|
CEANA 2011
CONVENTION COMMUNIQUÉ
The 18th annual
Council of Ewe Associations of North America (CEANA) convention took place
in Toronto, Ontario, Canada from September 2nd through
September 5th 2011 at Toronto Airport Marriott, 901 Dixon Rd, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada. The theme for this year’s culturally filled Convention
was
"Empowering
Women through Education”.
The convention kicked
off with the arrival of delegates from the Diaspora on from Thursday,
September 1, 2011. Friday September 2nd, 2011 morning started
with a meeting of the Council of Representatives (COR) presided by the
outgoing president of CEANA Mr. Kuesi Amegah-Wovoe and the Executive
Director Mr. William Adzimahe. The afternoon went on with a tour and site
seeing to the Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada and the evening crowned with
a cultural show by the youth group.
Saturday, September 3,
2011, started with the general convention with presentations from the
guest speakers followed by a health seminar by the Canadian Cancer
Society. The evening banquet and dance opened with cultural performance
and welcoming of an entourage of the Paramount Chief Togbuigah Noagbey of
Avate, Senu III, Mama Sebeso IV from Agotime, Mama Kwada from Avate and
her chief linguist and local chiefs of North of America, The Volta
Regional Minister Hon Joseph Amenorwode, Hon Mrs. Juliana Azuma Mensah,
Minister of Women and Children. Among the guest was Mrs. Margaret Korto,
COR members and their families. This was followed by dining and dancing at
intervals along with presentations from guest speakers. The evening ended
with handing over the CEANA stool and torch to the Ewe Assoc of Houston,
Texas who would be the CEANA 2012 convention host.
Sunday, September 4,
2011 activities started with a well attended non denominational church
service and continued with a picnic at the Mississauga Park. After
dancing, socializing and celebrating the Ewe Speaking Communities in the
North America it was time to unwind from the day’s busy activities which
made time for Mise Gli loo.
Convention attendants
returned to their various destinations on Monday September 5, 2011.
Other activities that
came on during the Saturday night included fund raising for the STAR fund
program to raise funds for scholarship that would extend to secondary
school students in Ghana, Togo, or Benin.
In sum, the convention
can be termed a success, judging from the hospitality shown us and
response we’ve been getting from people across the globe. With the
exception of the technical and logistical difficulties encountered during
the dinner dance, all other scheduled events were a huge success. The
CEANA Secretariat, COR and the Ewe Canadian Cultural Organization of
Ontario (ECCOO) would like to thank the Canadian Cancer Society, all well
wishers and sympathizers for their support, advice and most importantly,
their confidence in our efforts to provide a better future for the Eweland.
The next CEANA
Convention will be held in Houston Texas in September 2012. "Mia do go le
afima fe si gborna."
[General Secretary CEANA]
|
