Public Mobilization & Volunteerism

Some of NCCT's other initiatives involved in empowering and mobilizing the public include raising funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation through the Big Bike Ride, partnering with Canadian Blood Services multiple times a year to have blood drives in remembrance of the sacrifices made by the Tamil people, participating in annual poppy campaigns organized by the Royal Canadian Legion to honour veterans and remember their sacrifices and collecting food supplies from the Tamil Canadian community to help support the people stranded due to the power outages around the Greater Toronto Area.

On an annual basis, NCCT hosts Tamil Heritage Month celebrations in partnership with the Tamil Heritage Society, Canadian Tamil Academy and Arivakam Canada. January is an important month for Tamil People both in Canada and worldwide. In 2014 the province of Ontario proclaimed January as Tamil Heritage Month (Bill 156) and on October 5th, 2016 the House of Commons voted unanimously to recognize every January as Tamil Heritage Month (Motion M–24). Today, numerous cities across the country have also recognized January as Tamil Heritage Month.

Canada is home to one of the largest Tamil diasporas in the world. Tamil Heritage Month recognitions give us a great opportunity to celebrate the invaluable contributions of Tamil Canadians that have enriched Canada's social, cultural, economic and political fabric. It also provides us all the opportunity to draw inspiration from the strength and resilience of Tamil people whose stories of courage in the face of adversity are truly inspiring.

On an annual basis, NCCT hosts its Grand Gala, which is a unique evening of recognition that showcases the achievements of NCCT, other community organizations, and outstanding talents. It also features unique performances from prominent Tamil Canadian artists, followed by a dinner. The Grand Gala brings together many special guests and prestigious dignitaries, including political leaders, Ministers, and elected members from all levels of government.

On an annual basis, NCCT hosts Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day on May 18th to commemorate and memorialize all the Tamil people's lives lost since 1948 as a result of the genocide committed against the Tamil people by the Sri Lankan state, including during the heights of the Tamil Genocide that took place in Mullivaikal, Sri Lanka in May 2009.

This event is an opportunity to come together to recommit to continue combatting Tamil Genocide denial and distortion, advocating to achieve international recognition, international accountability, and remedial justice for Tamil Genocide and for a permanent political solution based on the Tamil people's right to self-determination to address the legitimate political aspirations of the Tamil people in the island of Sri Lanka.

On an annual basis, NCCT hosts Black July to commemorate and memorialize all the Tamil people's lives lost and the resilience of the Tamil victims and survivors during the 1983 anti-Tamil pogrom. Back in 1983, during the month of July, the Sri Lankan state deliberately started genocidal pogroms targeting Tamil people using state-sponsored Sinhala mobs, Sinhala parliamentarians and Sri Lankan security forces. It is estimated that 200,000 Tamil people were immediately rendered refugees, 3,000 innocent Tamil people were killed, 500 Tamil women were raped, 8,000 homes and 5,000 shops belonging to Tamil people were destroyed.

This event is an opportunity to come together to recommit to continue combatting Tamil Genocide denial and distortion, advocating to achieve international recognition, international accountability, and remedial justice for Tamil Genocide and for a permanent political solution based on the Tamil people's right to self-determination to address the legitimate political aspirations of the Tamil people in the island of Sri Lanka.