Simorgh Gala
EVENT AGENDA 6:30-8 PM 8-8:30 PM 8:30-9 PM 9-9:30 PM 9:30-10 PM 10-10:45 PM 10:45-1 AM
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Cocktail reception
National Anthem by Afarin Mansouri; Welcome remarks; Dance Performance “Freedom� by Iana Komarnytska
Speeches by honorary co-chairs: MP Majid Jowhari and Kiavash Najafi Speeches by dignitaries
Dinner Dance performance #2
Award Ceremony
Live entertainment by Mehran Aminian
DJ Kasra
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HONORARY CO-CHAIRS MP Majid Jowhari Born in Iran and immigrating to Canada at the age of 18, Majid quickly learned the importance of hard work and the promise of a better life. He earned a Bachelor of Technology in Industrial Engineering from Ryerson Polytechnic Institute and Master’s degree in Business Administration from York University before pursuing a career in business and management consulting. Extensive international travel instilled in him a deep appreciation of global diversity. Most recently, he spent over 7 years as owner, CEO, and managing director of his own management consulting firm. Elected to the House of Commons in 2015, Majid is proud to bring a unique perspective to our most important federal institution. Majid is a long-time resident of Richmond Hill with his wife Homeira and two children.
Kiavash Najafi Kiavash Najafi is a progressive political strategist and communicator living in Ottawa. He was born and raised in Iran, migrating to Canada with his family in 1999. Soon after his arrival, he began volunteering with the New Democratic Party (NDP) and a number of community organizations focused on fighting poverty, promoting human rights and opposing Canada’s involvement in the Iraq war. He began working for the NDP in 2006 and became a trusted foreign policy advisor for party leader Jack Layton. He coordinated Layton’s campaign in support of jailed IranianCanadian journalist Maziar Bahari. As assistant to NDP MP Paul Dewar, he advised the party through its strong support for engagement and human rights in Iran. Kiavash also served as the Press Secretary for the official opposition from 2013 to 2015. Kiavash currently works as the Director of Policy and Communications for a union of public service professionals.
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A message from the Iranian Canadian Congress
Dear Friends, On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC), it is my honour to welcome you to our first annual Simorgh Gala. As we gather tonight to celebrate the contributions of the Iranian Canadian community to Canada, we are reminded of the simple yet strong message of the story “Simorgh” that Farid ud-Din Attar beautifully conveys in “The Conference of the Birds” – the importance of unity and solidarity in empowering the many to achieve collective success. At the Iranian Canadian Congress, our vision is to build a united and engaged community that not only protects and promotes its own rights and wellbeing, but also aims to advocate and defend the exalted Canadian values of multiculturalism and diversity, values in which we all take immense pride. Tonight we also gather to recognize a few of the individuals who have worked hard and dedicated their lives to building a flourishing Iranian Canadian community. By serving the public, bridging cultures, promoting unity, and by everyday acts of kindness and philanthropy, these individuals have become integral to our growing community’s continued wellbeing and success. I congratulate all recipients of the Simorgh Achievement Awards; your dedication to the Iranian Canadian community is exemplary and I thank you on behalf of my team at the ICC for all of your efforts. This event would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and the help of our amazing team of volunteers who were instrumental in helping the ICC organize this first Simorgh Gala. The encouragement that your presence at this gala tonight provides to myself and the team at the ICC cannot be overstated. Your continued support enables the Iranian Canadian Congress to work towards its vision of building an engaged, active. and united community. Sincerely, Bijan Ahmadi President, Iranian Canadian Congress ICC Board of Directors: Soudeh Ghasemi, Mehran Farazmand, Mojtaba Adibrad, Pouyan Tabasinejad, Tayaz Fakhri, Dorna Mojdami, Behzad Jazizadeh, Ali Bangi, Bijan Ahmadi.
