Association Goanaise du Quebec
http://www.flickr.com/photos/qga/2305522119/

The Quebec Goan Association/Association Goanaise du Quebec held its 31st Annual General Meeting of the Quebec Goan Association at Forest Village Community Hall in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec on March 2, 2008 to elect a new President and a committee. QGA is a non-profit community organization bringing together peoples of Goan origin in Quebec.

Rose De Souza was re-elected President of the QGA and selected a team of young and experienced committee from members of the Goan community in Quebec.

The QGA committee is:

• Vice-President and Social Secretary – Mary Silveira

• Treasurer – Priscilla Fernandes

• Assistant Treasurer – Ivan Paes

• Secretary – Melissa Fernandes

• Director – Olivia De Mello

• Director – Lourdes D’Souza

• Director – Bruce D’Souza

Around 40 members of the community attended the AGM and the elections were conducted by Noel Rodrigues as the returning officer.

The Goanetters Association of Toronto (GNAT)

The Goanetters Association of Toronto (GNAT) will sponsor the 2008 International Goan Convention at the University of Toronto's Mississauga campus during the week of July 23-27.

The convention theme is Goan Identity and Networking Today. [GIANT]

The aims of the convention are two-fold:

1. To foster a sense of Goan identity in the diaspora, with emphasis on second and third generation of Goans removed from Goa.

2. To create an awareness for the state of affairs in Goa today and to explore ways on how the diaspora may help in the growth and development at home.

GNAT hopes to achieve these objectives through workshops and seminar discussions covering such topics of Goan interest as language and literature, music and drama, cuisine, education, heritage preservation, tourism, sports, environment, art and fashion.

Workshop leaders and speakers include Dr. Joaquim Goes and Dr. Helga R. Gomes, who will speak on environmental issues, Victor Rangel-Ribeiro, distinguished author of the novel Tivolem, will lead a workshop on Writer's Craft and Wendell Rodricks, internationally known fashion designer based in Goa.

Please click here to find out details about registration and accommodation

Following are the core members of the organizing committee:

• Dr. Kevin Saldanha (vegvet@gmail.com) Convention Director

• Lisette Saldanha (lisette_saldanha@hotmail.com) Event Coordinator

• Francis Rodrigues (fcarodriguez@hotmail.com) President of GNAT

• Bosco D'Mello (bosco@goanet.org) Director of operations

• Ben Antao (ben.antao@rogers.com) Treasurer and Media Director

• Mervyn Lobo (mervynalobo@yahoo.ca) Board Member

• Walter Tavares (wtacanada@rogers.com) Board Mmember

Contact: Ben Antao (ben.antao@rogers.com)
Treasurer and Media Director

18 Geraldton Crescent Toronto, Ont. M2J 2R6 Ph: 416-250-8885

The GOANETTERS ASSOCIATION of TORONTO
Reg. No. 1752655 6 Vessel Crescent, Toronto, Ontario,
Canada M1C 5K7 www.gnatoronto.com  Tel: 416-510-1347

Breast Cancer Fundraiser
Date: Saturday November 1st, 2008

Organised by : CHAMPION FOR WELLNESS

Event: Paint the to town “PINK”
(Breast Cancer Fundraiser)

Location : The Liuna Gardens
526 Winona Road North,
Stoney Creek, Ontario L8E 5E9

Music: DJ Fatz and DJ Kaya

OPEN LETTER TO ALL OVERSEAS GOANS ORGANIZATIONS

Dear Overseas Goans Organisations,

There are many Goan Organisations worldwide involved in many goodwill services to our Community. To each Organisation; we need to address a priority on a urgent basis i.e. to mobilise a mass awareness among overseas Goans to protect Goa's Identity; else we will no longer have a place to call home. The time to act is now!!

This awareness programme needs to be well planned & co-ordinated to spread the facts; This is very important as many Overseas Goans are unaware of the facts threatening our identity. People will only act if they are aware.

Goans generally appear to have resigned themselves to loosing their Identity. If this is the case, then we should stop creating/having Goan organisations/Forums, as in my view what is the point; if we carry on as we are; soon without a Goa with Goan Identity, all these organisations/forums will not be relevant!!

I request each Overseas Goan Organisation to initiate spreading the said awareness amongst as many Goans as possible, in their respective country/region.

Arwin Mesquita,

Abu Dhabi, UAE.
arwinmesquita@gmail.com