2021 General Meeting of Global Peace Alliance BC Society

November 23, 2021 via Zoom 2:30 pm

Attending : Barbara Carter, Patrick O’Connor, Yasin Kiragamisago, Peter Pronzos, Stephen Crozier, Annabelle Macdonald, Furquan Ghelen, Annie Ohana, Lan Joyce, Raminder Kaur, Paloma Sharma, Shivam Sharma, Mahvish Yousef, Maryam Bhoukerbani.

1. CALL TO ORDER: The meeting came to order at 2: 41

The President welcomed everyone and explained this was the annual GENERAL MEETING OF THE Global Peace Alliance BC Society. She introduced herself and IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BYLAWS OF THE SOCIETY, explained she would ACT AS CHAIR. She also advised all that there was no secretary present and asked permission for the AGM was recorded.
THERE were 14 people attending 5 of whom were board members so there was QUORUM, A reminder was given that only members in good standing could vote, or honorary members.

2. MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS CIRCULATED
Motion moved by: Maryam Boukherbani. All in favour

3. THE MINUTES OF THE LAST ANNUAL GENERAL Meeting ADOPTED AS CIRCULATED
Motion moved by: Pat O’Connor. All in favour

4. President’s Report:
The president reported the yearly activities in combination with going through the Constitution using a visual document for all the follow. The emphasis on the elimination of Nuclear arms has continued as based on the call of RB Herath’s book, A New Beginning for Humankind. (GPA in 2021 presented to the City of White Rock, the international Mayors Call for the endorsement of the UN Treaty of Nuclear Disarmament which was approved and by unanimous vote, council endorsed a motion for a letter to Ottawa backing the ban. Similarly it was presented to the City of Surrey in September and is now following up)
GPA has not been able to run the Saturday Youth For Peace and Justice Club since Covid but is hoping to continue it in 2022. Similar, the educational component of the Constitution to visit schools, attend events and speak on peace will continue in the future.
GPA has updated and built up resources on its website. It has liaised and/or endorsed other organizations such as Global Peace Society, Canadian Women for Peace, Canada Nepal Friendship and Cultural Society, Migrant Rights Network, World BEYOND War and follows many others supporting them and is part of the Canada-Wide Peace and Justice Network https://peaceandjusticenetwork.ca/who-we-are/ comprising of 44 other organizations. Petitions, events and support are being posted on four social media, (Attendees were asked to join all GPA social media platforms and support as best as possible)

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/756709258423232 private group,
https://www.facebook.com/globalpeacealliancebc
Twitter: @GlobalPeaceA
Instagram: globalpeacealliancebc
The website www.peacealways.org is updated and run by professionals, Info2grow Media Services Inc.
This is a new expense that needs to be funded as previously it was done by volunteers knowledgeable to post and update. Global Peace follows various organizations and journals, down the road it is suggested that a committee follows them ( we must find someone to do this work, if anyone knows or can volunteer let the president know)

It would be nice in the future if we can meet and welcome newcomers to BC to make them feel at home. We did have a very successful festival in 2020 online that can be viewed on our You Tube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT1mfUPZSbZlnoG03dhlJmA and on our website. We postponed the 2021 festival to 2022 in spring. The annual art and literary contest on the theme of peace was held this year (our essay theme was on First Nations Residential school children’s’ graves).

GPA has attended rallies in 2021 for Afghanistan twice, for Kashmir and for No new fighter jets campaign in Langley, by World Beyond War. Every year we usually attend the March for Missing and Murdered Indigenous women and for the commemoration of the Women’s Massacre at Ecole Polytechnique.

President closed off discussion on Constitution, by asking membership to sign the GPA petition on the website which was also amended to include the call for an end of the military industrial complex.

President also went over items in the Bylaws fees, advantages of being a member, how to hold a general meeting, quorum, etc.

GOVERNANCE

5. Constitution was amended by Peter Pronzos with the addition of : “To emphasize the dangers of the climate emergency and to show how it is increasing global conflicts.” This was agreed to by the meeting participants.

6. Motion to adopt the Constitution and Bylaws – Maryam Boukerbani All in favour.

7. Financials were presented before the meeting. Current assets Gaming Account 15,467.75 and Main account 4,065.29

8. Nominations and appointment of Board Members for 2021. Patrick O’Connor, Peter Pronzos, Annie Ohana, Raminder Kaur, Paloma Sharma, Shivam Sharma, Maryam Bhoukerbani, Niovi Patsicakis, Asad Syed (not present). Outstanding Nominations for acceptance: Mahvish Yousef and David Gill. Discontinuing Furquan Gehlen, Rajesh JayaPrakrash.
Positions to be determined at a future date : Secretary , Vice President, Treasurer,
Committee heads. Fundraising, Finance, Advisory/Research, Event Planning, Education, Art & Literary Contest. Other?

10. New Business :
a. Effort to focus on the African conflict, reach out to refugees to include them as members and have them share their stories. Niovi asked for contacts from those present.
b. Use RB Herath’s book as a fundraiser, plan for an event on the book.
https://www.amazon.ca/New-Beginning-Humankind-Recipe-Lasting-ebook/dp/B0792W6RW9/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=a+new+beginning+for+humankind&qid=1637871132&sr=8-2
c. Christmas fundraiser, Food Bank drive, making Christmas cards for homeless.
Members and board please let Maryam know soon if you are interested in any of the Christmas ideas so we can get going on it. babermary55@gmail.com.
d. Attendees to please fill out the Survey online so we can get going on what people are mostly interested in, days available etc.

11. Peace Reflections were read out loud. Values of the organization.

12. Adjourned: 3:51pm

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