It’s Labour day and my thoughts turn to the role of unions, in our work of building inclusive and welcoming communities so that all im/migrants and refugees find a sense of home regardless of where they land in this vast country of ours.
This moment in time feels like back to the future. Not in the sense of Sankofa – looking back to take the lessons that will help to shape the future - but in a sense of historical erasure which will ensure that we repeat practices that are exclusionary, that are discriminatory and divisive.
The Mennonite New Life Centre of Toronto (MNLCT) invites newcomer teens, parents, and frontline workers to participate in surveys on challenges that newcomer teens face related to technology use and well-being. Your insights will help develop targeted strategies to support teens' well-being. Participate in the survey: Teen Survey, Parent Survey, Worker Survey.
OCASI HAPPENINGS
OCASI Annual General Meeting 2024
Wednesday, October 9th 2024, 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Pan Pacific Toronto, 900 York Mills Road, Toronto
Keynote Speaker:
The Honourable David Piccini
Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
Le Sommet Francophone du OCASI 2024 - Sommet d'ouverture
Sénatrice Bernadette Clement
Senat du Canada
Soyez des nôtres lors de l’allocution principale de Sénatrice Bernadette Clement, le mardi 8 octobre à 13h15 (Sommet en mode hybride - Pan Pacific Hotel, Toronto).
NewYouth.ca is looking for young newcomers in Ontario aged 16 to 29 for a paid opportunity to share their immigration stories during a 2-day workshop. Saturday, October 26th, 2024 and Sunday, October 27th, 2024; 10:30 AM - 5 PM. Please share with your networks. Deadline to register - September 15, 2024.
Joignez-vous au groupe consultatif de jeunes de NewYouth.ca
NouveauxJeunes.ca lance un appel aux jeunes nouveaux arrivants en Ontario âgés entre 16 et 29 ans pour leur offrir une opportunité rémunérée de partager leurs histoires inspirantes d'immigration au Canada sur un atelier de 2 jours le samedi 26 octobre 2024 et le dimanche 27 octobre 2024, de 10h30 à 17h00. Nous vous invitons à diffuser cet appel au sein de vos réseaux. Date limite d’inscription - 15 septembre 2024.
The newly revamped and redesigned platform of SettlementAtWork!
We are pleased to announce that the Settlement At Work website has been revamped and redesigned! The website has been upgraded with new features to facilitate the research and posting new content. Please visit SettlementAtWork.Org for more information.
La plateforme nouvellement conçue et organisée de SecteurÉtablissement!
Nous avons le plaisir d'annoncer que le site web de Secteur Établissement a été reconfiguré ! Afin de répondre aux besoins et aux demandes du secteur de l'établissement en pleine croissance, le site web a été mis à jour avec de nouvelles fonctionnalités pour faciliter la recherche et la mise en ligne de nouveaux contenus. Pour plus d'informations, veuillez consulter le site SecteurÉtablissement.Org.
Espaces positifs pour les nouveaux arrivants LGBTQIA+ Niveau 2 Automne 2024
Initiative Espaces Positifs de OCASI est heureuse d’ouvrir les inscriptions pour la session automne 2024 pour le cours IEP niveau 2. Il s'agit d'un cours en ligne gratuit et autodirigé qui se déroulera entre le 16 septembre et le 31 octobre 2024. Inscrivez-vous ici.
Creating Positive Spaces for LGBTQIA+ Newcomers Level 2
OCASI PSI will be offering our level 2 training course for settlement sector workers. The course is free, self-directed and will be open from September 16th to October 31st. Self-enrolment can be made through this link.
Building Resilient Societies Through Active Citizenship Webinar
Head over to SettleNet.org and join the Journeys to Active Citizenship’s group to watch our latest exciting and engaging webinar. Our guest speaker was Maiwand Rahyab, from Resilient Societies, who shared strategies for aiding immigrant/migrant and refugee human rights defenders' adaptation, mobility, and organizing efforts in Canada.
Upcoming ARI Webinar on Integrated Employment Services
Join us for the Allies for Refugee Integration (ARI) Webinar, "Integrated Employment Services: Changes, Challenges & Gains for Newcomers," on September 18, 2024, from 1:30 to 3:30 PM EDT. This webinar brings together experts to explore recent changes in Integrated Employment Services (IES) and their specific impacts on newcomers, with a focus on privately sponsored refugees (PSRs).
OCASI’s PET initiative supports IRCC-funded organizations to improve settlement services by addressing gaps in skills and knowledge. Organizations can apply for up to $3,000 per fiscal year to pay facilitators’ fees for group professional development (PD). Settlement practitioners can be reimbursed up to $1000 in a fiscal year for individual courses that benefit their position.
OCASI, in partnership with the Centre for Immigrant and Community Services (CICS), Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR), and Toronto East Quadrant LIP, invites you to register for the online portion of this hybrid event (in-person spaces are full). YouthVantage Forum: Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders in Settlement Services event on Tuesday, September 17th, 2024, from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
Catch our June launch video and celebrate our new team members! We're gearing up for research and community consultations in cities across Canada this fall. Shout out to Yukon and Saskatchewan organizations for their incredible work in racial justice. Join us in driving equity forward!
