Nominee Information
Emir Ramic
105 Chamomile Drive Hamilton, Ontario L8W 0B9 Canada
ramicemir123@gmail.com
1 289 921 1938
 

Nominator Information
Haris Hrle
Ambassador Haris Hrle, E-8/5, Block E, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi, Delhi - 110057
hrle.hrle@gmail.com
+918130890059

Relation to Nominee
A friend and supporter of his work on building a democratic and civil society in post-war Bosnia through his work in Hamilton and Canada. 
 

Reference Information
Eldin Elezovic
118 09 83 Avenue Kew Gardens Hills NY - 11415
Eldinelezovic@yahoo.com
+1 347-432-2830

Relation to Nominee
A Friend - someone who deeply respects him and his work
 

Provide a brief outline on the nominee's volunteer contributions.
Emir Rami? is the voice of the Bosnian community in Hamilton, a promoter of connecting the community with local institutions and other communities in Hamilton. Emira Rami? defines commitment, goodwill, togetherness, sympathy and the desire to improve social relations between individuals and families on the one hand and all the institutions that make up the Hamilton community. The community benefited from the cooperation of all its parts, and Emir Rami? presented the Bosnian community in the best light with his actions and paved the way for its recognition in the local Hamiltonian mosaic. He participates in many humanitarian, volunteer, cultural and sports actions in front of the Bosniak community in Hamilton. Actively supports, promotes and fights for a multicultural and inclusive Hamilton.


How has the nominee inspired you and others by their volunteer contributions? 
My first diplomatic post was in Ottawa in 2001. A young diplomat faced with the image of his devastated country, its diplomatic protection, and a large number of refugees. The Bosnian diaspora in Canada was large, located mainly in Ontario and Quebec, educated and hardworking, but confused and depressed after the war and heavy destruction. It was in such circumstances that I met Emir Ramic. At the first meeting, he expressed himself as someone who wanted to contribute to the development of his new place of residence and his new homeland. He asked for the creation of an organization that would help all BiH refugees to cope, present themselves in the best light to their new neighbors, to contribute to local development, understand new customs, help minority categories and show themselves in the best light as a group and individually in Hamilton, Ontario and Canada. The rest is already a tradition... Emir Ramic has been doing all this for the last more than 25 years. After Ottawa, I went to Ljubljana, then to Vienna, Washington, etc... in meetings with BiH communities, I pointed out the example of Emir Ramic and instructed them to follow in his footsteps and his approaches, explaining how much his work inspired me in my further professional engagement. Emir was and remains an inspiration for consistent, dedicated work, cooperation and the development of all the noble principles that a society in a shared world needs.

What is the impact of the nominee’s volunteer contributions on the local community and the City of Hamilton?
Since his arrival in Canada, Emir Ramic has contributed to preserving the Bosnian cultural tradition and integrating it into the Canadian cultural and civilizational environment. When he moved to Hamilton (1998), he devoted himself to local work. He insisted that the newly arrived Bosnian community take an important place in Hamilton in the best and most cultured way, through all their work, respect, education, and decency. This is how he directed the waves of new immigrants, insisting on the importance of respecting Canadian laws, on the value of peace in the local community, on tolerance, and respect, and on the importance of unity and plurality in the Canadian mosaic. 

With all this, he contributed to the preservation and strengthening of the plurality of communities of the city of Hamilton in an order that can be considered extraordinarily socially and economically successful. Every year he participated in organizing activities related to collecting clothes, shoes, and food for the homeless. He participated in organizing aid for the Soup kitchen in Hamilton, asking for support from each member of the Bosnian community individually to participate. He participated in charitable actions of other ethnic groups - Polish, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovenian... spreading the idea of Canadian togetherness, and unity in Canadian diversity, calling for solidarity and regular humanitarian contribution. Since 2003 - in cooperation with the Open Doors - he invited all ethnic groups of the city of Hamilton to participate in lectures on Bosnian history, geography, tradition, and culture, and he found points of common value with Canadian history, tradition, and democratic values. He was engaged in the job training of refugees and immigrants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, their work retraining and informal counseling regarding finding an adequate job. 

Describe the nature of the volunteerism the nominee has engaged in?
Since 2003, he has actively participated in the education of children of Bosnian origin, as well as other children who wanted to learn the Bosnian language and history. More than 8,000 members of the Bosnian community, or more than two thousand families, live, work and study in Hamilton. Every year, he participated in the organization of celebrating all Canadian holidays at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels. The nature of his volunteer work is connected to the tragic experience he experienced in his native Prijedor and his native Bosnia and Herzegovina. Faced with the severe wartime suffering of the old and infirm, women and children, he devoted his voluntary work to peace and cooperation in his new place of residence - Hamilton. Over 2,000 children of Bosnian origin, as well as other nationalities, were involved in its activities for twenty years. In the period from 2010 to 2015, more than 100 students who were educated about historical facts related to the wars in the former Yugoslavia and worked on their graduation, master's theses, and specializations participated in consultations and discussions at McMaster University and in the official premises of the Cultural Society of Bosnia community.
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Provide a short bio on the nominee, which will be shared publicly (max 200 words)
Emir Rami? is the voice of the Bosnian community in Hamilton, a promoter of connecting the community with local institutions and other communities in Hamilton. Emir Rami? defines commitment, goodwill, togetherness, sympathy and the desire to improve social relations between individuals and families on the one hand and all the institutions that make up the Hamilton community. The community benefited from the cooperation of all its parts, and Emir Rami? presented the Bosnian community in the best light with his actions and paved the way for its recognition in the local Hamiltonian mosaic. He participates in many humanitarian, volunteer, cultural and sports actions in front of the Bosniak community in Hamilton. Actively supports, promotes and fights for a multicultural and inclusive Hamilton.

How did you hear about the Order of Hamilton Awards?
I heard about this award by reading the Hamilton Spectator and CHCH News Hamilton. While I was a diplomat in Ottawa, my attention was drawn to the importance of the Bosnian community in Hamilton and its contribution to the development of the municipality.
 

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Is the nominee aware of this nomination?
Yes