Saras
Remarks
Hon.
Dalton McGuinty, premier of Ontario, Hon. Members of the House of Commons,
Hon members of the diplomatic Corps, Mr. John Tory, Leader of the
Progressive Conservative party of Ontario, Hon. Ministers Michael Chan and
Margaret Best, Mr. Peter Tabuns, MPP, Honourable Guests of the Head Table,
member organizations of the NEPMCC, ladies and gentlemen, brothers and
Sisters in the ethnic press and Media:
It
is indeed a distinct honor for me to welcome you here tonight, on behalf
of the members of our organization, as we celebrate our annual family get
together event.
As
I have no intention to terrorize you with a long speech, let me tell you
that twelve years ago most of us were working individually in our daily
struggle for survival.
A
decade latter today, we are acting together to promote our common interest
and make our voice be heard by the respected governments of the Canada and
the Canadian provinces. Together we try to create a brotherhood. A
brotherhood, with every member being respected and his voice being heard
by the political spectrum and those who exercise the power.
Most
of our members are in Canada in their strife to escape oppression,
prosecution, imposed starvation or cruelty or more a human life dominated
or oppressed by armed camps.
Being
professional writers and intellectuals we understand that we cannot
isolate ourselves as a remote island in this great cultural mosaic of the
Canadian society and that we have to accept responsibility for the
creation of a better world, in freedom, brotherhood, equality and security
for ourselves and our children.
If
it is true that the development of civilization and human welfare based on
the acceptance by every individual of the certain fundamental decencies in
our relations as neighbors or as groups, then it is understandable the
need for this organization.
We
are not keeping ourselves culturally isolated from the Canadian society at
large, but rather we are advocating the need for cultural integration.
We
strongly believe that if our society is to survive, we have to make sure
that we have to find common grounds in order to communicate our concerns.
To
some extend this principal is expressed in the ancient Greek philosopher:
“We are aware of our common destiny, as we struggle for our unknown
future”.
We
strongly believe that today is more important than ever before that the
place of a minority group in a democracy must not be obscured by ignorance
or prejudice.
Furthermore,
it is important that members of the minority groups consider together
their special problems in order that these problems may find expression
for the benefit of the society in general.
Yet,
it is even of greater importance that the whole process of democracy may
work in such way to bring a solution to their concerns.
For
it is obvious that the political, social and economic well being of our
society depends upon the achievements and the well being of all sections
of the population regardless of color, creed, religion or geography.
Finally,
closing my remarks I would like to take this opportunity to express our
thanks to Premier McGuinty for the wise decision of his government to take
necessary corrective action with regards the PST imposed, without any
justification, on the publications of the Ethnic Press, as well as all the
politicians sided with us in our pain and agony of the past few months.
Basic
element of every culture Mr. Premier is the language, and it is important
that a multicultural society respect and supports it, as exactly your
government is doing with it’s advertising policies.
Again,
thank you all for the honor of your presence, and please stay and
celebrate together with us, the multicultural harmony of our brotherhood.
The brotherhood of “Canada’s Other Voices”.
