2012 Film Launch Program by Cheryl May

program

films SURVIVAL

PRE-SCREENING RECEPTION Malaparte

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE ADRIENNE CLARKSON Director: NADIA LITZ

ACCEPTANCE

SCREENING: CINEMA 1

DR. ALEJANDRO (ALEX) JADAD

Opening Remarks

Director: SEAN FREWER

Feature Presentation Closing Remarks

ADAPTATION TONI SILBERMAN

NATIONBUILDERS’ RECEPTION

Director: EMMANUEL SHIRINIAN

All-access pass holders

BELONGING

Malaparte

VAHAN KOLOLIAN Director: RENUKA JEYAPALAN

CONNECTEDNESS NAVIN CHANDARIA Director: MARS HORODYSKI

honourary patron

about us For almost 30 years, Skills for Change has been an important first stop for people who are setting the course for their career in Canada. Skills for Change has been constantly adapting to shifting immigration and employment trends from the start.

RATNA OMIDVAR President, Maytree; Chair of the Board, TRIEC; Director, Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance; former Executive Director, Skills for Change Ms. Omidvar became a settlement worker after immigrating to Canada more than 20 years ago. Originally from the Indian Punjab, she trained as a teacher and is the former Executive Director of Skills for Change. She currently heads Maytree, a charitable foundation in Toronto, which promotes diversity, fights poverty and assists immigrants to settle and find work. Her most positive tool, colleagues say, has been her talent for marshalling the economic arguments for immigration. Through dozens of speaking engagements and tireless networking, Ms. Omidvar has been able to convince those in positions of power that Canada is losing billions every year because its immigrants are underemployed. In 2010, the Globe and Mail profiled Ratna as its Nation Builder of the Decade for Citizenship and in 2011, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada.

Its pilot program in 1983 was an office training program that successfully put all its first graduates, a group of women from Southeast Asia, into full-time employment. Today a range of accelerated programs are offered to fit the needs of the people arriving from all parts of the world. These programs and courses are designed to complement existing experience with the accreditation Canadian employers are looking for.

our stories are the stories of others Our country has been shaped by the lives of remarkable individuals who have made Canada their home, and every immigrant has a unique story to tell. Skills for Change has created an intimate cinematic experience based on the stories of five Canadians seen through the lenses of five Canadian filmmakers. The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Dr. Alex Jadad, Toni Silberman, Vahan Kololian and Navin Chandaria give voice to the universal themes of the immigrant experience: survival, acceptance, adaptation, belonging and connectedness. Pioneers for Change represents an unforgettable evening of film, spoken word and celebration. Thank you for being a part of it.

PETER PERDUE Chair, Board of Directors

CHERYL MAY Executive Director

www.skillsforchange.org | www.pioneersforchange.ca

special guests

MASTER OF CEREMONIES SURBHI GULERIA-JOSHI Surbhi Guleria-Joshi is the Host & Reporter of 'Badhai Ho!', a national Hindi news-magazine program on OMNI Television that celebrates the successes of local community members in business, entertainment and arts, and also provides a forum for issues and views. Surbhi is also is the Co-Founder & Creative Director at JOSHI INC, a Creative, IT and Marketing Consulting firm. She attended the National Institute of Design at Ahmedabad, India and graduated with Honours from the Bachelor of Design program at York University and Sheridan College. She is on the Board of Directors for Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce & AWIC along with being actively involved with other charities & community groups.

THE KUSH ENSEMBLE WALEED ABDULHAMID Acclaimed musician Waleed Abdulhamid is the 2011 New Pioneer Award recipient for his contributions to the Arts. Waleed will be performing with his band The Kush Ensemble following the screening. The Kush Ensemble resonates with ancient African rhythms that explore unique time signatures. The quartet blends everything with contemporary harmony and jazz. Band members from Africa, Spain, Japan, the Caribbean, and Poland represent the diverse music of Canada.

Pioneers for Change is an idea born out of a desire to explore the transformative stages of the immigration process, and to articulate how these stages have been experienced by, and shaped the lives of our honourees.

