ENGLISH VERSION (loosely translated from ASL):

The New Era Presentation Monday Night, July 19, 2010

The Deaf community was invited to the Douglas College for the New Era Presentation  and Global Panel ( Mon and Tues nights) offered by the BC Deaf committee.  (See the open invitation flyer in the video)

This vlog will only focus on the Monday night component of the two-night presentation and panel meetings. There was a good number of folks, not only from the BC Deaf community, but also from the international Deaf Community.  These International Deaf people came from countries such as:

Sweden

Finland

Norway

Saudi Arabia

Belgium

Germany

France

England

Portugal

What took place that Monday night?  There were voice interpreters as well as LSQ, ASL and Gestuno. The people running the meeting were Monte Hardy, Wayne Sinclair, Nigel Howard, Vincent Chauvet,  and Joe McLaughlin, WFD President Markku Jokinen (Finland) and one of the WFD board members, Tomas Hedberg (Sweden) were present as well.

The speakers, including Monte, Wayne and Joe, described how the BC Deaf committee  began negotiating with the ICED organizing committee 9 months ago, and how it culminated in the announcement that Monday morning.  I got goosebumps.  The WFD President, one of those… OK. I will list the parties that signed the New Era document. (View the blank lines on 2nd pages where names are to be signed in the vlog)

Vancouver ICED 2010 organizing committee

BC Deaf Community

Canadian Association of the Deaf

World Federation of the Deaf

The last signature, by President Markku Jokinen was finally done at 11 p.m. Sunday night… LAST SUNDAY NIGHT…before the Monday morning repudiation of the Milan 1880 Resolution! (Talk about the 11th hour timing!) The WFD President would never have signed the document if the CAD President had not signed it beforehand.  If that last signature had not been in place, that Monday morning announcement would have NEVER been made.

Now what will be done with the New Era document?

There are 4 original New Era documents signed by all four parties.  One original is given to the WFD organization to keep. The second one belongs to C.A.D.. The third original was handed to the ICED 2010 committee, according to Wayne Sinclair, to pass on to the Greece ICED 2015 committee to hold and follow.  Hereafter, that document would be passed on to  future ICED organizing committees of host nations every 5 years.  The final original goes to the BC Deaf community to be temporarily kept at the Western Institute of the Deaf until Wayne Sinclair succeeds in negotiating with the new Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba, for permanent placement and display.

As for the Book of Legacy, the Vancouver ICED 2010 committee, BC Deaf community committee, CAD and WFD all signed it .  Folks in the BC Deaf community , Canadian and  international Deaf communities signed it as well on both Monday and Tuesday nights.  There were a good number of signatures in that book. (UPDATE: Approximately 600 signatures)  This legacy book is then given to Markku Jokinen (WFD President) along with the New Era document to take to each WFD meeting in various nations (beginning in Johannesburg, South Africa).  This book will also be lent to future host ICED organizing committees as reminder of our agreement to include, and  to collaborate with the Deaf community.

I wish to share what Gary Malkowski, who was the first Deaf politician in Canada, and the first Deaf MPP in Ontario, said in his fiery speech to the audience (I’m paraphrasing here):

The flag of Milan 1880 is no longer up and waving. It’s down now, and thrown away!  Up with the banner of… VANCOUVER 2010!  THE NEW ERA BEGINS HENCEFORTH!

The audience applauds. *HANDS WAVE*