Multicultural Advisory Committee
Overview
The Multicultural Advisory Committee was established on February 17, 2009.
Mandate
The Multicultural Advisory Committee is advisory to City Council. The mandate of the Committee is to enhance access to full participation in City services for multicultural communities.
Under Section 160 of the Vancouver Charter, all committees of Council shall stand discharged immediately before the first Monday after December 1 in the year of a general local election.
Terms of Reference
The Committee:
- provides input to civic departments in addressing racism and discrimination issues, e.g. hate crime, graffiti, civic rental policy;
- addresses issues of concern, e.g. housing, youth and seniors, culture and recreation, and community outreach;
- works with City staff on civic events which celebrate diversity, e.g. Cultural Harmony Awards, City Hall Lights Program, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination;
- contributes to City programs and policies to ensure that the needs of multicultural communities are considered;
- views City programs and policies through diverse lenses;
- works co-operatively with other civic agencies whose activities affect multicultural communities;
- engages in outreach to the multicultural communities to disseminate information and encourage participation;
- acts as a conduit for feedback from multicultural communities on civic matters affecting them;
- acts as a resource for staff doing public involvement processes in multicultural communities, e.g. civic elections and Community Visions;
- supports groups endeavouring to initiate and develop projects to assist multicultural communities;
- attends City-sponsored public forums to provide information on City programs and receive public input on diversity issues;
- brings to the City Council matters identified by it as requiring action by the City;
- deals with any matters which may be referred to the Committee by Council;
- produces an annual work plan with specific objectives by no later than March of each year, in consultation with its Council and staff liaisons, for distribution to Council and civic departments for information;
- submits an annual report to Council describing its accomplishments for the year, including reference to each objective set out in the work plan and any arising issues to which the Committee has responded;
- a maximum of 12 members are appointed by Vancouver City Council.
Membership
The Multicultural Advisory Committee is composed of voting members appointed for three-year terms. Nomination by a community group working on issues related to the civic agency's mandate will be considered an asset. All applicants must be able to demonstrate relevant experience related to the mandate of this committee. Two Chairs, or one Chair and a Vice-Chair, will be elected by the Committee on an annual basis.
- A maximum of 12 members are appointed by Vancouver City Council
- In addition, one City Councillor and one staff liaison person is appointed, as well as a liaison from the Park Board and the School Board; all as non-voting members.
The Committee may appoint a reasonable number of sub-committees to assist with its projects. Membership may include persons willing to serve who are not members of the Committee.
Current Committee members
Terms expire December 7, 2014:
- Manjot Bains
- Waldo Brino
- Jay Catalan
- Nellie Cheng
- Yvonne Chin
- Demitri Douzenis, Co-Chair
- Jacky Essombe
- Paola Murillo
- Mita Naidu
- Vivian Xudan Pan
- Azim Wazeer
- Miu Chung Yan, Co-Chair
Council Liaison: Councillor Kerry Jang
Park Board Liaison: Commissioner John Coupar
School Board Liaison: Trustee Ken Clement
Staff Liaison: Baldwin Wong, Social Policy
Meeting Coordinator: Bonnie Kennett, bonnie.kennett@vancouver.ca or 604.873.7269
Reappointment
Members may be re-appointed.
Meeting Frequency
The Committee is required to officially meet at least four times per year on a quarterly basis, to a maximum of 10 times per year, excluding August.
Generally, the Committee meets on the second Thursday of each month, except August, at 5:30 pm in Committee Room #1, 3rd Floor, City Hall.
Time Commitment
Committee meetings last approximately two hours. A minimum of one to two additional hours a month is spent on e-mail and other correspondence, meetings, research and networking. Preparation time for all meetings is required.
Subcommittees
The Multicultural Advisory Committee has the following subcommittees. Membership on a sub-committee is optional and can consist of members not on the Committee and requires about 1 to 2 hours time commitment every month.
- Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and Discrimination (CMARD)
- Follow-up on the Public Consultation held on October 27, 2010
Attendance Requirement
Members may miss no more than four consecutive meetings without obtaining Leave of Absence from the Committee. Membership will be terminated following the fourth such absence.
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2012 Minutes and Agendas
| 2012 Meeting Date | Agenda | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| April 10 | Agenda  |
Minutes |
| May 10 | Agenda | Minutes |
| June 14 | Agenda | Minutes |
| July 12 | Agenda | Minutes |
| No meeting in August | ||
| September 13 | Agenda | Minutes |
| October 11 | Agenda | Minutes |
| November 8 | Agenda | Minutes |
| December 13 | Agenda | Minutes |
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