Adrienne Clarkson was born in Hong Kong and came to Canada as a refugee with her parents in 1942. She obtained an Honours B.A. in English Literature from the University of Toronto’s Trinity College and later completed an M.A. She also did post-graduate work at the Sorbonne in France and is fluently bilingual. A leading figure in Canada’s cultural life, Madame Clarkson has had a rich and distinguished career in broadcasting, journalism, the arts and public service. She worked as host, writer and producer of several influential programs on CBC Television, authored five books and contributed numerous articles to newspapers. Her television work over thirty years garnered her numerous awards, including two Gemini’s and four ACTRAS.

SURVIVAL THE RIGHT HONOURABLE ADRIENNE CLARKSON Co-Founder & Co-Chair, Institute for Canadian Citizenship; former Governor General of Canada

In 1999, Adrienne Clarkson was sworn in as Canada’s 26th Governor General. Madame Clarkson has actively promoted tolerance, acceptance, belonging and public responsibility in all her roles. Following her term as Governor General, Madame Clarkson co-founded the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, a national charity that engages Canadians in citizenship and ensures that new citizens are welcomed and included as equals. The ICC creates meaningful connections among all Canadian citizens, and fosters a culture of active, engaged citizens and to celebrate what it means to be Canadian. Madame Clarkson is married to John Ralston Saul. Room for All of Us: Surprising Stories of Loss and Transformation, her latest book, recounts the dramatic stories of ten successful Canadians who lost everything and made their lives here in Canada.

film credits | survival DIRECTOR: NADIA LITZ

CREW

Born in Winnipeg of Polish/Ukrainian descent, Nadia Litz moved to Toronto at the age of 16. She is an award-winning actress who has starred in over 20 films, including the Genie award-winning film, The Five Senses, and After The Harvest, where she played opposite Sam Shepard. While pursuing her acting career, she also obtained a Film Studies degree at York University, where she wrote, directed, shot and edited a three-minute film called Remembering the Only Time I Tried to Stop my Heart from Failing (and Failed). She was welcomed as a student to the Berlinale Talent Campus in 2009 and later accepted as a Director-InResidence at Norman Jewison’s prestigious and competitive post-graduate school, the Canadian Film Centre. Through the program, her 2010 short film, How To Rid Your Lover Of A Negative Emotion Caused By You! premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and has since screened at over a dozen international film festivals including the Cannes Court Metrage Short Film Corner 2011 and Austin’s Fantastic Fest 2011 where the film won Best Short.

Director

Nadia recently completed an RBC/TIFF Talent Lab-commissioned French-language short called Erstaz D’anniversaire and is currently in development with Telefilm/Scythia Films on her first feature, The People Garden. Follow Nadia on Twitter @NadiaLitz

NADIA LITZ

Director of Photography Art Director Editor

DANIEL GRANT ZOSIA MACKENZIE MIKE REISACHER

1st Assistant Director

MATT GORMAN

Camera Assistant

CHRIS HOWELL

Camera Trainee Gaffer

JOSUE MAYA IGOR ALVES

Grip

TJ RICHARDSON

Sound

KEVIN BROWN

Hair and Make-up Production Assistant Driver

SHARON YOO MARIANNA PEREZ MIKE SCRIVENER

Graphics BEN STANFORD & KATERINA CEPERO

Thanks to: Pie in the Sky Studios, CMC Wholesale Warehouse

Alex Jadad was born and educated in Colombia. By the time he was 20, he was a leading medical expert on crack cocaine in Colombia and an international speaker. In 1990 he joined the University of Oxford. In 1995, he moved to Canada and joined McMaster University. In 2000, Alex led the creation of the Centre for Global eHealth Innovation, a setting designed as a simulator of the future, to study and optimize the use of information communications technologies before their widespread introduction into the health system and society at large. Alex spearheads the development of the Global People-centred eHealth Innovation Network, which promotes optimal levels of health and wellness, worldwide.

ACCEPTANCE DR. ALEX JADAD Founder & Chief Innovator, Centre for Global eHealth Innovation, University Health Network and University of Toronto

From 2004 to 2009, he was Founding Chair of the Board of the Foundation of the Institute for Innovation on Human Wellbeing in Andalusia, Spain.

