Federation of Global Tamil Organizations (FGTO) organized a meeting with representatives of Tamil organizations in Toronto on February 17 at Scarborough Civic Centre Committee Room 1 & 2. Representatives from six organizations participated and the following is the summary. The details will be shared with Toronto City Councillors

1. As per the previous letter and a public petition{1}, the representatives plan to further explain the reasons for the City of Toronto not to offer the street permit to Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) due to their active engagement with the genocide perpetrator sanctioned by Foreign Affairs Canada, Mahinda Rajapaksa. 
2. Without any consent from Tamils either in Canada or in Tamil Eelam, CTC engaged in a declaration with funding from the Swiss government{2} to a Sri Lankan organization. The meeting of Rapakse and the declaration are seen as a betrayal{3}. One CTC’s advisor and a board member resigned but still, there is no formal apology{4} by CTC.
3. Tamils demand accountability and transparency{5} as CTC has limited membership. Obtaining membership in CTC for an ordinary Canadian is very restrictive, almost next to impossible.
4. Tamil organizations in Toronto are ready to organize the Tamil Street Fest event as a coalition if the City of Toronto offers the street permission this year. Further town hall meetings are planned to be held in the coming weeks by several Tamil organizations and the councilors are also warmly welcome to observe and participate. 

Tamil organizations in Toronto are ready to organize the Tamil Street Fest event as a coalition if the City of Toronto offers the street permission this year. We strongly urge the City of Toronto to offer the permit to a coalition of Tamil organizations so that they can share the cost, stage time and responsibility to organize the Tamil street festival so that there will be greater transparency, accountability and higher potential.

We strongly urge the City of Toronto to offer the permit to a coalition of Tamil organizations so that they can share the cost, stage time and responsibility to organize the Tamil street festival so that there will be greater transparency, accountability and higher potential.

References:

1. “We strongly urge the City of Toronto not to allow CTC, an organization that has lost credibility in the Tamil Canadian community due to their active engagement with perpetrators of the Tamil Genocide, to organize Tamil Fest this year“ https://www.change.org/ACoalitionToHostTamilFest

2. “Swiss Government Admits Sponsorship of Controversial “Himalaya Declaration” in Sri Lanka” https://www.parlament.ch/en/ratsbetrieb/suche-curia-vista/geschaeft?AffairId=20234466 

3. “Justice for genocide must be centred around Tamil victims and their”  demands.https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/betrayal-beyond-belief-tamil-canadians-vent-their-fury-ctc-after-meeting-rajapaksa 

4. “ We call upon members, volunteers, sponsors, and donors of GTF and CTC to immediately take a principled stand and disassociate from these actions” https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/18-tamil-student-and-youth-organisations-demand-public-apology-ctc 

5.  Tamil Canadians demand restructuring of CTC at press meet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r86Qac4QiyQ