In 2007, the Mosaic Institute initiated preliminary programming relating to its four core geographic areas of focus:
West Asia
In February, Mosaic sponsored the Turkey Symposium at York University’s Glendon College. This was the 12th installment of the Glendon College International Studies Symposium, and it brought leading international scholars of Turkey as well as high-ranking Turkish diplomats to Toronto.
Middle East
In April, Alidad Mafinezam was invited to present a Canadian perspective at the Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB) conference at New York University, in New York NY. IAAB is an international NGO which works to connect Iranian Diasporas across the world, and harness their ability to effect change in Iran.
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On July 13, Alidad visited Arlington, Virginia to discuss the Iranian-Canadian community at a conference on Iranian Diasporas sponsored by the US government.
Sudan
On May 18, Mosaic released the results of a Pollara poll on Canadians’ perceptions of the Darfur crisis. The poll demonstrated that a clear majority (2/3rds) of Canadians believe that Canada should play a lead role in stopping the genocide in Darfur and bringing peace to Sudan.
In June, Mosaic met in Ottawa with Laurent Charette, the Director for Sudan at the Canadian International Development Agency, and Louis Guay, the Deputy Director of Sudan Task Force at Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, to discuss a development strategy for Darfur which incorporates the input of the Sudanese Diaspora in Canada.
In July, Mosaic hosted a Strategy Session in Toronto for NGOs doing work on Darfur. The session included Plan Canada, Human Rights Watch, KAIROS, War Child Canada, the Darfur Association of Canada, Stand Canada, and Save Darfur Canada.
Mosaic also hosted a working meeting on resolving the Darfur crisis in Toronto with the Rwandan Ambassador to Canada and others, including Ismael Adam of the Darfur Association of Canada, Simon Burke, Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to then Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Mackay, and former Mosaic Advisory Council member Bill Deluce.
South Asia
On June 29, Alidad Mafinezam spoke at the Asia Pacific Foundation roundtable on Canadians abroad, in Ottawa.
On November 3, Mosaic hosted a dinner reception on Indo-Pakistan relations for approximately sixty distinguished members of the Indo-Canadian and Pakistani Canadian communities. They reviewed the historic divide between the two countries, as well as promising signs of an improvement in relations. The discussion addressed how such improvements can be carried further to address remaining conflicts. Pakistani business leader Amin Hashwani, Pakistani musician Salman Ahmad, as well the Consuls General of India and Pakistan attended the event in Toronto.
On November 9, the Former Pakistani Ambassador to Canada, Naeen Hasan led a discussion at the Mosaic Institute on appropriate responses to the declaration of a state of emergency in Pakistan.
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