Dr. Jadad has received numerous awards, including the National Health Research Scholars Award, by Health Canada, Canada's Top 40 under 40, the Premier's Research Excellence Award, and Skills for Change New Pioneers Award. Alex was featured by Time Magazine as one of the new Canadians who will shape the country in the 21st century, and as one of the leading medical researchers in the country. He received the Distinguished Lecturer Award from Health Canada’s Chief Scientist for his contributions to health and the health system. In 2010, he co-chaired the First International Summit on Human-centred and Family-focused eHealth in China, becoming the Chair of the International Advisory Committee on eHealth of the Beijing Institute of Technology in 2011.

film credits | acceptance DIRECTOR: SEAN FREWER

CREW

Sean Frewer has been working creatively in the Canadian Film industry for over 10 years. A graduate of the Canadian Film Centre’s 2004 Director’s Lab, he has directed and edited award-winning music videos, animation and live action short films over the course of his career. His short films Trust and Escape have screened at festivals around the world. Sean is presently in development on two feature films titled Exodus and Overcast.

Director Director of Photography Editor Composer

SEAN FREWER BARRY CHEONG TIFFANY BEAUDIN TERRY FREWER

1st Assistant Director

MATT GORMAN

Cam Assistant

PAUL STEEVES

Camera Trainee

JOSUE MAYA

Gaffer

CHRIS LUCIOW

Key Grip

MILES BARNES

Sound Hair and Make-up Production Assistant Driver

SEAN VAN DELFT SHARON YOO MARIANNA PEREZ MIKE SCRIVENER

Thanks to: People, Health Equity and Innovation (Phi) Research Group, Centre for Global eHealth Innovation, Toronto General Hospital

Toni Silberman is a child of Holocaust survivors, and was born in a Displaced Persons camp in Stuttgart, Germany. Trained as an educator and psychotherapist, she received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Toronto. She has taught at the high school, community college, and university levels, and had an independent consulting practice in industrial and human relations, and human rights for a number of years. She worked in a management capacity for the Ontario Human Rights Commission for 16 years, and over the last 10 years, has indulged her passion for and commitment to humanrights advocacy, Holocaust education, and community involvement.

ADAPTATION TONI SILBERMAN National Vice-Chair, Canadian Race Relations Foundation; National Chair, Commission on Holocaust Education, B'nai Brith Canada; Advisor, The National Task Force on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research; Human Rights Activist

Toni sits on the Board/Advisory Councils of several governmental, private and public sector organizations, and is the recipient of numerous awards and citations for her work.

Ms. Silberman is currently Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, and is National Chair, Commission on Holocaust Education for B’nai Brith Canada. A National Task Force on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research, led by B’nai Brith Canada’s League for Human Rights is dedicated to the elimination of racism in the country. The Canadian Race Relations Foundation is Canada's leading agency dedicated to the elimination of racism in the country.

film credits | adaptation DIRECTOR: EMMANUEL SHIRINIAN Emmanuel Shirinian is an accomplished screenwriter and director, who graduated with a BFA; Major in Film Studies from Concordia University and is an alumnus of the Canadian Film Centre (Directors Lab 2006/07). He was one of six directors across Canada invited to participate at the National Screen Institute’s Features First Program in 2007, and was invited to be a part of a select group to participate in the esteemed Tribeca All Access development program in New York City. Emmanuel is currently in development with Telefilm Canada as both writer and director on his first feature film titled My Foolish Heart. Emmanuel broke out onto the film scene in 2002 with a compelling short film titled Memory Waters, that filmmaker Atom Egoyan called “a film that handles a nightmarish situation with deep pools of humanity, compassion and tenderness.” In 2006, Emanuel wrote and directed the award-winning short, The Last Bang. While a resident at the Canadian Film Centre’s prestigious Director’s Lab, Emmanuel directed the short film Song of Solomon and in 2009, he produced, co-wrote, co-directed and performed one of the lead roles in a short film titled, Les

Softies. Emmanuel’s short films have screened at respected international festivals such as the Toronto International Film Festival, Montreal World Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, AFI Dallas International Film Festival, Los Angeles Short Film Festival, Palm Springs, ClermontFerrand, Barcelona, Venice and more. Emmanuel’s short films have also been broadcast on the CBC, IFC, TMN, Super Channel, and Movieola.

