My inbox has been filled these past weeks of this new year with pleas for support for women facing deportation orders, some with Canadian born children still breastfeeding.
In almost all cases they’ve exhausted all appeals and have thrown themselves on the mercy of the Canadian government by filing a Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) application. An H&C can take up to three years or more to process, and does not delay or stop a deportation order. The success rate is less than fifty percent.
CultureLink partnered with Toronto History Museums to develop this community-building program for racialized immigrant women. The artist participants have been reflecting on themes such as identity, migration, and their struggles and wins in Canada. Personal and intimate narratives are spun through digital media and other art forms. Their journeys will move, inspire, and uplift you.
The OCASI Professional Development Conference will be held in Toronto on October 26 - 27, 2023. More details will follow soon!
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Le colloque de perfectionnement professionnel d’OCASI aura lieu à Toronto les 26 et 27 octobre 2023. Plus de détails suivront bientôt.
Happy IWD 2023 from OCASI!
On March 8, 2023 - International Women’s Day - we are in solidarity with our sisters in Ontario, Canada, and around the world as we fight collectively for gender justice, racial justice and migrant justice. We call for a fully inclusive immigration status regularization program that will leave no woman behind.
Building Knowledge on Gender-Based Violence in the Housing Market with WomenACT
Tuesday, March 14th, 2023 from 10:00-11:30 AM EST via Zoom.
OCASI’s Initiative to End GBV in collaboration with Women Abuse Council of Toronto (WomenACT) is pleased to bring you a virtual and interactive webinar on how service providers can better support survivors of GBV navigating the housing market.
Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change is conducting a survey on employment barriers Indigenous, Black, or racialized workers in Ontario are facing to better understand race-based and other forms of discrimination that workers have experienced. The survey is available in English, French, Chinese, Punjabi, Somali and Spanish. Select your desired language from the links below.
OCASI Mental Health Promotion project hosted its annual Knowledge Exchange event in February. This event brought together stakeholders across primary care, mental health, and settlement sectors to discuss lessons learned from the project, and how to build trauma and violence informed organizations that prioritize client and staff mental health.
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship released an entertainment app for permanent residents and new citizens. They can access over 1400 free attractions and travel discounts around Canada with the app.
Are you looking for a client management system that works well for your agency? Try OCMS! Please watch the OCMS video. We are proud of our work and our clients. To join our growing list of clients contact us at ocmssupport@ocasi.org
National Active Citizenship Roundtable: Building a Network for Action
Join the Journeys to Active Citizenship annual roundtable via Zoom on Wednesday, March 22 1-3:30 PM EST. Sector leaders will discuss opportunities to build a national network for im/migrant and refugee civic engagement. Keynote speaker Almeera Khalid will relay her inspiring journey as an undocumented person while working tirelessly for im/migrant and refugee rights.
Réunion de table ronde nationale sur la citoyenneté active
Assistez à la table ronde annuelle de Chemins vers une citoyenneté active le mercredi 22 mars de 13h à 15h30, heure de l'Est. La table ronde réunira des leaders du secteur pour discuter des possibilités de créer un réseau national pour l'engagement civique des personnes immigrantes et réfugiées. Le discours principal sera prononcé par Almeera Khalid, qui relatera son parcours inspirant en tant que personne sans papiers tout en travaillant sans relâche pour les droits des personnes immigrantes et réfugiées. L'événement aura lieu sur Zoom.
On March 18 and 19, 2023 take to the streets with thousands of migrants and supporters to demand equal rights and permanent resident status for all undocumented people, migrant workers, students, families and refugees.
Join the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) campaign #StatusForAll. Use the online form to send a letter to Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration Refugee and Citizenship, and to your member of Parliament.
Canadian Race Relations Foundation is offering a free media training webinar for Asian community leaders in Canada. Complete the short Expression of Interest form by March 21, 2023. Training will be provided by Media Girlfriends on May 12, 2023.
Changes for Caregiver Pathways to Permanent Residence
The amount of work experience in Canada required for a caregiver to qualify for permanent residence is being reduced from 24 months to 12 months. The change will be effective as of April 30, 2023, and will be retroactive for caregivers who have already applied.
A growing number of organizations, mainly companies, but also nonprofits, have started to explore new ways of working and providing more flexibility to employees. Listen to the Imagine Canada podcast, with guest Annika Voltan of Impact Organizations of Nova Scotia, on work-life balance and the rise of the 4 day work week.
Ontario Nonprofit Network Reimagining Governance Lab is now open!
Reimagining Governance is a collaborative initiative between ONN and Ignite NPS. The goal is to provoke a shift in how we talk about and do governance in nonprofit organizations. The Lab is a virtual hub for nonprofits to explore innovative approaches to governance through free and co-created tools, resources and prompts.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Rapid Housing Initiative Funding
Application-based project funding to build new housing and/or purchase existing buildings that will be rehabilitated or converted into permanent affordable housing.The Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) provides funding to facilitate the rapid construction of new permanent affordable housing units for people and populations who are in severe housing need. Deadline for applications: March 15, 2023.
City of Toronto 2023 Youth Violence Prevention Grant
The Youth Violence Prevention Grant has been updated to align with SafeTO priorities and now emphasizes violence prevention, intervention and interruption programming. Eligibility requirements have been updated to require a partnership between an established not-for-profit organization and a grassroots group to leverage the unique strengths of both groups. Deadline to Apply: Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at 12:00 PM
A new report from Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives looks at whether Canada’s gender pandemic response measured up. Only around 30 percent of federal and provincial government programs were focused on addressing gendered impacts of the pandemic. There were significant policy gaps that were not addressed by federal or provincial programs.
To relieve the current housing crisis in Ontario, the provincial government needs to take immediate action to curb real estate investment and limit the negative impacts of existing investors and decommodify housing to make it a human right. This paper presents a variety of solutions available to policymakers for combatting the financialization of housing.
Factors that Impact How Black Youth Access the Mental Healthcare System in Ontario
This report identifies key areas of concern related to Black youths’ access to care that need to be addressed. Improving the mental healthcare system and access to care will require many changes at many different levels of society. The report is an overview of findings from the Pathways to Care Project focus groups.
Socio-Economic Review of the Black Muslim Population in Canada
A new report by the Black Muslim Initiative (BMI) created in collaboration with Diversity Institute addresses the need for a comprehensive understanding of the socio-economic realities of the Black Muslim population. It provides a detailed portrait of the Black Muslim population and can be used to inform policy, programs and advocacy work.
Ending Homelessness and Preventing Evictions in Toronto – Rights Review
In this Rights Review, the Right to Housing Toronto network documents the City’s past efforts with eviction prevention and managing the shelter system along with encampments at the height of the pandemic. The report includes key recommendations and considerations to offer useful reference points for the City to take a rights-based approach to preventing evictions and ending homelessness.
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Status For All Day Of Action
Decent work - the rise of the four-day work week
