 ATAA participated in the 5th Annual Canadian Youth Congress of the Council of Turkish Canadians (CTC) in Ottawa. 150 student leaders from throughout Canada gathered to sharpen their social activism and leadership skills.
The two day long congress, which began with a dinner reception at the Turkish Ambassador Rafet Akgünay’s residence, brought various civic leaders, scholars and student leaders as young as 16 together. Besides providing tools and information necessary to address and resolve issues that pertain to Turkish Canadians, the congress also provided young Canadians with an opportunity to establish friendships, solidarity, and networking.
 ATAA’s Past-President Gunay Evinch and Civic Engagement Director Yenal Kucuker were among the presenters. Past-President Gunay Evinch presented "The North American Turk" to student leaders from throughout Canada. Evinch shared his personal experiences as an American of Turkish heritage being born and raised in America, as well as his activities in student government. In a joint presentation with Beril Unver from the Turkish Coalition of America (TCA), Yenal Kucuker informed students about grassroots activism in America and motivated Canadian Youth to take action in their local communities.  Participants showed great enthusiasm for the Congress and invited Beril and Yenal to other campuses. Gunay Evinch and Yenal Kucuker indicated that ATAA is fully committed to helping both the Turkish Canadian and the Turkish American Youth for greater success in grassroots activism in North America.
 The 5th Annual Turkish Canadian Youth Congress ended with a workshop, where young delegates were asked to identify opportunities to advance the Turkish-Canadian cause, and provide practical recommendations to put these opportunities into action. Delegates will work on these action items throughout the year and report their progress during the 6th Annual Turkish Canadian Youth Congress.
TurkishNY.com
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