Portuguese-Canadian National Congress Receives Support from the Government of Canada
TORONTO, May 12, 2005 -- Member of Parliament (Davenport) Mario Silva, on behalf of the Minister of State (Multiculturalism), the Honourable Raymond Chan, today announced $396,837 in funding for the Portuguese Canadian National Congress (PCNC). The funds will enable the PCNC to undertake two community projects aimed at increasing the civic and political participation of Portuguese-Canadians."I am pleased that our government is able to support community partners who are working to identify and address barriers to civic participation among Canada's various ethno-cultural communities", said Mr. Silva.
"Canada's ethnic, racial, and religious diversity continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and it is important to ensure that all Canadians have a say in the future of our country," said Minister of State Chan. "The Government of Canada remains committed to supporting the civic and political participation of ethnocultural communities and that is why we are proud of the partnership we have forged with civic-minded organizations like the Portuguese-Canadian National Congress."
The PCNC's "Thinking Civically Youth Leadership Project" will receive $165,887 over three years to facilitate the civic and political participation among Canadian youth of Portuguese origin in five Ontario communities (Hamilton, Kingston, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Toronto). The PCNC hopes to achieve this objective by recruiting and training youth leaders, by developing strategies to increase civic participation in area high schools and universities, and by hosting a Youth Summit that will enable participants to share knowledge, build networks and coordinate activities across the five communities.
The PCNC's "Meeting for Action - Consolidation Phase" project will receive $230,950 over three years to build on earlier work to identify barriers to Portuguese-Canadian participation in Canada's civic and political spheres. To attain this objective, the PCNC will organize outreach, training, information sharing and networking activities to help PCNC member organizations address the challenges they face.
Financial assistance is provided by the Department of Canadian Heritage through its Multiculturalism Program. Canada's Multiculturalism Policy promotes full participation in Canadian society for people of all origins, as well as interaction between individuals and communities of different backgrounds.
Funding announced today was provided for in the February 2005 federal budget.
Information:
Roy Bornmann
Office of the Minister of State
(Multiculturalism)
(819) 997-9900
Michael Giles
Executive Assistant
Office of Mario Silva, M.P.
(613) 992-2576
Mary Jago
Manager, Communications
Canadian Heritage
(416) 954-5312
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