THE CANADIAN LIBYAN COUNCIL POST Issue I December, 2011 President’s Message..................................... 3 Editor’s Message ......................................... 3 President’s Message-Arabic ........................ 4 CLC: The Beginning.................................... 5 CLC Projects................................................ 7 Canada’s Role.............................................. 8 CLC Board of Directors............................... 10 CLC Saskatchewan...................................... 11 United We Stand, Divided We Fall ............. 13 ‘Two Weeks’................................................ 14-15 Book Review................................................ 17 Freedom Soon Poem.................................... 18 Canadian-Libyan Martyrs ............................ 19 Issue I December 2011 WELCOME 2 Issue I December 2011 President’s Message To the CLC community, It is time for all of us to think positively towards building a Alhamdulillah with the grace of new free democratic country, a Allah SWT, the Libyan hero country that will respect human fighters, and the sincere prayers rights and values its citizens. of our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and children we smell the It is time for Canadian-Libyan beautiful air of freedom. professionals to share their professional experiences to help People in Libya are now happier, Libya become one of the most despite the lack of food, water advanced countries in the word. and other necessities. Now it is our duty as Canadian-Libyans to I thank Allah SWT for giving us “It is time for all the help Libya to our fullest the opportunity to see a new Canadian-Libyans to capacity. It is time for all the Libya, a Libya without Gaddafi Canadian-Libyans to come and his family. come together and be together and be united regardless united regardless of our of our differences. We should Dr. Adel Esayed differences.” look to what benefits Libya and CLC, President the people of Libya first before looking to anything else. Editor’s Message To the CLC community, like to thank all the contributors to this issue and to those who helped to The past few months have been put this newsletter together. If you an emotional tide to say the would like to contribute to the CLC least. The CLC community has newsletter, would like to become part been working tirelessly during of the team, or have any suggestions this time. Despite our or comments, please email differences, we have come [email protected] together for a common goal- to see Libya free and rebuilding. I hope that this newsletter can Salma Shickh help bring us closer as a community. It will be a way to gather our thoughts and to recap our accomplishments. I would 3 Issue I December 2011 ϢϜϴϠϋ!ϡϼδϟ΍ ΎϨΗΎϬϣ΍ϭΎϨ΋ΎΑ΍˯ΎϋΩϭˬϝΎτΑϻ΍ϦϴϠΗΎϘϤϟ΍ΔϋΎΠθΑϢΛˬϰϟΎόΗϭϪϧΎΤΒγௌϞπϔΑ ΔϳήΤϟ΍Ϣϴδϧϥϻ΍ΎϴΒϴϟϖθϨΘδΗˬΎϨϟΎϔρ΃ϭΎϨΗ΍ϮΧ΃ϭΎϨϧ΍ϮΧ΍ϭ ϦϣξόΑϭ˯΍Ϊϐϟ΍ϭ˯ΎϤϟ΍κϘϧϦϣϢϏήϟΎΑϥϻ΍ΓΩΎόγήΜϛ΍ϲΒϴϠϟ΍ΐόθϟ΍ ΎϣϞϜΑϞϤόϧϥ΍΍ΪϨϛϲϓϦϳήΟΎϬϣϦϴΒϴϟΎϛΎϨϴϠϋΐΟ΍Ϯϟ΍ϦϤϟϪϧ΍ϭΕΎϳέϭήπϟ΍ ϊπϧϥ΍ϭΎϨΗΎϓϼΧάΒϧΎϨϴϠϋΐΠϳϭΎϴΒϴϟΐϴΒΤϟ΍ΎϧΪϠΑΓΪϋΎδϤϟΕΎϴϧΎϜϣ΍ϦϣΎϨόγϮΑ ˯ϰηϞϛϞΒϗΎϧΪϠΑϭΎϨϠϫ΃ϊϔϨϳΎϣΎϨϧϮϴϋ΃ΐμϧ ϡήΘΤΗΪϠΑˬήΣϰρ΍ήϘϤϳΩΪϠΑ˯ΎϨΒϟϞΒϘΘδϤϟ΍ϮΤϧϝ΅ΎϔΗΓήψϧήψϨϨϟΖϗϮϟ΍ϥΎΣΪϘϟ Ϧρ΍ϮϤϟ΍ΔϤϴϗϭϥΎδϧϻ΍ϕϮϘΣϪϴϓ ΎϴΒϴϟΓΪϋΎδϤϟΔϴϨϬϤϟ΍ΎϬΗ΍ήΒΧϡΪϘΗϥ΃ΓήΟΎϬϤϟ΍ΔϴΒϴϠϟ΍Ε΍ήΒΨϠϟΖϗϮϟ΍ϥΎΣΪϘϟ ϢϟΎόϟ΍ϲϓΎϣΪϘΗϥ΍ΪϠΒϟ΍ήΜϛ΍ϦϣΓΪΣ΍ϭ΢ΒμΘϟ ΎϴΒϴϟˬΓΪϳΪΠϟ΍ΎϴΒϴϟΔϳ΅ήϟΔλήϔϟ΍ϩάϫΎϨΤϨϣϰϠϋϰϟΎόΗϭϪϧΎΤΒγௌήϜη΍ϡΎΘΨϟ΍ϲϓϭ Ϟϣϻ΍ Ϊϴδϟ΍ϝΩΎϋΩ ΔϴΒϴϠϟ΍ΔϳΪϨϜϟ΍ΔϴόϤΠϟ΍β΋έ 4 Issue I December 2011 CLC: The Beginning By: Nada Basir The CLC has struggled in the past few months to reach where it has today. In the span of 6 months this February 15, 2011. A date we will never forget. We organization has picked up members from across watched in complete horror as Libyans protesting for Canada, has had free democratic elections, and has a better life, for freedom, for dignity, were met with become the go-to organization for anything to do bullets, machetes, and machine gun fire. Regardless with Libya for all major media outlets and of the thousands of miles in between, we could not politicians. We have been quoted and/or mentioned just sit and watch the horror happen in front of their in dozens of articles, our policy recommendations eyes. have been referred to in meetings of parliament regarding major decisions including Canada’s Although many of us were itching to go back to support in the NATO mission, and we have been Libya and fight with our heroes, we realized that invited to meetings with key Canadian political there was a job to be done outside of Libya. In the players, including the Foreign Affairs Minister John 42 years of their occupation, the Gadaffi regime Baird himself, the former Canadian NATO deprived Libyans of the very essence of civil society Ambassador, and leader of the Liberal party. Six and the right to organize and congregate. But in the months ago as I sat there with a friend mapping out wake of the revolution, a group of Libyan Canadians, the organization on paper napkins, I never imagined