CREW Director

EMMANUEL SHIRINIAN

Director of Photography

LUC MONTPELLIER

Art Director

ZOSIA MACKENZIE

Editor

MIKE REISACHER

Composer 1st Assistant Director

CRAIG MCCONNELL MATT GORMAN

Cam Assistant

JAMIE SHAW

Cam Assistant

ANDREW HUNTER

Camera Trainee Gaffer

JOSUE MAYA CHRIS LUCIOW

Grip

DANIEL VELDMAN

Swing

BRADY PARKER

Stedicam

SEAN JENSEN

Sound

KEVIN BROWN

Production Assistant Driver

MARIANNA PEREZ MIKE SCRIVENER

Thanks to: The Historic Distillery District

Vahan Kololian is a Toronto-based financier and entrepreneur, and the founder and managing partner of TerraNova Partners, an investment partnership. Vahan's business career of over 25 years includes investment banking and turnaround management in both Canada and the U.S. Vahan and his wife Susie are active supporters of community projects centred on health, education and the arts. It was the early 1900s in Turkey, and Vahan Kololian's grandparents, who were of Armenian descent knew they had no choice but to escape. They packed their bags and gathered as much as they could of what they owned, fleeing to Egypt. In 1962, the Kololian family left Egypt in search of a new life, choosing Canada. "I remember my father talking about it and saying Canada has made us feel very welcome. We are staying. Every July 1, I thank my parents for the gift of this country," says Kololian.

BELONGING VAHAN KOLOLIAN Managing Partner, TerraNova Partners LP; Co-Founder & Chair, The Mosaic Institute

Today Kololian is a successful financier and director of a number of companies. He is also a philanthropist, whose knowledge of Armenia's and the world's history of conflict and war drove him in 2007 to launch the Mosaic Institute. Designed and developed by Kololian, the Institute promotes international peace and development by utilizing the human capital provided by Canada and other countries' ethnic and cultural diversity. Vahan and his wife Susie have supported a number of initiatives including funding Armenian studies courses at the St George campus of the University of Toronto, are part of a group of Canadians who sponsor six children from Kathmandu in Nepal who are now studying at schools in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary, and headed a multi-million dollar fundraising drive for the Bishop Strachan School in Toronto.

film credits | belonging DIRECTOR: RENUKA JEYAPALAN

CREW

Renuka Jeyapalan is a Toronto-based filmmaker and a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre’s Director’s Lab.

Director of Photography

Her short film Big Girl premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival and was awarded the Short Cuts Canada Best Short Film Award. Big Girl has screened at over 35 film festivals around the world, including the Berlin International Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival and the San Francisco International Film Festival, and was nominated for a 2007 Genie Award for Best Live-Action Short Film.

1st Assistant Director

MATT GORMAN

Cam Assistant

PAUL STEEVES

In 2010, Renuka was awarded the Kodak New Vision Mentorship Award by Women in Film and Television-Toronto and was mentored by director Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight, Thirteen). Renuka is currently developing her first feature film, How to go to a Wedding Alone with Gearshift Films. Of Sri Lankan descent, Renuka was born and raised in Toronto. She has an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Toronto.

Director

RENUKA JEYAPALAN ARTHUR COOPER

Editor MIKE REISACHER & TIFFANY BEAUDIN

Camera Trainee

JOSUE MAYA

Gaffer

CHRIS LUCIOW

Sound

SEAN VAN DELFT

Hair and Make-up Production Assistant Driver

SHARON YOO MARIANNA PEREZ MIKE SCRIVENER

Thanks to: The Mosaic Institute, The Armenian Evangelical Church of Toronto

Navin Chandaria serves as Chief Executive Officer and President of Toronto-based Conros Corp., his family's North American business operations. He was a past recipient of the ICCC Businessman of the Year Award, the Confederation Medal from the Governor General of Canada, and the Golden Jubilee Medal of Queen Elizabeth II. He was a Senator of the Stratford Festivals and Fellow of the Duke of Edinburgh. “Our family has come a long way since our roots in India and East Africa. We remember the pains that have been experienced under oppressive regimes and can relate to the challenges that all immigrants battle.” The Chandaria family is no stranger to longterm vision. In 1975, Navin Chandaria and his wife Sarla immigrated to Canada to oversee the family’s business in Canadian and U.S. markets.

