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Notice of CMAT’s 2015 Annual General Meeting of Members

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CMAT’s 2015 Annual General Meeting of members (AGM) will be held live in Toronto, Ontario on:  Saturday November 21, 2015 at 16:30 (Eastern), and will be also streamed online via Google Hangouts and YouTube at:
  • 13:30 (Pacific)
  • 14:30 (Mountain)
  • 15:30 (Central)
  • 17:30 (Atlantic)

Meet your 2014/2015 Board of Directors in person and online.  An agenda, and login information for remote participation will follow by email, and will also be posted on the CMAT website shortly before the meeting.

CMAT Annual General Meeting:
The Sky Lounge at Marina Del Rey
2269 Lake Shore Blvd. West (near Park Lawn Rd.)
Toronto, Ontario

Parking: available onsite, free of charge.

TTC: 501 Queen Streetcar towards Long Branch, exit Legion Rd (past Park Lawn)

Please click the link below to send an email with the following information:

  1. To RSVP If you will be attending in person (and number of participants) [we need to know how many people to expect, to inform building security in advance]
  2. To submit a question or topic for discussion at the AGM in advance under “new business”.
  3. Need to speak to someone? Please call 416-305-0290 to speak to Lesley.

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Call for Nominations – 2015/16 Board of Directors

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Vacancies on CMAT Board of Directors
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!!!! There are two positions up for election on the CMAT Board of Directors.

NOMINATION GUIDELINES

  • All nominations should be sent to the nomination committee’s attention: [email protected] stating the following information:
    • Nominee’s full name
    • Nominee’s hometown/ province
    • Nominee’s contact phone number and email address
    • Nominee’s profession
    • Nominator’s Full name*
    • Nominator’s contact phone number and email address*
* Nominees may nominate themselves, but require a “nominator’s” name in their email as an endorsement.
  • Nominations must be received no later than Saturday, October 31, 2015 at 23:59 pacific time.
  • Person nominated must be CMAT volunteer member. (‘Member’ is defined as a volunteer who is currently listed on the online database, in good standing, and who is willing to carry out the obligations of the office to which she/he may be elected)
  • Nominees (candidates) require the endorsement and referral of one nominator who must also be a CMAT member in good standing, who may be contacted to provide a reference.
  • Past experience and CMAT involvement is beneficial (e.g. previous deployment, training, committee involvement, local volunteering, fundraising).
  • Members can run for only one (1) position in the election.
  • All nominations should include a short biography of the candidate of not more than 250 words which covers the two categories (i) profession/experience and (ii) philosophy (please do not forward a CV)
  • Nominations should include a head and shoulders photograph of each candidate. Please attach the picture to the email as a jpg file
  • Information provided about a candidate and her/his photograph will be posted on the CMAT website, during the voting period.
Online voting will open on November 1, and close on November 15. Registered CMAT members will receive a secure link to the voting ballot via email.

CMAT Nepal Update #11

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2015-06-03 JA03

CMAT Nurse Rebecca Morante sits with the Community Health Workers in Takukot.

June 4, 2015 – Jill Allison, CMAT Team 3 Logistician in Takukot writes: “Meeting with the Female Community Health Volunteers today. These women are the backbone of the primary healthcare system in Nepal. They volunteer to be responsible for health promotion in their communities and they are knowledgeable, energetic and dedicated.

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“Dressed in their emblematic blue saris, they came from all the wards to meet and share their knowledge about their communities. In a couple of hours we learned more about the situation in the wards in Takuakot than we could have in two weeks walking around.”

Dressed in their emblematic blue saris, they came from all the wards to meet and share their knowledge about their communities. In a couple of hours we learned more about the situation in the wards in Takuakot than we could have in two weeks walking around. When we spoke about how they could offer psychosocial support in their communities and talked about listening and encouraging people to talk they all shared their stories about where they were when the earthquake hit.