from different generations and different professional we would be working with over 300 members, the backgrounds realized that we needed to do phone ringing with media requests, and high ranking something, and we needed to do it now. DFAIT officials asking to meet. We have had our The founding of the CLC took place at an office as a bumps in the road, and continue to confront frantic lawyer made up a letterhead to put on a letter obstacles, but mountains are not meant to be moved she was about to present to a Member of Parliament, easily. Libya is free, all praise to Allah, and Libyans it took place over dinner as two friends sat and have made their mark in history and to the world. All discussed how they can help the dire situation in eyes will be on Libya and Libyans across the globe Libya, and it took place in a basement with a group for years to come. This is when the real work begins. of men gathered around brainstorming what needs to So let us role up our sleeves and get to work. be done now. What did these people have in common? The desire to do something, and the realization that to mobilize and be taken seriously you need to organize. These forces joined together and the Canadian Libyan Council was born. 5 Issue I December 2011 CLC NEWS AND EVENTS 6 Issue I December 2011 CLC Youth Projects By: Amirah Momen Summer Volunteer Program The CLC Youth Group is organizing a summer volunteer program for the many Canadian-Libyan youth that will be travelling to Libya next summer to reunite with their families. This is a time of rebuilding in Libya and it is in our opinion that the greatest need will be expertise and skills-both of which our youth possess a great wealth of. We are working on a project whereby youth members from our community can put their respective skills, whether they be in science, sports or writing to good use by linking them with specific organizations, hospitals and summer camps and acting as a liaison between our youth and organizations in need of their help. This will give our youth a chance to volunteer their time to the rebuilding efforts in their second home, serving not only as a great experience for our youth but allowing them to contribute to the rebirth of our beloved Libya. CLC Professionals Conference Canadian-Libyan professionals will be coming together in the spring of 2012 for a mass dialogue on the many issues facing Libya. This conference is geared towards efforts to brainstorm the many ways our community’s expertise and skills can be used to aid in a swift and successful rebuilding of our beloved Libya. Canadian-Libyan youth are invited to contribute their own knowledge and skills to the task at hand: rebuilding Libya into a great nation that reflects the quality of its people. Youth will be invited to contribute to the various discussions which will be organized by sector such as medical and education. In addition there will also be an opportunity for the youth to network with other Canadian-Libyan youth from across Canada and work on possible projects (in addition to helping in organizing the summer volunteer program). 7 Issue I December 2011 Canada’s Role in the Humanitarian Mission Pictured from left: Dr. Mansour Bendago, Dr. Abdala Shmesa, John Baird, Bev Oda, Salheen The CLC was invited to a roundtable discussion by the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable John Baird. Present at the meeting was Mr. Baird himself, the Honourable Bev Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, who accompanied the Minister on his trip to Benghazi, the Canadian Ambassador to Libya, Ms. Sandra McCardell, Mr. Salheen Gheriani, CLC Chair, Dr. Mansour Bendago, CLC VP Outreach, Dr. Abdalla Shmesa and Dr. Adel Dayub, who just returned from Libya, and representatives from the major international NGOs including the Red Cross, Rights and Democracy, and CARE. The meeting was a chance to discuss the current humanitarian situation in Libya, Canada's role in assisting, and determining how the CLC can help. The CLC made the following requests: 4. Expedite processing the application for charitable status made by new non-for-profits in Canada that 1. Invite a member of the NTC to visit Canada and are directed towards assisting with the current officially inaugurate the embassy under crisis in Libya. the Libyan freedom flag, and discuss further cooperation between the two countries. 5. Similar to Italy and Qatar, request that Canadian government set up a Field Hospital in Libya using 2. Release Libyan frozen assets in Canada to be Canadian expertise. used to help alleviate the suffering and help prevent a larger humanitarian crisis. We 6. Help in providing vaccines and other medications encourage the Canadian government to explore and equipment in the field such as orthopedic various methods for this money to reach surgery, neurosurgery and general surgery, areas Libyans in need, including using the funds as that are in great need at the moment.