Minutes of the Monthly Meeting held on March 11, 2024 through video conference via Zoom

Present/Attendees

• • • Thomas S. Saras
    • Mohammad Tajdolati
    • Neel Nanda
    • Maria Saras-Voutsinas
    • Rosemary Sadlier
    • Ricky Castellvi
    • George Guzman
    • Bill Fastis
    • Nishantha Don
    • Hon. Basilio Giordano
    • George Bakoyiannis
    • Dimitri Papadopoulos
    • AR Nathan
    • Arif Ahmed
    • Zenaida Ferry
    • Ravi
    • Ranjit Wicks
    • Hermie Garcia
    • Ghulam Rasool
    • Manan Gupta
    • Elsayed Nasr
    • Khalid Hamid
    • Thanasis Kourtesis
    • John Saraidaris
    • Ernesto Donan
    • Martha Pinzon
    • Nishantha Don
    • Bridgette Fontille
    • Sukumar Tamil Journal
    • Roberto Hausman
    • Jonathan Annobil
    • Emmanuel Ayiku
    • Mohammad Bagher Samimi
    • Kathy Gerasklis
    • Rick Esquerra
    • Mila Garcia
    • Medhat Oweida
    • Syed Hasson
    • Sima Ghaffarzadeh
    • Shahidul Mintu
    • Lui Queano
    • Denis Poirier
    • Jennifer Zhu
    • Hon. Joe Volpe
    • Ayubowan Sri Lanka
    • Leila Monteiro Lins
    • Deborah Shatz
    • Gezahegn Mekonnen
    • Daniela Spirlac
    • Lankathas Pathmanathan
    • Susana Donan
    • Kethes Kumar
    • Michael Li
    • Shail Prasad
    • Essie
    • Veronica Cusi
    • Ragee Arasaratnam
    • Fiza Syeda
    • Yuri Natchetoi
    • Khalid Hamid
    • Michale Li
    • Maria Swietorzecki
    • Lucy Lyang
    • Elsayed Nasr
    • George Guzmas
    • MB Samimi
    • Susana Donan
    • Neel Nanda
    • Mohammad Tajdolati
    • Olga Kaleev
    • AR Nathan
    • Ragee
    • Nishantha Don
    • Ayuban SriLanka
    • Basilio Giordano
    • Manan Gupta
    • Ernesto Donan
    • Kathy Lin
    • Sima Ghaffarzadeh
    • Denis Poirier
    • Ghanian News
    • Fiza Syeda
    • Rue Hayer-Bains
    • Leila Monteiro- Lins
    • Eugenia Bakchinow
    • Ghulam Rasool
    • Ranjith Wicks
    • Kathy Gerasklis
    • Hermie Garcia
    • Luba Cherny
    • Helen Wang
    • Taso Chatzitheofanou
    • Sean Pickard
    • Jonathan Annobil
    • Said Henry

    (Names as per Zoom)

    • MB Samimi
    • Maria Saras-Voutsinas
    • Elsayed Nasr
    • Rue Hayer Bains
    • Ramsankr Sivanathan
    • Sima Ghaffarzadeh
    • Joe Volpe
    • Leila Monteiro-Lins
    • Dimitri Papadopoulos
    • Thomas Saras
    • Shahidul Mintuv
    • Olga Kileev
    • Roberto Hausman
    • Helen Wang
    • Pooyan Tabatabaei
    • Ernesto Donan
    • Neel Nanda
    • Maria Swietorzecki
    • Basilio Giordano
    • Elena Iliadi
    • Mohammad Tajdolati
    • Demetri Vohaitis
    • Syed Hassan
    • Deb Shatz
    • Gonzalo Cooper
    • Jennifer Zhu
    • Audrey Tougas
    • John CCTimes
    • Lucy Lyang
    • Weera Fonseka
    • Kathy Lin
    • Lankathas
    • AR Nathan
    • Michael Li
    • Ayubowan
    • Ghulam Rasool
    • Martha Pinzon
    • Yuri Natchetoi
    • Hermie Garcia
    • Roobam
    • Logan Logendralingam
    • Kathy Gerasklis
    • Mila Garcia

    Agenda of the day

    • • Welcome Remarks by the chair.
      • Minutes of the previous meeting
      • President’s Report/Discussions
      • New Members/New Business
      • Adjournment

    Welcome Remarks by the Chair:

    Mohammed Tajdolati chaired the second virtual monthly meeting of 2024 meeting and declared the meeting open. Rue Hayer Bains moved a motion to approve the agenda. Roberto Hausman seconded it. The motion was carried unanimously.

