United Macedonia Diaspora

[UMDiaspora.org]

http://www.UMDGlobalConference.org

Official Program and Speakers List
As of May 29, 2010


Thursday, June 3, 2010

2:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Meet and Greet

2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Opening Plenary

Speakers:

Metodija A. Koloski, President, United Macedonian Diaspora
His Excellency Ljuben Tevdovski, Ambassador of Macedonia to Canada

Keynote:

Thomas S. Caldwell, C.M., Founder and Chairman, Caldwell Financial, Ltd.

3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Doing Business in Macedonia - A Unique Business Gateway to Southeast Europe

Moderator: Ivona M. Grimberg, President, IMG Consulting

Panelists:

John I. Bitove, Chairman, Obelysk & Chairman, Macedonia 2025
Renato Discenza, President and CEO, Invest Toronto
Viktor Mizo, CEO, InvestMacedonia
Mike Zafirovski, former President and CEO of Nortel & Board Member, Boeing

4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Coffee Break and Networking


5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Success Stories and Building Partnership

Moderator: Goran Saveski, Director of Operations, Delo Logic Arts

Panelists:

Chris Temovsky, President, Ddrops Company
Robert Lamauro, President and CEO, Somerset Hills YMCA
Tim DiScipio, Founder of ePals

6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Reception hosted by His Excellency Ambassador and Mrs. Ljuben Tevdovski

8:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Movie Screening: A Name is A Name
followed by Q&A with Director and Producer

Moderator: Virginia Andreoff Evans

Q&A: Jason Miko, Producer


Friday, June 4, 2010

8:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Coffee

9:00 - 9:15 a.m.
Welcome

9:15 - 10:45 a.m.
Tourism: The Undiscovered Macedonia

Moderator: Virginia Dubiel


Panelists:

Filip Blazeski, InvestMacedonia
Vladimir Naumovski, Ohrid Travel Agency
Dr. Douglas F. Munch, Founder and Owner, DFM, Ltd
Susan Riggio and Karen Witt, Outdoor Adventure Program, Somerset Hills YMCA

10:45 - 11:15 a.m.
Coffee Break and Networking

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Macedonia in a Globalized World

Moderator: Sofi Blazeski

Panelists:

Aleksandar Nikoloski, Member of Parliament, Macedonia
Viktorija Gierer
Jason Miko
Hristo Ivanovski, Diplomatic Editor, Dnevnik

12:30 - 2:00 p.m.
Lunch: Canadian-Macedonian Relations

Lui Temelkovski (to receive UMD Macedonian Heritage Public Service Award)

His Excellency, Ambassador Ljuben Tevdovski
Julie Lindhout, President, The Atlantic Council of Canada

2:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Coffee Break and Networking

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
A History of Macedonian Emigration

Moderator: Helen Rentis

Panelists:

Lillian Petroff, Author, Sojourners and Settlers: The Macedonian Community in Toronto to 1940
Harry Herman, Author, Men in White Aprons
Joco Sami, Macedonian Centre for Cultural and Social Integration

3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Preservation of the Macedonian Identity and Language in Today's Global Community

Moderator: Virginia Andreoff Evans

Panelists:

Christina Kramer, Professor of Slavic and Balkan linguistics and Chair of the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, Universty of Toronto
Biljana Belamaric Wilsey, Founder and Executive Director of the Macedonian Language E-Learning Center
Joseph Schallert, Associate Professor, Slavic Linguistics, University of Toronto

4:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Coffee Break and Networking

5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Archaeology Topic: Burial and Tombs in Ancient Macedonia

Moderator: Julianna Atanasoski

Speaker:

Belinda D’Angelo, LaTrobe University

8:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
aLIVE – A Macedonian Cultural Celebration

Emcee: Elizabeth Naumovski, Vice President of Marketing, Caldwell Securities Ltd.


Awardee:

Olga Veloff Sandolowich (to receive UMD Outstanding Achievement Award in the Arts)

Canadian Debut of Macedonian Ethno Group Synthesis

Line Up:

Selyani, Ema Nikolovska, Makedonka, Miki Petkovski, Boys from Bouf

Art Exhibit: Dimce Isailovski


Saturday, June 5, 2010

8:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Coffee

9:00 - 9:30 a.m.
Welcome

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
The Global Macedonian: UMD Highlights, Achievements, and Moving Forward

10:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Coffee Break and Networking

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Edge of Extinction to the Brink of Hope
The Current Status of Macedonian Human Rights in Southeast Europe

Moderator: Vesna Karapetrova

Awardees:

Archmandrite Nikodim Tsarknias (to receive UMD Religious Freedom Award)
Edmond Temelko, Mayor of Pustec, Albania (to receive UMD Human Rights Award)
Hristo Ivanovski, Diplomatic Editor, Dnevnik (to receive UMD Human Rights Award)
Liana Dumitrescu, Member of Parliament, Romania (to receive UMD Human Rights Award)

Speakers:

Viktorija Gierer
Dr. Vladimir Ortakovski, University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius”, Skopje, Macedonia

12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Canadian Macedonian Health Professionals Association Annual Meeting
(Invitation only)

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Macedonian Medical Professionals Roundtable "Healthcare in Macedonia"
(Invitation only)

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Generation “M” – Young Leaders Speak

Moderator: Stojan Nikolov, UMD Board Member

Amanda Kostoff, President, Macedonian American Student Association at University of Michigan
Justin Vasilevski, Vice President, Macedonian American Student Association at University of Michigan
Alexander Karapanchev, University of Western Ontario
Goce Dimitrioski, McMaster University
Andrew Ananievski, President, Australian Macedonian Student Association of Victoria Inc.
Kristopher Maslardzievski, Actor

3:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Coffee Break and Networking

3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Macedonians Making a Difference

Moderator: Alexander Nitsis



Panelists:

Lubi Uzunovski
George Danevski
Virginia Andreoff Evans
Donna Scotland, Children’s Relief Fund
Zlatka Cokov, Canadian Macedonian Place
Diana Sterjovska, Macedonian Community Welfare Association

7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Reception

8:00 - 10:30 p.m.
Gala Dinner and Program

Emcee: Ken Shaw, National Editor and Anchor Weekdays, CTV News Toronto

Awardees:

John L. N. Bitove, C.M. (to receive UMD Lifetime Achievement Award)
Prime Minister Stephen Harper (to receive UMD Goce Delchev Award)
Minister Jason Kenney (to receive UMD Macedonia Friendship Award)

Entertainment:

Makedonka
Synthesis

10:30 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Dancing


Sunday, June 6, 2010

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Macedonian Organizations: Working Together

10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Closing Plenary

[Phoenix]

Seeing that the good folk over at Maknews deleted my response to the UMD announcement I'll deliver it here...

Meto can you please dance a Macedonian oro at your conference unlike the serbian kolo you did when you visited Australia...

[DIMO]

maybe ke mani edno DEMOCRATSKO ORO

[Prolet]

Phoenix, Never mind Meto, what music will Maknews dance to?

[Phoenix]

maybe ke mani edno DEMOCRATSKO ORO

...lol

Then he can award himself the UMD Democratsko award...seems they have an 'award' for every occasion...

[Phoenix]

Phoenix, Never mind Meto, what music will Maknews dance to?

Spolaj Ti for the question Prolet...

Maknews will dance to whichever tune Meto deems appropriate for the cause...sadly Maknews has lost all independence...

[BigMak]

Spolaj Ti for the question Prolet...

Maknews will dance to whichever tune Meto deems appropriate for the cause...sadly Maknews has lost all independence...

Maknews has not had a new (interesting) topic of conversation for months, it has lost all credibility and is no place for conversation.

[Phoenix]

Maknews has not had a new (interesting) topic of conversation for months, it has lost all credibility and is no place for conversation.

You're right BM, its a shadow of the place it once was...and the administrator has only himself to blame...Maknews went to great lengths to give freedom of speech to every donkey that had something ignorant to say about Macedonia, only to drive out some of the most passionate and intelligent Macedonians in the process.
Today Maknews serves as UMD's internet arm...

[Prolet]

Phoenix, I dont think Dedo Lexo is pro UMD, infact he argues with their supporters all the time.

[Phoenix]

Phoenix, I dont think Dedo Lexo is pro UMD, infact he argues with their supporters all the time.

I think its a bit of an act Prolet...try posting something critical of UMD and it quickly gets deleted, usually by the guy you claim is impartial...

[Soldier of Macedon]

I have put a closing date on this poll, 14 days from the original start date.

[Prolet]

SOM, What about the new members who havnt voted yet?

[Pelister]

UMD is full of shite.

I am amazed every time with respect to their defence of the E.U institution.

UMD not only defend institutions that are anti-Macedonian, but defend tooth and nail the negotiation process - which is a vehicle designed to drive the Macedonian Republic toward political extinction. This notion that we are "negotiating" to get into the E.U is simply ridiculous, if one considers just how dangerous this process is for us. The Hellenic Republic essentially wants to finish what it started in 1912. It can't complete its conquest of Macedonia while the Macedonian Republic is still around. It is a deception which UMD have been feeding the average Macedonian for years that the negotiation process is about being 'civilized' and about 'progress' and our 'future'. UMD uses catch phrases such as these to suggest that membership to the E.U club will secure our 'future'. It is to the detriment of all Macedonians that the UMD organization has been deliberately deflecting attention from the fact that the negotiation process, is keeping the question of our political existence, alive and in play. We are standing at the brink of political extinction by engaging this political process - UMD are fully aware of this and yet they endorse it! What could be more anti-Macedonian than that.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Prolet, there is another week open for voting, putting a time limit on it will give a true contemporary reflection of the sentiment of Macedonians from around the globe that post on the MTO forum.

[Bill77]

I have put a closing date on this poll, 14 days from the original start date.

If this was an election you would call it a landslide victory to the Neys