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Announcement: ASSOCIATION OF CHINESE CANADIAN PROFESSIONALS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
2010-2011 Planning Committee 
The Association of Chinese Canadian Professionals (ACCP) Mentorship Program is now gearing up for 2010 - 2011. With a focus on constantly improving the Mentorship Program and the experience of participants, we continually seek input from our members to make the Mentorship Program better year after year. In order to achieve this goal, we want you to have a direct say in how you want to see the program perform this year. As such, we invite interested members to email Selena Sit at
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if they wish to be part of the 2010-2011 Mentorship Program Planning Committee. We hope to have our first meeting in July. We look forward to hearing from you! Program Objectives The Mentorship Program aims to make use of ACCP’s considerable membership resources to accomplish the following objectives: - Increase networking within the ACCP membership;
- Provide professional development to young professionals; and
- Provide community service by giving mentorship to high school and university students.
A Look Back (and forward...) by Edmond Wong, President A look back... In 2007, ACCP concluded its Glass Ceiling Initiative with an insightful talk by Senator Dr. Vivian Poy. An author, historian, and entrepreneur, Senator Poy was appointed to Canada's Senate in 1998 as our country's first Asian-Canadian Senator. Read the transcript of the Speech to ACCP by Senator Poy at this link . In the preceding event, ACCP hosted a public forum on the topic of the Glass Ceiling at the SUCCESS Choi Hall, attended by nearly 200 members of the general public, including men, women, teens, and Canadians of not only Chinese ethnicity, but of many of the other ethic groups across Canada. The event demonstrated to us that this issue that is pervasive throughout our society and that there is a need to address it. The first event in the Glass Ceiling Initiative was a talk by leading sociologist Dr. Lloyd Wong , whose original research used statistical methods to prove the existence of inequalities in pay in his sample population. Unfortunately, due to lack of general awareness, unlike in the U.S., there is alack of funding to appropriately address this topic in Canada. A look forward... While there are many independent instances of personal success within the Chinese-Canadian community, as a whole, the community is under-represented in Canadian society. As integral members of this country, it is up to us to make our voices heard and to take leadership. And as leaders, there is no better group than the professionals who all people turn to for advice. The onus is upon us to change our society for the better, for our children, and for each other. There are four ways in which ACCP can make a difference: - Helping people to help themselves,
- Helping people to help each other.
- Generating awareness.
- Creating unity.
Results of 2010 Annual General Meeting Available soon... Association of Chinese Canadian Professionals (B.C.) Date: Saturday, June 19, 2010
Time: 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
Role Model Dinner Talk series ACCP proudly kicked off it's inaugural Role Model Dinner Talk series on March 25, 2010. We were proud to have Mr. Peter Guo, a partner at one of the big four accounting firms, captivate our audience with the personable story behind his success, and his current initiative to encourage diversity within his own company.  Coming to Canada from Germany and Taiwan at a young age before his family moved to Korea, Mr. Guo experienced the fullest impact of culture shock, but at the same time, was exposed to the concept of globalism and diversity at a young age. He attributes his rapid ascent to the echelons of the accounting world to what this diversity of experience has shown him about the importance of being able to move 'horizontally' within his field to capture opportunities that he has been fortunate enough to come across. Peter also talked about the importance of mentorship, and how he was fortunate to have had a good mentor to guide him as he made his way through his corporation. By the same token, Peter has emphasized the importance and need to also give back to the community, and indeed his successful initiative at his own workplace as well as his kindness in agreeing to share his experience with ACCP members speak loudly of his commitment to this principle. Many members lingered long into the evening, sharing thoughts and asking questions, and ACCP greatly looks forward to the opportunity to collaborate with Mr. Guo in the future in seeking the common goal of creating an environment where equality of opportunity is not merely theory, but practice.
OVERVIEW What is ACCP? The Association of Chinese Canadian Professionals (ACCP) is a registered non-profit society with a mission to foster social responsibility and leadership of professionals to serve the community through advocacy, education, and mentoring of youths. We consist of a diverse membership ranging from scientists and physicians to lawyers and accountants, all working towards the common goal of providing social leadership and equality of opportunity for all Canadians. Why is ACCP important? Chinese-Canadians have a special place in Canadian history, contributing greatly to the growth and development of this country. However, Chinese-Canadians have fallen short of providing the social leadership of which they are capable, and their presence is visibly diminished at the highest levels of the corporate, political, and media world. The need for Chinese-Canadians to take a leadership role in shaping the social and political landscape and to participate in defining the future direction of the country is more pressing than ever. The membership of ACCP represents a unique and powerful group within the population towards which all Canadians turn for advice and guidance. By drawing upon our skills, knowledge, and influence, the ACCP can positively influence matters of concern to the Canadian public, ensuring that the Chinese-Canadian facet of our society is adequately represented. What does ACCP do? We organize professional educational seminars, health workshops, youth education programs, and have organized radio programs providing legal, medical, and financial advice. Advocacy issues, particularly relating to equal representation of Chinese-Canadians at the highest levels of social, political, and corporate leadership is a fundamental raison-d'etre of the organization. By demonstrating goodwill and leadership, ACCP encourages the involvement of all Chinese-Canadians in matters affecting the country.
2009-2010 This fiscal year, ACCP continues to focus on the theme of the Glass Ceiling in Canada. "Glass Ceiling" refers to situations where the advancement of a qualified person is hindered due to reasons other than their ability to do their job. ACCP held a number of key events in 2006 and 2007 on this topic which brought discussion and attention to this important subject matter. In 2008-2009, ACCP will continue to advocate on this topic and will work on the following key initiatives relating to this topic: 1) Online Public Database – to document cases of glass ceilings and other forms of discrimination within the Chinese Canadian community. This will empower us as a community to provide the ready statistics that would be necessary to lobby the government and public to recognize this as an important problem, and to overcome the scarcity of research and information on this subject currently. 2) Professional Development Seminar Series – a selection of topics dealing with overcoming the glass ceiling issue by educating our members on professional and career development skills. These will be offered from January to May 2009. 3) Mentorship Program – A new medical sciences group will be established this year. In conjunction with the law group, science/engineering group, and business/accounting/finance group, the mentorship groups play an important role in addressing the glass ceiling issue by providing a venue for discussion of the various issues relating to advancement in the respective professional fields. 4) Fundraising – Raise funds to further work on the glass ceiling issue. The Board has various ideas on how to use the funds raised, including to put the funds towards further research on the glass ceiling issue, or to sponsor the production of a documentary regarding the glass ceiling or related issue. ACCP will continue to hold its regular events, like Careers Day and monthly socials. |
