This year OCASI, Its members and allied organizations and groups decided to declare April Refugee Rights Month. The Anniversary of the Singh decision which falls on April 4th is a time to celebrate the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the fundamental rights of refugees – that in Canada refugees too have a right to life, liberty and security of persons.
Settlement workers from Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office, North York Community House, Catholic Crosscultural Services, Centre for Immigrant and Community Services and Culturelink have partnered to provide settlement services at various City of Toronto locations including Toronto City Hall. Newcomer Services in City facilities increases access to important resources and information provided by settlement workers.
April 20, 2017 - ‘The Singh Decision Matters in 2017’ a free panel discussion and spoken word will be held on April 20,6pm - 8pm in Toronto at Friends House, 60 Lowther. Themes of refugee rights in 2017, challenging Islamophobia, racism and xenophobia, sanctuary cities and refugee healthcare will be explored.
OCASI is accepting applications for Professional Education and Training Project (PET) In-House Group Trainings for this fiscal year, April 2017- March 2018. Ontario Immigrant and refugee-serving agencies funded by IRCC and MCI can apply for financial support for group training for their staff.
The Canadian Senate has adopted a motion to amend Bill C-6 (the Citizenship Bill) to increase the requirement of language and knowledge test for citizenship from age 55 to 60. Contact your Member of Parliament today and ask them to reject the language amendment which will create barriers to citizenship.
The OCASI Professional Development Conference is Back! This year's conference takes place on October 11th- 12th 2017 at the Westin Prince Hotel and will be open to frontline workers and managers in the Immigrant and Refugee Serving Sector. Stay tuned for more details..
~ Felicia Christmas, Conference Coordinator
SECTOR HAPPENINGS
CCR Spring Consultation
Explore questions affecting refugee protection and newcomer settlement at the Canadian Council for Refugees Spring Consultation, 1-3 June 2017 and Regional Forum on Migrant Workers June 4, in Edmonton. The conference offers opportunities for professional development, networking and strategy. Register before 12 May 2017 to take advantage of reduced fees. All are welcome to participate! ?
Join the conversation about better ways to build Ontario’s economy. Better Way Alliance is a group of Ontario employers championing decent work practices such as fair wages, stable employment and paid sick days. Members are sharing their stories of how decent work practices are making a difference in their organizations and their Communities.
A new Eligibility Tool creates a child’s profile based on age, family income, and province of residence. It helps families to approximate the value of starting an RESP and accessing available grants and applicable provincial government contributions. These education saving tools can be found on the updated SmartSaver homepageand website.
The Mowat Centre has released ‘Charting a Path Forward: Strengthening and Enabling the Charitable Sector in Canada’. The first paper in the Mowat NFP’s Enabling Environment Series, which explores the different dimensions of an ‘Enabling Environment’ in the relationship between the charitable and non-profit sector and government, it presents different ways that the government and the sector can work together.
