Since 1978, OCASI Member Agencies have looked to OCASI to provide strategic leadership in encouraging all levels of government to adopt an equitable and humanitarian approach to policies and programs that affect immigrants and refugees in Canada.
The support of our member agencies is essential for OCASI to continue to work on behalf of the immigrant and refugee serving sector in the areas of policy analysis, government relations and public education.
OCASI has been built on the strong skill sets and stronger sense of mission and vision of its member agencies. OCASI's strength continues to be its ability to develop capacity among its member agencies and to coordinate, communicate and unite the energy, strength, drive, values of settlement service providers in Ontario while maximizing its capacity to conduct effective and clear public policy work within its current mission and mandate.
Through membership in OCASI we can speak with a strong, collective voice. Such a voice is:
- Fundamental in improving immigrant and refugee voices
- Critical in ensuring the sustainability of the immigrant services infrastructure
- Vital in ensuring a prosperous and diverse Ontario where all can participate equitably
OCASI maintains strong connections with our member agencies through our regional structure. We engage frequently with individual organizations across the province, collectively at periodic regional meetings, and the annual Executive Directors Forum. We also consult individual member agencies on specific priorities. We continue to bring the experiences and concerns of our member agencies to our ongoing work with sector funders to address the under-funding of community social service agencies.
OCASI and its Member Agencies have worked tirelessly to build a just and equitable society in which everyone benefits from social and economic inclusion. We're not there yet. We're still working on it. And you can help. In fact, you are essential!