit all the members. President Thomas Saras said that this year the Government will reward all legitimate ethnic media houses as it has a budget for it. All members that are in good standing with NEPMCC stands to get benefitted by its association and involvement with NEPMCC. The Government has allocated $10 million for the media industry and there are several programs where the members could apply for funding under this budget. In the program also included and the members of the Ethnic Press of Canada.
President Thomas Saras informed all the members of NEPMCC that he has been selected to represent Canadian media among a group of seven experts in Canadian Media as part of the panel to make recommendations to the Federal Government. In the history of ethnic media in Canada – ethnic media is sitting in the same footing as the so called mainstream media. Today Ethnic Media is part of the real voice of Canadian Media.
President Thomas Saras urged all members to be present for a special meeting arranged on June 19 at City Hall along with officials of Heritage Canada. This meeting is to educate members on the upcoming changes to the ATP and other funding programs for the media. This is a very important meeting as there will be proposed changed in the future based on the needs and recommendations of the members of ethnic media.
Effective July 1 a new campaign to start to distribute publication in the remote areas of Ontario. The new campaign will be from July to December.
A moment of silence was observed in the memory of all the members who l recently lost their loved ones.
The media fund would be distributed to the qualified members of the ethnic media industry.Qualified members are those who belong to one of the six media organizations. President Thomas Saras suggested that a committee be formed that would recommend distribution of government funds to ethnic media based on the circulation and reach.
President Thomas Saras encouraged all to renew their membership in 2019 to take advantage of the privileges of the membership. NEPMCC has been over the years fighting for the rights of the members to stand in shoulder to shoulder with the mainstream media.
Educational conference/seminar will be held this year for 3 -4 days. A survey will be sent to the members to finalize the curriculum of the seminar. Daniela Spirlac from BeSoacial Event will send out a survey to the members.The seminar will most likely take place in Seneca College.
President Thomas Saras informed the members that he represented the ethnic media at the standing committee of the senate to educate the committee about the grievances of the ethnic media.
The president also encouraged all the members to apply for an ID or Media Pass of the organization. There are so many benefits; the president said that it is to your advantage to have it.
NEPMCC to build website for 20 members who do not have website.
The President spoke about student internship program in cooperation with the schools of journalism. Internship will be from 3 – 6 months. The program will cover $15 per hour per student and the rest has to be covered by the respective organizations .Maria Saras-Voutsinas is in touch with student intern coordinator from Seneca College. The program has started from January 2019. Any member interested in hiring students for their publications should contact Executive Director Maria Saras-Voutsinas as it is on first come first serve basis due to limited funds approved by the Government on this project. This is a win- win situation as it will benefit the students as they will gain from the valuable experience as well as the members as they will get additional help in a very subsidized rate to run their publications. There was a suggestion that members receiving assistance for the internship program should make small donation to NEPMCC. The program has already started in January and is in the second phase which will start from April and only those members, who have applied and contacted Executive Director Maria Saras –Voutsinas expressing their interests in hiring Student interns for their media outlets would be given preference and allocated student interns based on first come first serve basis.Members were informed in the previous meetings that effective from April 1 in order to qualify of fundingfor interns- there should be a proper office for the intern to work.The program since has received an overwhelming response and members who could not participate this time may be given another chance in the next phase provided they meet the requirements of this program.
Presentation by Sonja Tsiros - consular chief US Consulate Toronto
Maria Saras-Voutsinas introduced Sonja Tsiros to the council and invited her to make her presentation.
Sonja Tsiros educated all the members on the various programs run by the US Government that could be of interest to Canadian citizens or residents, mainly educated the council of the Visa process, requirements, eligibility and what to expect when dealing with the US Consulate in Toronto
Arif Ahmed , Maria, Mareck, Goodyn, Dimitris Vohaitis and others participated in the roundtable discussions following the presentation and asked various questions related with travel and business with USA and Canada. The US consular chief candidly answered all questions to the council.
New Members/ New Business:
Motion: When Mr. Saras travels to Ottawa or to any other city for official work he should go by air and not drive. Arif Ahmed moved a motion, Dimitris Vohaitis seconded it. The motion was unanimously carried.
Hon. Joe Volpe expressed disappointment in the process and manner in which CRTC approves licence in broadcasting for the ethnic media. He wants to raise awareness that licences were approved purely based on merit and wants to start a campaign so that the interests of the deserving stakeholders in Canadian Ethnic Media is protected.
Motion:To allow NEPMCC to prepare a report to the government, PMO, Canadian Heritage CRTC – requesting that CRTC should change the culture. Dimitris Vohaitis, moved the motion, Dimitris Vohaitis seconded it and it was unanimously carried.
Karim Mirshahi invited everyone to the waterfront awards 2019 which will take place in the Globe and Mail Centre. The WATERFRONT AWARDS 2019 is a red carpet charity gala, held in Toronto, in July 19, celebrating the achievements of outstanding women in the Greater Toronto Area. Sponsored by Toronto Waterfront Magazine, this annual event is in support of The Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness (www.abusehurts.ca) a national, charitable organization since 1993. Experience one of the best skyline views in the city, as it celebrates outstanding GTA women at the Globe and Mail Centre. There will be live entertainment, a silent auction, celebrity presenters and other surprises!
Adjournment: Ricky Castellvi moved a motion to adjourn the meeting and Susana Donan seconded it. The motion was carried. The Chair, Dr.Tajdolati adjourned the meeting at 9 pm. The next monthly meeting would take place on Monday, July 08, 2019 at committee room N# 2 at the Toronto City Hall.