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Empowerment Through Unity! The Iranian Canadian Congress is a non-profit, non-partisan, and non-religious organization, established in 2007, to represent the interests of Iranian Canadians and encourage their participation in Canadian society. Our Vision: The ICC’s vision is to build an active and influential Iranian Canadian community which is politically engaged at all levels of government and socially involved in Canada’s multicultural society for the betterment of Iranian Canadians in social, political and culture spheres. Mission: • Advocacy: advancing the interests of the Iranian Canadian community. • Education: providing knowledge, resources and tools necessary to enable informed participation of our community in the political system. • Community Building: engaging Iranian Canadians in community work and connecting Iranian Canadian non- profit organizations with one another to encourage cooperation and coordination. • Image Building: promoting Iranian culture and values and upholding the prestige, dignity and success of Iranian Canadians. We are actively advocating for the following priority issues: • Improving the accreditation process of foreign trained professionals • Re-establishing relations between Canada and Iran • Eliminating banking restrictions negatively affecting Iranian Canadians • Combating racism and discrimination • Granting Permanent Residents (PR) voting rights in municipal elections • Increasing the participation of Iranian Canadians in Canada’s political parties
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Remembering
HOMA SARLATI Mrs. Homa Rouhi Sarlati was born in Kerman, Iran. In spite of a difficult life, she worked hard and was of great service to her country. Her life story shows that being born a woman in Iran with its challenges does not prevent one from striving for and achieving success. She was an important and effective player in the contemporary Iranian women’s movement and one of the first women to break the glass ceiling in areas such as banking, industry and economics. After immigrating to Canada in 1989, she revitalized the newly formed Iranian Women’s Organization of Ontario and did her utmost to support Iranian newcomer families, especially women. She served in that organization for 20 years and also established Iranian Canadian Senior Citizens Organization. She was the recipient of Order of Ontario, Women’s Intercultural Network award, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee award, among many others.
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AWARD RECIPIENTS TINA TEHRANCHIAN, MA, CFP, CLU, CHFC is a senior financial planner and branch manager at Assante Capital Management Ltd. in Richmond Hill.
Tina Tehranchian MA, CFP, CLU, CHFC - Senior Financial Planner
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Tina is a Fellow of FPSCTM and is widely featured in national and international media, including the Globe and Mail, the National Post, the Toronto Star, the Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance, BNN, CBC, Canadian Business Journal and the Investment Executive, as a financial planning expert. She currently serves as a trustee of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection and chair of the McMichael Moonlight Gala 2017, the chair of the board of directors of Art Maison Projects, a member of the governance and nominating committee of Mackenzie Health Foundation, and finance and audit committee of Mackenzie Health and a member of the campaign cabinet for the King Campus of Seneca College. She has also served as a governor of Seneca College and director of Mackenzie Health Foundation, Fort York Foundation, and Markham Board of Trade. Tina was a founding member and the first chair of the board of Iranian Canadian Network for Employment and Entrepreneurship Mentoring (IC Network) and has served as a trustee of the Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation and the chair of the first Encyclopaedia Iranica gala in Toronto. She has also served as a member of the Planned Giving Advisory Committee of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation since 2004.
Soheil Parsa Soheil Parsa is an award-winning director, writer, dramaturg, choreographer and teacher, whose professional theatre career spans thirty years and two continents. In his native Iran, Soheil completed studies in Theatre Performance at the University of Tehran and began a promising career as an actor and director. Arriving in Canada with his family in 1984, Soheil completed a second Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies at York University and then went on to establish Modern Times Stage Company, one of the most innovating theatre companies in Canada. In 1995 Soheil received a New Pioneers Award by Skills for Change for Outstanding Contribution to the
Arts by a recent immigrant to Canada. Soheil’s own work at Modern Times has been recognized with six Dora Mavor Moore Awards, a Chalmers Fellowship in 2002, a senior artist creation grant from the Canada Council, as well as a number of international prizes and master class requests. In 2007 and 2010 he was short-listed for the Siminovitch Prize in Theatre Celebrating Directors, the highest honour in Canadian theatre. In 2013, Soheil was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contribution as a theatre artist to Canadian society. Most recently, he has been named as the best director at the Toronto Theatre Critics awards.
