An important event for Croatian Americans.
The National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation (NFCA) will celebrate its 25th Anniversary in the New York City area on September 22-23, 2018. The Saturday, September 22, Assembly of Delegates and Board of Directors meeting will be held at the LaGuardia Airport Marriott Hotel.
The Grand Jubilee celebration will be filled with music, festive events all weekend and with many distinguished speakers and special guests attending the annual meeting. The milestone anniversary celebration will finish with a luncheon with wonderful Croatian entertainment and kolo dancing which will be held after the 11:00 Mass on Sunday, September 23, at Sts. Cyril’s Methodius Croatian Catholic Church in Manhattan located at 502 West 41st
Street.
”We are thrilled to be able to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the founding of the NFCA in New York City. In addition, President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has committed to be in attendance at our Sunday luncheon to honor this important organizational milestone accomplishment,” said Steve Rukavina, current President and a NFCA co-founder in 1993.
The NFCA Assembly meeting will provide a wide variety of topics from great speakers throughout the weekend to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the NFCA organization. Assembly topics will encompass policy advancements that cover projects to support Croats living in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the promotion of a Avoidance of a Double Taxation Treaty between Croatia and the United States. All the events on Saturday, September 22nd will take place at the LaGuardia Airport Marriott at 102-05 Ditmars Blvd, East Elmhurst, NY.
The public session begins at 2:30 pm with many distinguished Croatian guest speakers plus a showing of a documentary film about Bleiburg at 4:30 pm and all are welcome to attend.
The Croatian Ambassador to the US, Pjer Simunovic will visit the Assembly of Delegates and speak on Saturday. Lawyer Luka Misetic will be a featured speaker at 3:30 pm discussing, the issues with the UN’s International Crimes Tribunal of the former Yugoslavia and his successful defense for General Ante Gotovina. Deputy Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Eleven NFCA “40 Under 40” winners at the October 1st, 2017 celebration in New York City
The NFCA will announce more details about the second “40 Under 40” program for the nationwide Croatian American community. This program will center on a selection process to nominate and select forty rising stars in their professions or Croatian American role models and all under the age of forty.
The NFCA will continue its collaboration with Special Olympics in Croatia, as part of its humanitarian outreach program, along with its partnership with Bishop Franjo Komarica. There will be speakers presenting reports regarding diaspora activities including Joe Brajevich, from the official Croatian government’s ”Croats Abroad Advisory Committee”. John Kraljic will present about the on-going research and current publications from the Croatian Academy of America.
Dr. Joseph Cindrich will speak about the ever successful Croatian Scholarship Fund from the San Francisco area.
There will be several updates from NFCA Public Affairs Consultant Joe Foley about Croatian- related activities on Capitol Hill as well as details about specific Croatian Congressional Caucus projects. Biljana Lovrinovic will present on the Association of Croatian American Professional’s focus and developments with the ”Medical Tourism” project for Croatia. Steve Rukavina, will address the complex challenges and realities facing the Bosnian Croat community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially with electoral reform issues.
Left to right: Officers elected at the first convention in St. Louis, MO include: Zdenka Delalic, National Secretary — Steve Rukavina, National Treasurer — Father Tony Petrusic, Central Vice President — Edward Damich, National President — Leo Majich, Western Vice President — Joe Brigich, Eastern Vice President
There will also be a special guest appearance Saturday by film maker Nikola Knez and a showing of his new documentary about Bleiburg later on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 pm. This amazingly researched movie which includes many filmed interviews with British officers, military intelligence officials, and scholars – traces the many violations of the Geneva Convention and related international law in what has become known as The Bleiburg Massacre and Operation Slaughterhouse.
The film maker will talk about his new film about Operation Storm (Oluja) too. On Saturday evening, it will be a festive event with Croatian music at the Istria Club in Astoria that serves as a fundraiser for the NFCA’s favorite charity, Croatia’s Special Olympics organization.
For any NFCA-related questions regarding the Saturday meetings or to RSVP for the Saturday night fundraiser reception at the Istria Club, please send an email to Steve Rukavina at email: [email protected].
The National Federation of Croatian Americans (NFCA) was officially founded in September 1993 at a meeting in Chicago when the Croatian Unity Committee voted to create this national umbrella organization and with all major national Croatian American groups there in attendance.
The first convention was held in St. Louis a few months later and with over fifty delegates from 18 states, representing twenty national and regional groups. In 2009, the NFCA officially became the NFCA Cultural Foundation and a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.
The NFCA is very proud of all its work in the public affairs, diplomatic, humanitarian arena as an advocate for Croatian American interests. The NFCA’s work supporting Croatia’s bid for NATO membership was a milestone achievement during the 2000-2008 time frame. This Croatian American organization is very proud of all our work and collaboration with the Croatian Congressional Caucus on Capitol Hill for the past twenty years since its formation!
The final official event for the NFCA 25th Anniversary weekend will be the luncheon held on Sunday, September 23rd honoring Croatia’s Madam President, who is in New York City for the convening of the United Nations General Assembly.
The co-chairs for the event are Steve Rukavina, John Skibola and Milka Zepina. All the $60 luncheon tickets will be sold through the New York City Croatian Catholic Church co-chairs and through the NFCA organization. The Sunday luncheon will include Croatian entertainment and featuring pop singer Tommi Mischell, with a local Croatian music ensemble, and a local kolo dance group.
Please contact the local New York City contacts to RSVP and purchase tickets and for further information about the Sunday, September 23rd luncheon from: Ana Glavan at email: [email protected] — Milka Zepina at email: [email protected] — and for the NFCA, Steve Rukavina at email: [email protected]
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