The World Lebanese Cultural Union announces its full independence during its convention on May 20-22-1993 Sao Paolo-Brazil.
The World Lebanese Cultural Union hit back after the Minister of Emigration Rida Wahid withdrew his recognition of the Union, by declaring its full independence from each ministry, and it also responded by announcing “the establishment of a special fund for litigation before the courts in the countries of emigration as well as in Lebanon against the minister for his accusation of the expatriates with treason and his intervention in their affairs in the countries of their presence.” It also responded with the renewal of confidence in its President lawyer Anwar Khoury, Secretary General engineer Joseph Younis, and the Assistant Secretary General Haikal Reidi unanimously, and the joining of the Brazilian-Lebanese clubs to it.
The Union’s scheduled convention was held in the “Monte Libano” club in Sao Paulo between the 20th and the 22nd of May of this year (1993) in the presence of its President Charles Lutfi and the members of the administrative board of the Union as well as officials and representatives of the Union from all countries of the Americas, Australia and Europe and some representatives from Africa. The international extraordinary convention acknowledged the constitutional amendment that stated the establishment of a presidential council of six members representing the six geographical regions: United States and Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean, Brazil, Australia, Europe and Africa, with the addition of the Secretary General of the Youth Union who is a descendent of Lebanese origin. The members of the Council would alternate its presidency during a mandate that extends for six years, with each of their mandate being one year. It was also decided to create a lobby for the emigrants with membership cards.
The marquee event was the joining of the Brazilian-Lebanese clubs to the Union. That is because the Diaspora in Brazil represents almost half of all the Lebanese Diaspora.
Brazil was also given one third voting rights on any resolution out of respect for this density. The convention decided to entrust the Brazilian-Lebanese clubs and its president Charles Lutfi with the preparation for the tenth international congress with invitations to that congress not exceeding the end of this year.
The convention took place and concluded in the absence of any official presence. The surprise was the resignation of engineer Joseph Younis from the General Secretariat after he read a statement in which he talked at length about the achievements of the Union during the past year. The resignation was met with complete refusal through voting, which led him to retract his resignation.
(See p. 18 – 19 – 20 – 21)
Sao Paulo – “Al-Hawadeth”