E- Arabica Newsletter

2009 NCCAR Parliamentary Internship

We are pleased to announce that the application process for our Parliamentary Internship Program is now open. For the last eleven years NCCAR has organized an internship with Parliamentarians for young university students of Arab Canadian background from across Canada, aiming at introducing and informing them on our Canadian political process. Please check our website for more information: English and French . If you are interested in applying for an internship or contributing to funding this program, please send an email to internship@nccar.ca

Jerusalem, 2009 Cultural Capital of the Arab World

NCCAR will be marking “Jerusalem, 2009 Arab Cultural Capital” on April 6, 2009, in the company of distinguished Jerusalemite guests, H.E. (Theodosios) Atallah Hanna, Archbishop of Sevastia for the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and Dr. Ekrema Sabri, Chief of the Higher Islamic Council in Jerusalem, Former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine and Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque . More Information on NCCAR's website in English and French .

Activities

· On March 21, 2009, NCCAR Quebec executives Rula Odeh and Mark Khoury attended the annual Gala evening of the Arab-Canadian Family Club in Montreal. Also present were Montreal opposition mayor and current Ville-Marie borough mayor Benoit Labonté, as well as Montreal city councillor Karim Boulos, of Vision Montreal .

• On March 18, 2009, NCCAR Vice President Samer Roumani attended an evening organized by the Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa , for organizations that took part in their pro-bono students Canada program, and supervised a student. NCCAR's project related to Media Law.
• On March 15, 2009, NCCAR Quebec held the first of its “ re-launch ” events in Montreal. Quebec executives Mark Khoury (Vice President, Government and Media) and Rula Odeh (Board Director), along with the team of Montreal NCCAR volunteers, held a re-introductory meeting about NCCAR's recent and historic work. The results of NCCAR's media analysis were presented, as was the NCCAR-sponsored short film, Once Upon a Country. A richly interactive evening augurs well for a greater presence of NCCAR in Quebec. About fifty invitees were in attendance, as were NCCAR founding member Ian Watson and NCCAR President Bahija Réghaï.
• On March 11, 2009, NCCAR submitted a letter to the National Post in response to an article in which Megan O'Toole stated that  “Alykhan Velshi, a spokesman for the Immigration Minister, immediately jumped on the lack of high-profile Arab organizations on the list [of organizations calling for restraint by Kenney in light of threats to cut funding to CAF for opinions expressed by its leader], such as the National Council on Canadian-Arab Relations..” Our letter clarified that NCCAR is an organization composed of diverse Canadians, Arab Canadians amongst them, stated our mission and called for an end to threats and an increase dialogue with organizations. A version of NCCAR's letter abridged by the National  Post was published under the  title “ Not an Arab Organization ”. The submitted and published versions of the letter are both available on the NCCAR website .

Be engaged

Contacting your Member of Parliament (MP) is an effective way to take action and to be heard.  If you have any trouble finding your MP or need help, use this link and enter your postal code.

The National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR, www.nccar.ca ) is charitable organization whose mission is to build ties between Canadians and the people of the Arab world in order to develop stronger relations and cooperation between them as well as an appreciation of their common values. Your generous support ensures that our diverse activities and achievements will continue and increase. One easy way to contribute is through Canada Helps which e-mails you a tax receipt immediately. Monthly contributions are especially appreciated for ongoing support. Thank you