Frédérique Niel introduced speaker, Tanniar Leba. Tanniar's topic: Connecting Canada and Africa: Learning and Giving Back.
In October 2024, Tanniar will be celebrating 20 years in Canada, a welcoming and lovely country that, as he says, enriches his life daily. Serving those affected by homelessness, mental health challenges, and supporting newcomers has been both a profound learning experience and a rewarding professional journey for him. Now, he is dedicated to bridging the gap between the two continents that have given him everything he cherishes today: his work, family, identity, and joy.
Tanniar is an expert in building capacity and creating training programs for corporations and entrepreneurs equipped with multi-lingual talent and effective problem-solving techniques. He is an effective contributor in creating policies for Canada and British Columbia and implementing strategies of service delivery Model for Francophones in Mental Health, Immigration, and homelessness.
Tanniar was featured in the 2020 list of ‘Top 500 Most Powerful Personalities’ of Africa published by Tropics Magazine in South Africa, honored as an African doer. With a commitment to serve the non-profit, private, and public sector, he is an International Speaker at African Leadership University (Mauritius), Ministry of Heritage Canada, Service Canada, Canada School of Public Service, Immigration Canada, and Simon Fraser University.
He was awarded “Le Prix Gérald et Henriette Moreau“ in 2016 for the best Executive Director in British Columbia among all 40 Francophone and bilingual organizations as well as the recipient of the ‘Immigrant Services Society Prize’ who positively impacted new immigrants’ life in British Columbia during the last 50 years.
Tanniar lives between Canada & Mauritius. At the end of the day, in our global village, most of us are the same, with similar wants, needs, and inspirations. When he first came to Vancouver, he was surprised to see the level of homelessness in DTES. It was back in 2017 when he really questioned what he was doing and where he was heading. He determined he just want to build capacity. Meaning: “Capacity Building is the process of using all resources available to you to create a sustainable system that supports your vision – Vision, Team, System, Sustainability.”
In 2020 he built a networking platform, and created the African Canada Business Chamber of Commerce, based both here and in Africa.
There are 54 countries in Africa. Not many are aware of this. Most think of Africa as one country. Population of the continent is 12.3 Billion, 2nd largest after Asia. He was fascinated to learn that there are many Canadian companies that own mining companies working in Africa.
There is a lot, a lot, of potential for opportunities in Africa.. There are many young people in Africa looking to better themselves and their communities. There are challenges for sure, e.g., not many African countries have a truly stable political climate. There is a lot of corruption. There are infrastructure deficits and socio-economic inequalities.
There is growth and improvement however, The AfCFTA is definitely a move in the right direction. whereby a number of countries who have signed have opened trade opportunities. It is the world's largest free trade area bringing together the 55 countries of the African Union (AU) and eight (8) Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to create a single market for the continent.
CLICK HERE for more info.
Partnerships are key for success. Potential investors need to do their homework to determine what and especially where is the best place to invest. Easy so called ‘win-win’ arrangements most often are not that and end up with a questionable win-lose result.
Partnership is key, versus what may seem a win-win, but usually ends up with a questionable win-lose situation.
It is where and when you see a deficit, that’s where an opportunity can be found. Tanniar’s work is to motivate investors, so they give back to other projects. Rotary is a great example of that. Rotary is very connected and active in Africa. Some of the projects done by Rotary are the most effective and successful; a key being that they can bypass possible government corruption. That said, it is imperative to do our homework identifying which countries will be host to the most successful projects.
If you have any questions or would like to explore some opportunities contact Tanniar.
Consider attending the African-Canadian Business Summit, Aug 30-31, 2024, at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
- CLICK HERE to learn more about the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business
- CLICK HERE to register for the African-Canadian Business Summit 2024 (Note that Tanniar generously has given the club 5 complementary tickets for the conference and gala – contact Carolyn if interested. First come, first serve)
In today's environment, understanding climate change can be a challenge; especially when it comes to its impacts on forests. In this presentation you'll hear about the effects of a changing climate on forests, including changes in species, biodiversity and stressors. This presentation will explore the practical challenges facing forest management practices and some of the innovative strategies being developed to address them. You'll gain insight into the crucial role of forests in climate regulation and the importance of proactive management. Join us for an engaging discussion (in plain language!) on the complexities and opportunities in managing forests amidst a changing climate.
