Thank you to everyone who joined us for the FCJ Refugee Centre’s 35th Anniversary Gala Dinner! We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors, supporters, colleagues, volunteers, friends, and families who helped make this special occasion a success. 

Held on October 15 at the Tibetan Canadian Cultural Centre, the gala marked a significant milestone in the Centre’s history, celebrating 35 years of dedication to defending the rights of uprooted people. The evening offered an opportunity to reflect on the Centre’s impact, honour the community that has supported its work over the years, and strengthen connections with the donors, volunteers, community leaders, and friends who continue to make its mission possible.

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The celebration opened with a beautiful live performance by Bluprint, setting the tone for an unforgettable night. Our emcee, Elamin Abdelmahmoud, kept the evening engaging with his energy, sens of humour, and stage presence. 

The FCJ Refugee Centre’s Co-Executive Directors, Tsering Lhamo and Diana Gallego, delivered opening remarks reflecting on their experiences, their commitment to the Centre, and the meaningful work the organization continues to do in supporting uprooted people: “From the humble beginnings with a few staff members, today the centre has forty-two staff members, working alongside dozens of volunteers, many placement students and neighbours, forming what we have today: this beautiful community. Passion, social justice, welcoming refugees and vulnerable migrants and service are common factors that unite the FCJ family. Proudly, we can affirm tonight that thousands and thousands of people have benefited from our services. Today more than ever, we keep our motto alive: our doors are open.”

At the end of their speech, Tsering and Diana paid an emotional tribute to Loly Rico, who co-founded the Centre together with her husband, the late Francisco Rico; and to FCJ Sister Lois Anne, who has worked at the Centre and been an essential part of it from the very beginning. Both of them took the stage and received a great ovation. Tributes to Francisco, whose portrait greeted guests at the entrance, were constant throughout the evening.

Guest speaker MP Julie Dzerowicz followed, sharing her experiences, and reflecting on the Government of Canada’s plans regarding refugees and migrants.

“Solidarity is invincible.”

Honouree speaker Alex Neve delivered a powerful address on human rights, drawing on his lifelong experience working with refugees in Canada and around the world. Neve, a visiting and adjunct professor in international human rights law at the University of Ottawa and Dalhousie University, and a Senior Fellow with the University of Ottawa’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, presently serves as a Member of the UN Human Rights Council’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela. He was Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English Branch from 2000 to 2020.

In his speech, Neve recalled the universality of human rights and detailed how that universality falls short when it comes to the rights of refugees, a population that has continued to grow over the last few decades, as aid funding is cut and restrictive policies are strengthened.

“The politics of demonizing and vilifying refugees dominate. […] Most of the top dozen countries that provide the bulk of UNHCR’s funding have cut their contributions in the last two years, saying they needed to divert humanitarian resources to defense and domestic expenditures. That includes Canada. Our contribution in 2026 is down by $18 million, a 20% cut. Military spending way up, refugee protection spending way down…”, he said.

Reflecting on the circumstances in which FCJ Refugee Centre was founded, Neve highlighted how, decades later, the Centre continues to uphold its commitment to serving uprooted people while advancing its mission through a diverse range of programs: “When borders are closed to refugees, FCJ shows up and insists: human rights know no borders.
When funding is cut and programs scaled back, FCJ shows up, ready to do the hard work to keep refugees safe and supported. When refugees face hateful politics and racism, FCJ shows us what it is to believe in humanity. When a door closes, FCJ show up and opens another one. And when the challenges seem insurmountable and it is tempting to give up, FCJ shows up and makes us see how strong we are, when we believe and when we come together. For here, solidarity lives and is, in the end, invincible.”

Watch Alex Neve’s full remarks »

Following Alex Neve’s inspiring remarks, Sharry Aiken, President of the FCJ Refugee Centre’s Board of Directors, also shared a message with guests, further emphasizing the importance of the Centre’s work and the community that stands behind its mission. “Since then, FCJ has shown up every single day with a bed, a meal, a referral, a hand on the shoulder. In the detention centre, in hearing rooms, in court rooms, in minister’s offices, and very often in the streets. And we have never worked only for refugees and migrants. We have worked with them. Many who came through our doors became our staff, our volunteers, our board. That is the heart of these 35 years. Not charity, solidarity,” she said.

Celebrating Through Community Support 

At the gala, guests enjoyed a delicious Tibetan cuisine featuring a variety of appetizers, main courses, and dessert. During dessert and coffee service, the Latintos Band took the stage with an energetic live performance that brought music and excitement to the room.

DJ Kwaku brought the evening to a lively close with an exciting mix of music that kept guests dancing and showing off their moves. The music, laughter, and shared moments reflected 35 years of community, compassion, and solidarity. 

We are deeply grateful to the generous sponsors who made the gala possible, and also to the donors who contributed in-kind items for the raffle prizes. Your generosity helped make the celebration even more special. We also extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported the Centre by purchasing raffle tickets and merchandise. Thank you to our guests, donors, volunteers, community members, board members, and staff for being part of this milestone celebration. 

Thank you for being part of our journey. We look forward to continuing this work together for years to come.