    Minutes of the previous meeting:

    Dimitri Papadopolous moved a motion to approve the minutes of the previous monthly meeting and Helene Wang seconded it. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting were approved unanimously.

    President’s Report/Discussions:

    • President Thomas Saras welcomed everyone to the online monthly meeting of March,2024. He hoped the coming new year will be great for everyone. He also reminded members to pay their annual membership fees to continue to get the benefits and privileges as a member of NEPMCC.
    • President Thomas Saras welcomed everyone to the online monthly meeting of March,2024. He hoped the coming new year will be great for everyone. He also reminded members to pay their annual membership fees to continue to get the benefits and privileges as a member of NEPMCC.
    • President Thomas Saras mentioned that Educational Seminar will be held next year. The office of the President of NEPMCC is working towards the educational seminar and more updates will be provided after finalizing the logistics.
    • President Thomas Saras informed the members that any member receiving funds from either LJI or Aid to Publishers should declare that they have received funds from the Government of Canada. He also mentioned that anyone writing an article under LJI should acknowledge that he is a LJI reporter.
    • President Thomas Saras mentioned that in person meeting at City Hall will resume once broadcasting from City Hall will be permitted by technological requirements. President Thomas Saras wants `the meeting to be accessible to members in all parts of Canada.
    • The President mentioned that NEPMCC has been trying hard to negotiate a better deal from Google regarding the compensation for the members of the ethnic media industry.
    • Motion: The General Assembly of NEPMCC in the monthly meeting for March comes to a resolution brought by Marais Saras Voutsinas, Executive Director of NEPMCC to approve the continuation of LJI and Student Internship program for another three years and funds not claimed under the program can be spent on a second intern or reporter. The motion was approved unanimously.
    • Motion: The General Assembly of NEPMCC in the monthly meeting for March comes to a resolution brought by Marais Saras Voutsinas, Executive Director of NEPMCC to approve the continuation of LJI and Student Internship program for another three years and funds not claimed under the program can be spent on a second intern or reporter. The motion was approved unanimously.
    • President Thomas informed members about the Freedom of Press Festival in May. Motion: There was a motion on the floor to approve the expenses for the freedom of press festival to be held on the third day of May either at the City Hall or at the Lieutenant Governor’s Office. Kathy Lin moved a motion and Leila Monteiro Lins seconded it. The motion was carried unanimously.
    • Naga Logendralingam suggested that we should honour journalists who have lost their lives for the cause of the freedom of the press. Joe Volpe suggested that this should be brought to the attention of the committee.
    • President Thomas Saras thanked Hon Joe Volpe and all other members who generously donated to NEPMCC. Although the industry and members of NEPMCC are struggling financially, he encouraged everyone that can do so to donate. He also reminded the members for renewing their membership by paying their annual membership fees.
    • There were various discussions on the method of payment of Annual Membership fees as some members suggested e-transfer and other methods of payments. After various consultation it was decided to keep the existing payment method of payment of Annual Membership fees via cheque mailed to the office of NEPMCC

    New Business/New Members:

    Maria Saras informed the members on the updates on LJI and Internship Program.

    Sima Ghaffarzadeh, Hon Joe Volpe, Helene Wang Lankathas Pathmanathan and others responded to the updates around Google, LJI and Media Pass.

     

    Adjournment:  Yuri Natchetoi moved a motion to adjourn the meeting and Kathy Lin seconded it. The motion was carried. The Chair, Dr. Tajdolati adjourned the meeting at 8:15 PM. The next monthly meeting will take place on Monday, April 08, 2024, via Zoom.

    The above notes from the minutes of March 11, 2024, were prepared by Secretary General and Senior VP of the NEPMCC, Neel Nanda.