கனடாவின் ரொரன்ரோ பல்கலைக் கழகத்தில் அமையவுள்ள தமிழ் இருக்கை நிதிக்கு தந்தை செல்வா நம்பிக்கை நிதியம் இரண்டரை இலட்சம் டாலர்களை வழங்கியது
கனடாவின் ரொரன்ரோ பல்கலைக் கழகத்தில் அமையவுள்ள தமிழ் இருக்கை நிதிக்கு தந்தை செல்வா நம்பிக்கை நிதியம் இரண்டரை இலட்சம் டாலர்களை வழங்கியுள்ள செய்தியை ரொரன்ரோ பல்கலைக் கழகம் மிகவும் மகிழ்ச்சியுடன் அறிவித்துள்ளது.
இந்த நிதி சேகரிப்பில் கடந்த சில மாதங்களாக மிகவும் தீவிரமாக ஈடுபட்டு வந்த இந்த தமிழ் இருக்கைக் குழு பல இணையவழி நிகழ்ச்சிகளை நடத்தியது. அவற்றின் மூலம் தொடர்ச்சியாக குறிப்பிட்ட தொகை சேகரிக்கப்பட்டது.
எனினும் இந்த தந்தை செல்வா நம்பிக்கை நிதியம் வழங்கியுள்ள நிதியான இந்த ரொரன்ரொ தமிழ் இருக்கை நிதியத்திற்கு தேவையான 3 மில்லியன் டாலர்களை எட்டுவதற்கு உதவி செய்ததாக அமையும் என்று எதிர்பார்க்கப்படுவதாக எமது கனடா உதயன் ஆசிரிய பீடத்திற்கு கிடைத்த தகவல் ஒன்றின் மூலம் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.
அத்துடன் பிந்திக் கிடைத்த செய்தி ஒன்றின் படி தமிழ்நாட்டில் இயங்கும் அரசியல் கட்சியான திராவிட முன்னேற்றக் கழகத்தின் சார்பிலும் குறிப்பிட்ட ஒரு தொகை அன்பளிப்பாக ரொரன்ரொ தமிழ் இருக்கை நிதியத்திற்கு கிடைத்துள்ளதாக அறியப்படுகின்றது
Tamil Chair campaign receives $250,000 donation from the SJV and EJ Chelvanayakam Charitable Foundation
Gift brings into view campaign goal of $3 million to establish a Chair in Tamil Studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough
We did it!! Thank you, each and every one of you, for your passionate support of this very special campaign which will help preserve Tamil language and culture, further scholarship and create opportunities for global academic collaboration in Tamil Studies.
Please watch your inbox for news on how we plan on celebrating this momentous milestone with you, our donors, and information on the next steps as we begin the work of establishing the Chair in Tamil Studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough.
Once again, congratulations to the Tamil community for your extraordinary efforts in meeting our campaign goal!
Sincerely,
Lisa Lemon
Executive Director, Development and Alumni Relations Office
University of Toronto Scarborough
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April 26, 2021 (Toronto, ON) — The SJV and EJ Chelvanayakam Charitable Foundation has donated an incredibly generous gift of $250,000 towards reaching the $3 million fundraising goal needed to establish a Chair in Tamil Studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough.
Spearheaded by the Canadian Tamil Congress and Tamil Chair Inc., the Tamil Chair campaign represents an extraordinary effort by the Tamil community to bring Tamil Studies to one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
Tamil is among the world’s seven classical languages, with a continuous linguistic and literary history stretching back more than 2,000 years. With 80 million plus speakers, Tamil is one of the most frequently spoken languages in the world. Canada — specifically, the area around the GTA and eastern Toronto where the UTSC campus is based — is home to the largest Tamil community outside of the Indian sub-continent.
“The Chelvanayakam Charitable Foundation is pleased to support the initiative to establish a Chair in Tamil Studies at the University of Toronto. As one of the oldest living languages, and one with a rich literary and historical heritage, it is fitting that the Tamil language will be recognized in Canada by the establishment of an academic Chair at the University of Toronto,” said Malliha Wilson, a member of the SJV Chelvanayakam family.
The SJV and EJ Chelvanayakam Charitable Foundation was established in memory of Mr. SJV Chelvanayakam and his wife. The Foundation has been an important ally to non-profit Organisation for Elangai Refugees Rehabilitation India (OfERR), which assists Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in Indian refugee camps. In addition to facilitating the provision of electricity and clean water to the camps, the Foundation helps to empower women in the camps to obtain employment. It also facilitates the provision of education to the camps’ children. The Foundation has also been instrumental in obtaining documentation (birth certificates and identification cards) for Tamil refugees, and has built the SJV Chelvanayakam auditorium in Jaffna, Sri Lanka.
A vital and beloved politician in Sri Lankan Tamil history, SJV Chelvanayakam is a well-known figure to the University of Toronto Scarborough. The UTSC Library proudly hosts a collection of SJV Chelvanayakam’s private papers, recently gifted by his daughter Susili Wilson and his granddaughter Malliha Wilson, which documents the systematic minoritization of Tamils in Sri Lanka from the 1950s through the 1970s and represents a vital piece of Tamil heritage.
“We are touched by the significant contribution from the Chelvanayakam Charitable Foundation to the Tamil Chair initiative. The Foundation’s donation will have profound impact on realizing our goal of creating a Tamil Chair at the University of Toronto,” said Sivan Ilangko, committee chair for the Chair in Tamil Studies at the University Toronto Scarborough who is also president of the Canadian Tamil Congress and a director of Tamil Chair Inc.
“On behalf of the University of Toronto Scarborough, I offer the SJV and EJ Chelvanayakam Charitable Foundation my heartfelt thanks for this incredibly generous gift,” said Wisdom Tettey, UTSC principal and vice-president, in a statement.
“The gift helps to strengthen Tamil Studies at UTSC, as it allows us to augment work that has already begun with the donation of SJV Chelvanayakam’s papers to our University Library. The Foundation’s support will also facilitate more extensive engagement with Tamil culture and communities, thereby giving concrete expression to our core priority of inspiring inclusive excellence through high quality education, research, and creative activities,” he added.