 

2015-06-03 JA01

“When we spoke about how they could offer psychosocial support in their communities and talked about listening and encouraging people to talk they all shared their stories about where they were when the earthquake hit.”


They did this with laughter and and a sense of acceptance. They know more about cholera than most Canadian medical practitioners and have the health promotion messages well learned. We shared lunch and they visited in the the local shops before heading back down the path to their various wards. The clinic is a little less busy and we are focusing on needs assessment and opportunities for collaboration with other organizations now. Great day and lots of work ahead!”

CMAT Emergency Alert: Nepal Earthquake – Update #10

"Our work continues in the clinic with queues of patients lining up to see the doctors. Crowd control is a challenge."

“Our work continues in the clinic with queues of patients lining up to see the doctors. Crowd control is a challenge.”

June 3, 2015 – Takukot, Nepal –  With special thanks for this contribution to Jill Allison, Logistician with Team 3!

“Our work continues in the clinic with queues of patients lining up to see the doctors. Crowd control is a challenge. We will begin some remote community outreach. We met with other organizations providing water and sanitation, child protection counselling and nutrition support. All Nepali staff and very knowledgeable. They are working with us here to cover all the challenges and ensure people get what they need to be safe and healthy.

"The government program to provide monetary compensation to everyone who lost a house was administered by the local police and army. They have finished their work and will move on to the next ward. The police are helpful and occasionally they bring their wives in for a quick consultation."

“The government program to provide monetary compensation to everyone who lost a house was administered by the local police and army. They have finished their work and will move on to the next ward. The police are helpful and occasionally they bring their wives in for a quick consultation.”

The government program to provide monetary compensation to everyone who lost a house was administered by the local police and army. They have finished their work and will move on to the next ward. The police are helpful and occasionally they bring their wives in for a quick consultation. The large police presence in the ruined station behind our camp has now dissipated.

 

"We discovered a walk leading to the next village this morning and enjoyed the emerald rice paddies cascading down the hillsides on both sides of the ridge."

“We discovered a walk leading to the next village this morning and enjoyed the emerald rice paddies cascading down the hillsides on both sides of the ridge.”

We discovered a walk leading to the next village this morning and enjoyed the emerald rice paddies cascading down the hillsides on both sides of the ridge. The well is dry in this community forcing the people to walk an hour or more to the water supply in Takuakot. We walked with the women who carry water for us and were awestruck by how far uphill each drop we use must be carried. Laundry and showers will be on a “can’t stand the smell” basis only. Apologies to colleagues. 🙂 “

CMAT Emergency Alert: Nepal Earthquake – Update #9

Women gather under a tree for shade, while waiting for their turn at the CMAT clinic in Takukot, Nepal

Women gather under a tree for shade, while waiting for their turn at the CMAT clinic in Takukot, Nepal

June 2, 2015 – Takukot, Nepal –  With special thanks for this contribution to Jill Allison, Logistician with Team 3!

“Not sure the last set of photos loaded properly as we have only intermittent access to internet. I suppose it is a wonder we have any at all considering where we are. Mountain views and lots of activity in the village of Takuakot.

CMAT camp set up in the yard beside the ruins of the local police station.

CMAT camp set up in the yard beside the ruins of the local police station.

The school is mandated to open tomorrow and they were hastily constructing cabin type classrooms – Nepal’s version of portables – today. Without enough skilled labour to rebuild key buildings quickly things get held up even as the will to return to normal is there. The lard school has cracks in every wall and gaping chasms on every floor. And yet, the teachers welcomed us as they were planning their program and invited us to sit for awhile as they did their work.

Elderly woman waiting to be assessed in the CMAT clinic in Takukot.

Elderly woman waiting to be assessed in the CMAT clinic in Takukot.

The clinic was much more organized but just as busy today. All good. Still seeing some earthquake related trauma and doing surveillance for diseases that haunt a disaster like spectres- cholera, typhoid, dengue, malnutrition and maternal health problems. Big wind and little rain tonight. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.