CONNECTEDNESS NAVIN CHANDARIA President & CEO, Conros Corporation

The Chandaria family’s dedication to success is not limited to the business world. They demonstrate this commitment through their involvement in a number of charitable institutions, including the Stratford Shakespearean Festival, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in the United Kingdom, and as a financial supporter of Scarborough Centenary Health Centre. More recently, the Chandaria family was heavily involved in the South Asian Tsunami relief efforts, and Conros Corporation is the newest member of PEN Canada’s Corporate Circle. “It is hard for someone born in Canada to appreciate the value of freedom – we take it for granted. We want our future generations to preserve what we now have and help others who don’t by working towards achieving it for them.” .

film credits | connectedness DIRECTOR: MARS HORODYSKI

CREW

Mars Horodyski is an award-winning filmmaker who specializes in comedy, family drama and documentary. She is an alumnus of the Canadian Film Centre's Director's Lab and the Berlinale Talent Campus. Her films have screened at various festivals including the Montreal World Film Festival, the Atlantic Film Festival, the Whistler Film Festival, the Commonwealth Film Festival and the highly acclaimed Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films. In her third year at Ryerson she received the Norman Jewison Filmmaker Award for her film Lemonade.

Director of Photography

Following her residency at the CFC, she went on to the Universal Short Dramatic Film Program, where she directed the short film, Spoonfed, which won the Golden Remi at WorldFest in Houston and was nominated for Best Drama at the Yorkton Short Film and Video Festival. Along with a few new shorts, she is currently developing her first dramatic feature. Follow Mars on Twitter @cine_mars

Director

MARS HORODYSKI

Editor

ROBERT WALSH MIKE REISACHER

1st Assistant Director Camera Assistant Camera Trainee

MATT GORMAN ANDREW HUNTER JOSUE MAYA

Swing

CHRIS LUCIOW

Sound

SEAN VAN DELFT

Hair and Make-up Production Assistant Driver

SHARON YOO MARIANNA PEREZ MIKE SCRIVENER

Thanks to: The Chandaria Family

production credits FULL SHOW CREW Producer Production Manager

ANNELI EKBORN MICHELLE WHITING

Supervising Editor

MIKE REISACHER

Music Supervisor

DAVID HAYMAN

Sound Designer & Composer CRAIG MCCONNELL Behind the scenes DOP and B Cam CHRIS GODIN Behind the Scenes Editor

FIRUZ DAUD

Stills Photographer ALYSSA KATHERINE FAORO

Thanks to: William F. White International, Sim Video, Technicolour

PRODUCER: ANNELI EKBORN Anneli Ekborn, originally born in England and of Swedish descent, is a multiple award-winning and Genie-nominated producer with three features and 15 short films under her belt. Awards include the Toronto International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival and Hot Docs. All of Anneli’s films have been screened worldwide, most recently in Berlin, Cannes, New York, Japan, and at TIFF and The American Film Institute. She

carries a BFA in Film from Simon Fraser University and is an alumnus of The Canadian Film Centre and the National Screen Institute. In her spare time she works as a freelancer for the Toronto International Film Festival group as a workshop leader and speaker in their special delivery program that offers opportunities for youth in film. Anneli has worked on projects for the Canadian Film Centre, Temple Street Productions, Anagram Pictures and Slanted Wheel Productions. She is currently co-creating a TV series and spearheading the short film series, Pioneers for Change. Follow Anneli on Twitter: @anneliekborn