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Houshang Shans As a partner of a successful investment company which helps incubate start-ups in Toronto, Houshang Shans is deeply committed to fostering growth in our community. Contributing to both Parya Trillium Foundation and Tirgan Festival, he has financially supported the Iranian Canadian community in hopes of inspiring positivity through unity. This includes raising funds for a computer centre in Parya among various other charitable causes. Mr. Shans works hard to fundraise and has selflessly donated to earthquake relief funds for Iran and Azerbaijan. He continues to bring his passion, enthusiasm, and dedication to his company and community.
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Ahmad Tabrizi Ahmad Reza Tabrizi started out as a Chemical and Petrochemical Engineer in Iran, earning a Masters degree in 1969. Little did he know that in the following years, he would be an integral part of the Iranian community in Canada. Mr. Tabrizi is currently the President and Founder of the Parya Trillium Foundation, the first Iranian Community Centre in Canada. This initiative was founded on the vision of connecting community members in celebrating their shared cultural heritage while also embracing Canadian culture. Mr. Tabrizi’s other initiatives include building a school in Bam, Iran and founding the Persian Circle. His many efforts lead to him receiving the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
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SIMORGH 4 YOUNG LEADERS
Molut apidem eum in conse dolorer rovitis re oditia volupti officim dolor repellias s sequuntem consenuisiment faccaep.
Yasamin Dadashi Executive Director, Omid Foundation Canada Yasamin Dadashi moved to the UK after completing her undergraduate degrees in Tehran to continue her studies. She obtained a masters degree and a PhD in Human Factors and has been working as a consultant in England and Canada for over ten years. She found out about Omid Foundation after she watched a documentary about their work. She was so impressed by the work of the foundation that she decided to support them. Together with a few friends, she started organizing fundraising events for Omid Foundation in Toronto and now after three years, Omid Foundation Canada has successfully been working to raise awareness and funds in the IranianCanadian Community in Toronto and Vancouver. The Omid Foundation is committed to strengthening the social, emotional and economic opportunities of disadvantaged young women in Iran.
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Shadi Mousavi Nia
Morvarid Zare Zadeh
Shadi Mousavi Nia is currently completing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Toronto in Neuroscience. Besides her studies and her involvement in scientific research, as a youth advocate she has raised awareness and support for different health policy recommendations in the areas of tobacco control and environmental and occupational carcinogens, both provincially and federally. Her leadership roles with different non-profitable organizations have tackled issues of youth violence, bullying and youth immigration, particularly within the Iranian-Canadian community. As a youth journalist, she has an uncompromising determination to bring to light issues that concern today’s youth, and writes to encourage youth involvement within the Iranian heritage and culture. As a member on the Premier’s council on Youth Opportunities, she gives advice to the Premier of Ontario and the Minister of Children and Youth Services on issues affecting youth. Along with other motivated individuals, she also gives advice on how the government can improve programs and services for youth – while encouraging respect for diversity and multi-culturalism.
Morvarid staunchly values and believes in community engagement and participation. She has dedicated her time working in and leading an array of organizations and causes. As a BSc. Spec. Hons. Kinesiology and Health Sciences student at York University, she has been an active and integral part of her community, fostering student success, community engagement, and leadership development. She has been the recipient of the Faculty of Health Distinguished Student Leadership Award. Morvarid has worked with a variety of organizations, including: Mackenzie Health Hospital- Elder Life Program, York Federation of Students-Local 68, Faculty of Health (Student Caucus, OSAS Advisory Committee, Curriculums Committee, Council, HealthAid Network), Peace by PEACE, Student Community and Leadership Development, Iranian Human Rights Society, Iranian Students Association, and the Iranian Canadian Congress. Currently Morvarid serves as the President of the Iranian Students Association at York University.
