Minutes of the Monthly Meeting held on April 13, 2015, at Committee Room No 2, City HallPresent:Thomas S. SarasNeel Nanda Maria Saras-Voutsinas Tatyana Fursenko Ricky Castellvi Suleyman Guven Paul Nguyen Sam Lin Janush N. Mohammad Tajdolati Mohammad-Bagher Samimi Sandeep Prahhakar Latif Thalcae Vago Lin Kathy Lin Tanyang Li Teshome Worldeamanuel Nishanstha Don Sinan Capar Janushz Niemczyk Raffi Der Boghossian Margarett Bonikoska Paul Niig Daisy Burns Micah Villarrco Mikheil Rubakov Micah Villaico James Lazavev Shawn Salik Peter Galiatsos Muhammad Ali Bukari Muluget Zergaber Kerry Khan Ranjit Weeks Gimana Mujhuk John Saraidaris G Mayas L. Rama Samuel Getachew Ned Blair C. Senthi Emmanuel Ayiku Jonathan Annobil Patrick Long Neel nanda Jan Jekielek Srimal Abeyewardene Ernesto Donan Susana Donan Christine Elliott Hermie Garcia Mila Astroga Garcia Thirunathan Rasaiah RT Nathan Luba Cherny Srimal Abewardene Logan Logendraliugan Adu Raudkavi Maricelle Delgado Parrenas Rakhie Prabhakar Sandeep Prabakar Andre Mazurece Saad Alsafar Ahmed Hotaki Jacques varbedian Suleyman Guven Ricky Castellvi Ishan Ghazarian Peter Galiatsos Paul Nguyen Teshome Worldeamanuel Michael Shiravand Mulgeta Zergaber Agenda
Welcome Remarks by the Chair:Mr. Thomas Saras chaired the meeting and declared the meeting open. Dr. Tajdolati moved a motion to approve the agenda. Maria Saras- Voutsinas seconded it. The motion was carried
Minutes of the previous meeting:Dr. Tajdolati moved a motion to approve the minutes of the previous monthly meeting Maria Saras-Voutsinas seconded it. The motion was carried.President’s Report/Discussions:
Presentation by Hon. Christine Elliot, Leadership Candidate of the Ontario PC PartyPresident Thomas Saras introduced Hon. Christine Elliot and invited her to address the members.Christine Elliot thanked the President for the invitation for a dialogue with the representatives of ethnic media. She began her address by mentioning that Ontario will need her Party to be ready to lead and govern in 2018... not 2022. With her as leader, the Party will be ready with a team, a plan, and the resolve to get Ontario back on track. Our challenges and troubles as a Party go beyond any one leader and any one platform. Our challenges and troubles are structural. Our challenges and troubles will not be solved simply with the election of a new leader. The next leader will have an important role to play in addressing the structural issues that need to be fixed, but they will not be able to do it alone - we need to do it together. Our province cannot continue on its current fiscal path -we need to get Ontario’s economy back on track. Our four-point action plan will do this by charting a new direction for the PC Party of Ontario and for the entire province. Every Ontarian deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. This can only be accomplished through the creation of a robust economy that generates the well-paying jobs needed for long-term economic prosperity. She also mentioned that her experience in private sector before joining politics gives her the experience to get a consensus among cross functional teams to move Ontario forward. She then opened questions on the floor. Janus, Muhammad Bukhari, P. Raman, Pooyan Tabatabaei, Raffi Boghossian, Suleiman Guven and other members asked questions on a wide range of issues such as environment, economy, education, health care etc. Christine Elliot candidly answered all questions. President Thomas Saras thanked the leader for her presentation to the council and wished her well for future endeavors.
Presentation by Eastern Breeze International Film FestivalPooyan Tabatabaei and his team made a brief presentation of the Eastern Breeze International Film Festival.Some of the highlights of the presentation were :
Pooyan Tabatabaei invited all members to participate at the Eastern Breeze Film Festival and answered all questions raised by members of NEPMCC. New Business -Motion: President Thomas Saras spoke about the worldwide genocide and proposed a resolution marking the hundredth anniversary of the beginning of genocide of Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians in the Ottoman Empire.NEPMCC unanimously passed the following Resolution. GENOCIDE CENTENNIAL RESOLUTION WHEREAS April 2015 marks the hundredth anniversary of the beginning of the Genocide of Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians in the Ottoman Empire; and WHEREAS the act of genocide has been repeated throughout the world over the past 100 years and continues to take place; and WHEREAS the media plays an important role in exposing atrocities and human rights violations to the attention of the public, and is the voice of the voiceless; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada observe the month of April every year as Genocide Awareness and Prevention Month; as the members are thinking of their duty to defend humanity and the rights of all people of the international brotherhood by extinguish intolerance, racism and hatred of all kind and to ensure that the tragedy of genocide is never repeated again. It is therefore that we call on the government of Canada, USA and the Secretary General of the United Nations, to use their good offices on Turkey in order to come to terms by recognizing the Armenian, Greek and Assyrian genocides and taking the necessary action for a reconciliation. We are also asking for the establishment of an International Remembrance Day for Genocides, and the effective punishment all responsible for crimes against humanity BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the President send a letter of endorsement to the Government of Canada in favor of Motion M-587 (April as Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation, and Prevention Month). In credit of the above this resolution will be signed by the president of the organization and be send it to the office of the Prime Minister of Canada, The speakers of the House and Senate. The President of the USA and the Speakers of the Senate and House and also the Secretary General of the U.N
General Elections:President Thomas Saras informed the members that election committee headed by Dr. Tajdolati has approved the new board of directors after careful review.The New Board for the period of March 2015, to March 2017 will be. Ex Officio Members of the Board:Dr. Mohammad Tajdolati Ph.D. “Humanities and Social Sciences” Ombudsman, Chief Electoral Officer, Chair of the Awards Committee.Maria Voutsinas, B.A., M.B.A, Executive Director and Commissioner For taking Affidavits and administering the oath for the members of the NEPMCC. Members of the Executive:Thomas S. Saras: President, CEO and Chairman of the Board. “Patrides, Review”Raffi Der Boghossian, Alternate President “TorontoHye” Armenian Hassan Zerehi,Senior Adviser to President,“SHAHRVAND” Persian Sandeep Prabhakar Senior VP, Policy and Constitutional Affairs South Asian Kathy L.LinSenior VP, Professional Development Chinese Neel Nanda, M. Comm. Senior VP, Secretary General Indian Srimal Abeyewardene Senior VP, Treasurer “Sri Lankan Reporter” SINGALESE Maria Voutsinas: Senior VP, Business Coordinator, Awards Comm.Greek VICE PRESIDENTS :Ricky Castellvi,VP,Public Relations and Intergovernmental Affairs Pilipino AGENTS GENERAL:Quebec George Gusmas, Chair “the News” Dimitris Yantsulis V.Chair. Public Relations, Comm. Outreach Manitoba: Alberta: British Columbia: “The authority and powers of the Agent General are equal to those of a Senior Vice President. Each Agent General represents the Council in his Province and is responsible to organize the members of the local Ethnic Press and Media, in the area of his/her jurisdiction.” The council unanimously approved the new board of directors of NEPMCC for another 2 years lead by President and CEO Thomas Saras.
Adjournment:Mohammad Tajdolati moved a motion to adjourn the meeting Srimal Abeyawardene seconded it. The motion was carried. The Chair President Thomas Saras adjourned the meeting at 10:00 pm. The next monthly meeting would take place May 11, 2015 at City Hall, committee room #2.
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