President’s Message

Hello All! On May 4, 2014 at 2pm at the new Tonari Gumi/GVJCCA building on 42 West 8th Avenue, the newly elected Board of Directors for the GVJCCA will host a community forum. Its primary purpose is to connect with members of the Japanese Canadian (JC) community and elicit their feedback about our organization’s current mandate and direction. We encourage everyone to come out and share your thoughts about what we are doing and what you think we should be doing. We hope this direct connection to the community will attract individuals and members of our and other JC organizations, and it is our intention to use these ideas to help guide us to better serve the ever-evolving needs of our community. 

As some of you may recall, the GVJCCA hosted a similar community forum back in 1999, and that meeting led to the amending of our Society’s Constitution, which we currently use as our guiding principles. For those of you who are unable to attend the forum, we would really appreciate if you would send us your input about the organization’s direction and priorities as well as feedback about The Bulletin / Geppo to gvjcca@shaw.ca or 604.777.5222. We will share the outcomes with everyone in next month’s and future issues of The Bulletin / Geppo.

Also, our Board will be ramping up its fundraising initiatives this year. In 2014, we will first be jointly hosting the 2nd Annual Tonari Gumi & GVJCCA Golf Tournament on June 22nd at Meadow Gardens Golf Course in Pitt Meadows. In August, we will continue with our traditional Salmon BBQ at the Powell Street Festival and this Fall, we will try our first Bowl-a-thon fundraiser, and possibly a Dinner and Dance event. For more information please check our website and continue reading The Bulletin / Geppo for updates. We hope to provide fun-filled events for all ages and I look forward to seeing you there.

To provide everyone with some background on which to base your input for our community forum, we have listed the purposes of the GVJCCA below. Under each item, we have included some of the activities and initiatives that our organization, including our very active Human Rights Committee (HRC), is currently undertaking or has recently completed.

1) To protect and promote the past, present, and future rights and democratic freedoms of all persons regardless of race, religion, colour, age, sex, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, and marital, family or economic status;

•City of Vancouver Apology to Japanese Canadians (GVJCCA Human  Rights Committee or HRC)

•Advocacy for Individuals (HRC)

•Campaign to rename Senator Reid School in Surrey (HRC)

•Eliminating racist by-laws in Kelowna (HRC)

•Revitalizing Japantown? Project – Human Rights in the Downtown Eastside (HRC)

•Participation in Reconciliation Canada (HRC)

2) To educate all citizens of Canada as to the duties and responsibilities inherent in Canadian citizenship

•Projects listed above in Purpose 1

3) To promote the enjoyment, appreciation, and study of the arts and culture Japanese-Canadians through the organization of community and cultural programs, and hosting and / or co-hosting of community and cultural events;

•Publication of The Bulletin / Geppo

•Hosting the annual Keirokai (Annual lunch event for seniors)

•Harry Aoki First Friday Forum (Harry Aoki, Past Vice-President of the GVJCCA)

4) To educate the Canadian public about and to preserve the history and cultural heritage of Japanese-Canadians;

•Writing of the Honouring Our People Book (HRC)

•Asian Canadian studies at UBC – Japanese Canadian component (HRC)

•BC core curriculum advocacy work (HRC)

•Hastings Park Project (HRC)

•Saving the Legacy Sakura of Oppenheimer Park and Commemorative Project 

•And projects listed above in Purpose 3

5) To develop and maintain a communications network with multicultural societies in Canada and the world;

•Through connections to other organizations like Asian Heritage Month, Aboriginal community groups, Chinese Canadian groups

•Publication of The Bulletin / Geppo 

6) To support the cultural identity, continuing social development and well being of Japanese-Canadians at the individual, family and community levels;

•Involvement in Powell Street Festival and its Advocacy Committee’s community meetings

•Annual GVJCCA Obon with the Vancouver Buddhist Temple at Nikkei Place

•Supporting the Anglican Church Truth and Reconciliation Process (HRC)

7) To publish a journal as a forum for issues significant to its members, persons with Japanese ancestry, and interested others

•Publication of The Bulletin / Geppo