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SIMORGH PERFORMERS
Afarin Mansouri, Special Performance of O’ Canada Afarin Mansouri is an awardwinning composer whose works has been performed in Canada, the United States, the UK, Iran, and South America. She has collaborated with many Festivals and organizations such as Toronto Nuit Blanch, KW Open Ears
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Festival, the Toronto Tirgan Festival, YouDance National Ballet of Canada, Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra, TorQ Percussion Quartet and Thin Edge Music Collective. She was the only selected female composer for Tapestry Opera LibLab workshop 2016. Afarin is a two time recipient of Music Creation Grants from the Toronto Arts Council for her children’s operetta
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Little Heart (2013) and her multidisciplinary work Doors (2015). As a solo soprano, she has collaborated with Modern Times Stage Theatre, Toronto Culture Days, Tirgan Festival, Toronto Arts Foundation, North York Arts, and Iranian-Canadian Composers of Toronto(ICOT). For more information please visit www.afarin.net and www.icot.ca
Mehran Aminian Mehran Aminian, an IranianCanadian lyricist, composer, and vocalist, was born in Iran in 1978. From early childhood, he was exposed to and fascinated with numerous music genres by his family. Mehran started his artistic career composing music for pop singers in Iran, and has worked with Iranian TV on a number of projects. Mehran founded “the Persis”, a bilingual progressive rock band in 2007. His band has since published an album called “Melodious Silence” in 2010 and several single tracks within the past 3 years.
Beside “the Persis”, Mehran also creates solo tracks on a regular basis in both rock and pop genres. Mehran has a bachelor of engineering in polymer sciences from Tehran Polytechnic. Talented local musicians accompanying Mehran Aminian: • Lisbeth Helgesen (Vocal and Guitar) • Peyman Mesr (Percussion) • Mani Najafian Razavi (Piano) • Mehrab Moghadasian (Bass) • Farid Rouhani (Flute)
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GOLD SPONSORS
www.stimcanada.com
STIM Canada provides flexible and comprehensive range of solutions in the product life cycle of Electronic Circuit Boards and Assemblies.
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SILVER SPONSORS
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SILVER SPONSORS
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SILVER SPONSORS
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BRONZE SPONSORS Caplan’s Appliances Farah Jahed, Farahfinancials.com Mina Dental Clinic Optimal Solution Richard Funt, Royal LePage Partners Realty. Super Parsian, Persian Fine Food Town of Richmond Hill
IN-KIND SPONSORS Arivano, Creative Agency Arts By Nessa, Design and Decor CanIran, Printing
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SUPPORTERS COMPANIES Scotiabank Eventgrapher Artistic Photography & Cinema
SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS: International Development and Relief Foundation (idrf.com) NexGen ICP (nexgenicp.com) Iranian Canadian Legal Professionals (iclp.ca) Iranian Women’s Organization of Ontario (iwontario.com) Shabeh Jomeh Toronto Professional Iranian Canadian Real Estate Association (picra.ca)
INDIVIDUALS Atefeh Kashefi Sholeh Dolatabadi Mahnaz Shahbazi Hassan Kiassat Manouchehr Assadpour Mr. Kamboozia
VOLUNTEERS Mahyar Soeizi, Production Manager Proshat Javid, MC Emily Houdi, MC Pooya Miri, Photographer Raheleh Rahimi Zarrin Sepehripour Mohammad Reza Nazeri Samad Hosseini Mani Hendesi
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USE THE SPECIAL GLASSES ON YOUR TABLE TO UNCOVER THE SECRET MESSAGE!
YOU HAVE A VISION FOR YOUR BRAND, WE HAVE THE SKILLS TO BRING IT TO LIFE.
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Sign the formal petition to the House of Commons re Iran-Canada relations
Electronic petition e-553: We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to re-establish diplomatic relations with Iran, including re-opening embassies in both countries, as a matter of utmost importance. Over 9000 people from across Canada have already signed this petition. Join this movement today!
www.iccongress.ca/irancanada
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Learn More and Get Involved Today!
45 Sheppard Avenue East, Suite 900, Toronto, Ontario, M2N 5W9 info@iccongress.ca www.iccongress.ca 647-539-4344 /iccongress
@iccongress