A New Voice for Canadian Arabs Makes its Debut
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, October 27, 2013
CANADIAN ARAB INSTITUTE PRESENTS: A New Conversation GALA
(CAI) will hold their inaugural gala A New Conversation at the Royal Ontario Museum on Wednesday, October 30th. On hand will be The Honourable Chris Alexander, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and many distinguished honorary chairs from all walks of life to celebrate the launch of a strong new voice for Canadians of Arab descent. This exciting evening will feature The Honorable Bill Graham, former Minister of External Affairs as keynote speaker; award winning CBC news anchor Suhana Meharchand as MC; the critically acclaimed Lebanese-Canadian soprano Miriam Khalil as star entertainer; as well as outstanding Arab musicians and the Al-Asala Dabke group. In its first full year of operation, the Canadian Arab Institute (CAI) bolted out of the starting gate with three highly successful events! True to its mandate to foster dialogue from a Canadian Arab perspective on public policy issues, CAI tackled national security issues as well as economic and professional development issues in a series of events that attracted capacity crowds: October 19, 2012 - The Social Cost of National Security: Assessing the Impact of Global Counter-Terror Initiatives on Canadian Society A conference co-sponsored by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association hosted by the Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law January 15, 2013 - A Symposium on the Economic and Business Implications of the Arab Spring Co-sponsored with the Rodman School of Management at the University of Toronto September 21, 2013 - Professional Development Conference for Canadian Arab Youth 2013 The CAI's first solo event which featured over 40 panelists and drew more than 200 participants
A New Conversation, the theme of the inaugural gala has been strikingly evident throughout the Institute's maiden year. To celebrate CAI's strong start, the event will showcase the cultural, social and economic contributions of Canadian Arabs from all religions and countries in the Arab World and shine a new light on the diverse cultures and lifestyles represented in the Canadian Arab mosaic. CAI President and Co-founder, Raja Khouri, a commissioner with the Ontario Human Rights Commission, believes strongly that it is vital that Canadian Arabs contribute to the conversations on policy to the benefit of all Canadians: “We are Canadians first and foremost and consider ourselves integral to the economic, cultural and social fabric of this country.”
-30-
Tickets: $250 per person can be purchased at: http://www.canadianarabinstitute.org/events/gala-2013/ or phone: 1.888.983.4775
To arrange an interview or for more information contact: Rania Younes at 888.983.4775 or email: rania@canadianarabinstitute.org