The Vancouver Multicultural Society and the Pakistan-Canada Association celebrated the First Annual Diversity Festival at the Plaza of Nations on July 30th, 2005. The theme of the festival was “Multicultural Vancouver and the World”, reflecting a portrait of our city, our people, our province and our country. The festival reminded everyone about the contributions various groups give to the city’s multiculturalism. The event was a great success and special thanks goes out to PCA Youth Committee member Noreen Chaudhry for all her hard work in organizing a Pakistani Dance and Pakistani Fashion Show.

Over 500 people came out to enjoy what became the most successful picnic held by the PCA in recent memory. The weather was phenomenal and the atmosphere was electric as music blared, children played and enjoyed snow cones in a carnival like atmosphere. BBQ Chicken and Burgers were being served from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm without slowing down. Volleyball, Tug-o-War, Musical Chairs and Children’s Races highlighted the Sports Day portion of the event. Children received ribbons for participating and medals for placing in our events. Mayor of Richmond His Worship Malcolm Brodie, Minister of State for Child Care Honourable Linda Reid from Richmond and Honourable John Nuraney were in attendance along with leadership from the communities of the Caribbean and Guyana and leadership from the Royal Commonwealth Society.

In all directions, King George Park was full of Pakistanis laughing, eating, playing and having a great time. The event could have easily went on throughout the evening with people still arriving at 4:00 pm.

PCA wishes to thank the most honoured of guests, the Pakistani community of the Lower Mainland. Thank you for coming out and sharing in some good times. You made the event what it was, a great launch for what promises to be a memorable year for the Pakistan-Canada Association and the Pakistani Community.

PCA has recently established a Youth Committee to promote youth involvement in our community. During our first executive goal-setting meeting it was determined that lack of youth involvement and interest was a great concern for us and something that needed to be addressed. The PCA Youth Commitee have been working to recruit young members of our community to join this committee and come up with ideas to involve the youth in the day to day workings of the association. So far 6 people have come forward to work with the committee and volunteer at our upcoming picnic. Anyone who wishes to join the Youth Committee are welcome to. The voices of our youth will be heard loud and clear in the new PCA.

A Journey Through Pakistan’, Pakistan Canada Association’s newest publication is now available to the public! Be sure to get your copy at our upcoming events. This publication is full of information regarding the biodiversity and beauty of Pakistan. From the Mighty Lion Indus River to the tiny Sand Cat, this publication is a great way to learn about our great homeland. On top of being a great resource of the beauty of Pakistan, there is also information relevant to the BC resident, such as: A comprehensive local Pakistani phone directory, BCMA burial information, local business information, Passport and Visa information, and much more. For more information about this publication, please contact us.

Dear Fellow Pakistanis,

Pakistan-Canada Association has been in existence since 1963 serving the needs of the Pakistani community of the Lower Mainland. In that time a great deal has been accomplished thanks to the hard work and dedication of the pioneers of our community. In 2005 I find myself being blessed with the position of President of this fine organization. Much has been accomplished in the past and much has yet to be accomplished.

The face of our community is constantly changing with the additions of newly born generations of Pakistani-Canadians, new immigrants and individuals who have been here since shortly after partition. With our population soaring above 20,000 the needs and demands have definitely escalated. On the flip side, with growing numbers comes great potential and influence. I see a community ready to explode, in a good way. It is time for us to step out of the shadows and establish a clear identity for ourselves. With the world political spotlight on Pakistan and the thirst for knowledge about our country and people at a high in this post 9-11 era what better opportunity than now to move forward.
It is in this spirit that I extend my hand in cooperation and friendship to any and all individuals who wish to see our community move forward. With our combined efforts we can achieve so much more than we can by working on the fringes.

Politically we have an obligation to vote and be counted. Regardless of what party you find yourself supporting, going out and voting is a great privilege and responsibility. It is time to groom individuals in our community wanting to seek public office and provide them a platform to showcase their skills and articulate their beliefs. Having a Pakistani in Municipal, Provincial or Federal office should be a goal we set for ourselves. PCA annually organizes speech contests that allow individuals the opportunity to speak in public thereby gaining confidence and poise. This year our contest will be held on August 21st at Grand Taj Banquet Hall. The topic for this years contest will be posted on our association website in the coming days.

We must continue to educate our youth about Pakistan, especially those born into Canadian society. It won’t take long for our unique language and culture to be lost as generations continue to be born without ties to their homeland. So many of our youth find themselves disconnected and it is for this reason that I have established a Youth Sub-Committee to bring younger members into the association and give them a voice so their concerns and ideas can be heard. It is the mandate of this committee to promote youth involvement in the community. Anyone interested in being part of this committee can contact Mansur Mirani or Imran Gehlen at info@pakcan.com.

I also believe it is the joint responsibility of the community and association to provide opportunities to educate our youth so they don’t forget the sacrifices made in order to establish our homeland. To promote this awareness PCA has organized Knowledge Exams during the summer months to encourage school aged children to learn about their country and culture. We continue to offer this service to the community this year with our exam date set for Sunday August 21st at 11:00 am in Vancouver Jamia Masjid. Questionnaires can be downloaded from our website at www.pakcan.com.

We will continue to organize picnics and celebrate Independence and Republic Day along with Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha but we are now looking beyond the box to a loftier goal. What opened my eyes to this possibility was the incredible success of our Tsunami fundraising campaign. Granted the outpouring of support worldwide was phenomenal and an event of this magnitude had not been seen in our lifetime, nevertheless I still found the response of our community to be unprecedented and truthfully surprising. The campaign started out modestly with people on my e-mail list being asked to help support this cause. In three days $5000 had been raised. By the end of the three week campaign we had managed to raise just under $20,000. We though outside of the box and worked together as a community; putting aside personal disagreements for a common good. What other goals can we achieve?

I along with my distinguished board of executives have chosen to work for this community. With the help and support of those around me change can be effected in a community so desperately seeking change. I ask for the support of all members of the community to make your voices and opinions known. At the end of this letter you will find my e-mail address and cell phone number… I am open to your comments and criticism. I ask you to support our community events and come up and talk to the executives of the association and make your feelings known. Let us know what direction you feel this association should be moving in. Become a member and have a more definitive say in the workings of the PCA by attending AGMs or seeking a position on the board. I can say with confidence that we have already set a few initiatives in motion that, if and when they come to fruition, will solidify our footprint upon the landscape of the Lower Mainland and British Columbia. This is an exciting time and a pivotal point in our short history in this province. I thank you for the trust you have placed in me and my board and I look forward to serving you this year.

With Respect,

Raza Mirani
President
E-mail: info@pakcan.com