RCEJR : de stimulantes mises à jour pour l'automne 2024 !
Regardez la vidéo de notre lancement en juin et célébrez les nouvelles personnes au sein de notre équipe ! Nous nous préparons à effectuer de la recherche et des consultations dans plusieurs villes canadiennes cet automne. Un grand merci aux organisations du Yukon et de la Saskatchewan qui mènent un incroyable travail contre le racisme. Joignez-vous à nous pour faire avancer l'équité !
Unlock Your Agency's Potential with the OCASI Client Management System (OCMS)!
OCMS is a cloud-based data management system that streamlines client services and saves time for workers and clients alike. It is developed by and for the immigrant and refugee serving sector, and is known for its high quality and responsive service. To join our growing list of clients contact us at ocmssupport@ocasi.org
Call for Applications - Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector
The Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector (ACCS) is a consultative forum for the Government of Canada to engage in meaningful dialogue with the charitable sector, to advance emerging issues relating to charities, and to ensure that the regulatory environment supports the important work that charities do. The call closes on September 27, 2024, at 11:59 pm (Eastern time).
Statistics Canada has created the GDIS Hub as their primary platform for all Gender, Diversity and Inclusion related data. The Hub enables data users to more easily find disaggregated and intersectional data, analytical products and insights. Check out the new Hub and provide your feedback.
Participate in Truth and Reconciliation Week 2024 on September 23 - 27. Engage with the poignant history and enduring spirit of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. This is a free, online educational program by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Programming is available in English, French, and ASL.
Register for Canadian Council for Refugees Working Group meetings on September 12-13 in Montreal. This is a free event. Registration is required to facilitate organizing the event. You do not have to be a CCR member to attend. The meetings are closed to the government and media.
Can you be paid in cash? Can your boss ask for a doctor’s note if you take a sick day? How far in advance must your boss give you your schedule? Learn about this and more at the Workers’ Action Centre upcoming workshop taking place Thursday, September 19, 2024 at 6:00 PM via Zoom!
Flexing Your AI Muscles: Enhancing Project Management for the Future
This event presented by TRIEC's Professional Immigrant Networks (PINs) will bring together leaders from various professional immigration organizations to share insights and experiences regarding the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on project management. Fri, Sept 13 - 12:00 PM ET
A “Breeding Ground For Contemporary Forms Of Slavery”
The final Canada Visit Report from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences was released on July 22, 2024. Special Rapporteur Tomoya Obokata called Canada’s temporary foreign workers program a "breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery."
It is unclear how many undocumented immigrants live in Canada. Estimates range from 20,000 up to 500,000. Many of these are youth who were brought to Canada as young children and had no choice in the matter. Watch/Listen to a recent TVO episode of The Agenda with Steve Paikin.
The Importance of Unions in Reducing Racial Inequality
The Centre for Future Work has released new research regarding union coverage and wages across different racialized categories of Canadian workers. The report also contains a review of efforts by Canadian unions to improve their representation of Black and racialized workers, and recommendations for strengthening the union movement’s practices.
Mapping the Experiences of Diverse Candidates Running for Municipal Office in Ontario
From Summer 2023 to Spring 2024, Monumental conducted the Mapping the Experiences of Diverse Candidates Running for Municipal Office in Ontario research project on behalf of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). This research was situated within AMO’s Healthy Democracy Project (launched in 2022).
CERC Migration is leading a multi-year study to understand the decision-making processes of migrants, especially during times of global uncertainty. New documentary films and a visualization project reveal insights from the first half of the study.
Early Childhood Education and Care in Canada 2023 is the 14th edition in a series that has been regularly developed by the Childcare Resource and Research Unit for 30 years. These reports provide cross-jurisdictional longitudinal data and information about regulated child care, kindergarten, and parental leave.
This report from Toronto Foundation highlights the disproportionate challenges faced by twentysomethings in Toronto and offers tips to employers, service providers and funders on how best to support this cohort to transition from surviving to thriving.
The Law Foundation of Ontario - 2024 Responsive Call for Applications
Responsive grants provide much-needed financial support to organizations that are working to advance access to justice for the people of Ontario, including for legal education, legal research or programs that supplement existing legal services and fill gaps in the justice system by connecting more people to legal information and support. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
United Way Greater Toronto - Jane Finch Community Action Grants
The Jane Finch Community Action Grants (CAG) are intended to support neighbourhood-focused initiatives that advance key community-informed priorities and actions identified in local plans focused on the Jane Finch neighbourhood. Application Deadline: September 27, 2024.
Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development is accepting applications for this funding stream until October 4, 2024. The SDF Training Stream offers funding to organizations for innovative projects that address challenges to hiring, training or retaining workers, including apprentices, to drive Ontario's economic growth.
OCASI Annual General Meeting 2024
Assemblée générale annuelle 2024 d'OCASI
Join NewYouth.ca's Youth Advisory Group
Take to the Streets: Say No To Racism! Yes to Immigrant Justice!
Flexing Your AI Muscles: Enhancing Project Management for the Future