MUSIC SUPERVISOR: DAVID HAYMAN Since 2005, David Hayman has led a strong team of music supers at Toronto’s Vapor Music but has now left to start up his own shop SUPERSONIC CREATIVE + CONSULTING whose clients include Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Hershey’s, Buick and other top brands, and networks like ABC, NBC, CTV and Global television. David has had great success working with some of the world’s most impressive brands, including Coca-Cola, Nike, Ford, Budweiser, Right To Play, P&G, and every mobile company to name a few. David was an integral part of the team that created the phenomenon that was “Dove Evolution,” and the Campaign for Real Beauty. David also divides his time working on feature films, new media ventures and

supervising music for A-list televisions series like HBO’s Less Than Kind and CBC’s hit comedy series The Kids in the Hall: Death Comes To Town. David is also lead music supervisor on the new Ubi-Soft video game Shaun White Skateboarding. Last year David supervised the music on a feature film called Textuality where he produced five inventive covers of popular tracks featuring Ron Sexsmith (“Since I Don’t Have You”), The Midway State (“True”), Chali 2Na of Jurassic 5

(Rump Shaker), Aceyalone & Treasure Davis (Hit The Road Jack), which is being hailed by the Ray Charles Foundation as “the greatest cover of Hit The Road Jack ever”. He also supervised Bang Bang Club, Don’t You forget About Me and The Whistleblower in 2011. David is currently working on the film Old Stock and recently completed his work on the films Love Me and Hiding. Follow David on Twitter: @davidhueyhayman .

special thanks 2012 Dignitaries Hon. Jean Augustine Hon. Dr. Eric Hoskins Councillor Joe Mihevc Dr. Reza Moridi Mayor of Richmond Hill Hon. Charles Sousa Hon. Kathleen Wynne

2012 Pioneers for Change Team Waleed Abdulhamid Tolu Aniemena Amanda Bayly Liza Butcher Katerina Cepero Shernee Chandaria Sunir Chandaria Andrew Chung Robin Cory Judy Csillag Rahi Delvi Jess Duerden Anneli Ekborn Alyssa Katherine Faoro

Robin Fowler Helen Franks Adrienne Giroux Alain Graham Surbhi Guleria Joshi Gillian Hewitt Smith Nancy Hitzig Cheryl Izen Kerry Kelly Svjetlana Kovacevic Violeta Li David Lovelock Ashita Mohapatra John Monahan Jesette Nepomuceno Janet Patrao Oliver Pryce Adele Sacks Nasra Smith Marie Soulodre Ingrid Veninger Kathleen Vesely Bill Waicus Michelle Whiting

Event, Suppliers and Consulting

Contact Centre Volunteers

Brenda van Ginkel C&D Graphics Idea Workshop Jackie O Malaparte Michael Graphics Inc. Oliver & Bonacini Penguin Group Canada Social Venture Partners Toronto TIFF Bell Lightbox

Natalie Alhijily Mame Diop Sahar Eyam Majid Famil Cheery Lin Nadine Lubamba Meldon Naranja Lupita Aguilar Ospina Raquel Picasso Lina Maria Torres Sergio Zurian

recognition Institute for Canadian Citizenship University Health Network The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award The Mosaic Institute Canadian Race Relations Foundation National Task Force on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research Maytree

University Health Network is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto. University Health Network consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. The scope of research and complexity of cases at University Health Network has made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. It has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in cardiology, transplantation, neurosciences, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program came to Canada in 1963 and over 500,000 young Canadians have participated in The Award since that time. Today, thanks to the tremendous support of people like Navin Chandaria, The Award operates in all 10 provinces and three territories with over 37,000 Canadian youth enrolled each year. The Award empowers young people, ages 14 to 25, to ‘Make a Difference’ in their own lives and the lives of others, by exploring their potential taking on new challenges, giving back to their communities and achieving success. Divided in to four key components; Community Service, Physical Recreation, Adventurous Journey, Skill Development and The Residential Project for those who achieve the Gold level, The Award educates and motivates youth to become well rounded citizens equipped with invaluable life skills. We are very proud of our programme in Canada. We conducted a survey of past participants with the assistance of McKinsey and Company and here is some of what we learned: 84% of participants felt the skills they developed will help them achieve future goals 87% felt The Award has made them more confident and they gained a new perspective on their individual potential 86% want to continue to volunteer 75% have a greater appreciation for the environment Navin and the Chandaria family have been very strong supporters of The Award program in Canada and on an International scale for a great many years. Navin has opened his home to host functions in support of The Award. He has instilled the value of community and giving back within his family. His son Sunir, a Gold Award Achiever, was a delegate to the 2002 International Gold Encounter, served on the Ontario Board of Directors and has participated in several National and International initiatives. This is a very well deserved honour for Navin and we are eternally grateful for the support which we have received and continue to receive from Navin and the Chandaria family. Congratulations and thank you, Navin!

The Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) is Canada's leading agency dedicated to the elimination of racism in the country. The Canadian Race Relations Foundation Act was given Royal Assent on February 1, 1991 and was proclaimed by the Federal Government on October 28, 1996. Canada is internationally recognized for its commitment to human rights and for its fight against all forms of discrimination, including racism. A number of key legislative and legal instruments such as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Official Languages Act, the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, the Employment Equity Act, and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act offer a glimpse of Canada's commitment to human rights and the protection of fundamental freedoms of all. However, despite the legislative and legal instruments, racism continues to exist. It is against this reality that the CRRF is seeking to eradicate all forms of discrimination and racism in Canada, and to build on our accomplishments to date. Through its activities and initiatives, the Foundation advances understanding of the past and current causes and manifestations of racism, and recommends approaches to the elimination of racism and the strengthening of Canadian identity as it refers, to the principles of equality, fairness, justice and human dignity. It relies on its clearing house and initiatives to inform national policies and public conversations and facilitates the discussion and research on racism to advance Canadian identity and sense of belonging.

In 1939, the MS St. Louis, a ship carrying 907 German Jewish refugees desperately seeking safe haven, was denied entry into Canadian waters. The answer from Canadian officials, when asked how many refugees Canada would take, was “None is Too Many”. Forced to turn back, its passengers were condemned to almost certain death in Nazi Europe. Although this injustice took place over seventy years ago, the chapter on the St. Louis is not yet closed. Today’s Canada is far different – tolerant, generous, culturally diverse, humane. But a nation cannot move forward without recognizing the darker parts of its past.

The National Task Force on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research, led by B’nai Brith Canada’s League for Human Rights with funding from the Government of Canada and the B’nai Brith Foundation, has brought together academics, educators and community stakeholders to lay to rest unanswered questions about that dark era in Canadian history. Cutting edge research and new educational material created by the NTF has led to greater public awareness of the impact of Canada’s restrictive wartime immigration policies, encouraging a resolve in a new generation of Canadians that the injustices of the past must never be repeated.

2012 tribute committee Thanks to the Tribute Committee who offered their support for the nominations and the Pioneers for Change initiative. Dr. Irving Abella, C.M., FRSC Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish Mr. Jehad Aliweiwi Dr. Ayman Al-Yassini The Honourable Jean Augustine Dr. Robert S. Bell Mr. Donald Carr, O. Ont., Q.C. The Honourable Irwin Cotler, P.C., O.C. Mr. Bruce Creighton Mr. Frank Dimant Mrs. Eleanor Enkin Mr. Larry Enkin Mr. Murray Enkin Mrs. Judy Feld-Carr, C.M. Ms. Jaime Filer Mrs. Mary and Mr. Larry Fruitman

Madame Justice Louise Gauthier Mrs. Karen Goldenberg Mr. Sidney Goldenberg Mr. Blake Goldring Mr. Andrew Griffith Ms. Zabeen Hirji Ms. Jennifer Hobbs Mr. Richard Ivey Dr. Brian P. Kavanagh Mr. Donald G. Lang Mr. David Lepofsky, C.M., O. Ont. The Honourable Patrick J. LeSage, C.M., O.Ont., Q.C. Mr. Albert Lo Ms. Elizabeth McIsaac Mr. James McLean

The Honourable R. Roy McMurtry, C.M., O. Ont., Q.C. Councillor Joe Mihevc Mr. Nadir Mohamed Madam Justice Anne Molloy Mr. Kenneth C. Morell Rabbi John Moscowitz Mr. Gord Nixon Rabbi Yossi Sapirman Mr. Hugo Sorensen Mr. Dundee Staunton Mr. John Tory, Q.C., O.Ont. Dr. Catherine Whiteside Mrs. Rochelle Wilner Mr. Sidney Wilner

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