In preparing to write my first blog of the year, the word ‘Hope’ came to me with a feeling of urgency. That this is the message that needs to go out into the sector as we head into 2019 and what could be a most contentious year of political posturing on all sides of the political spectrum; as we as a province and country face the potential loss of ground on progressive policies that we’ve fought for, disappointment in the promises not fulfilled by our elected officials, and a growing feeling of being unsettled within civil society especially in our for public benefit organizations as we are challenged to walk our talk in a time of political uncertainty.
The North Bay Positive Spaces Research Project is excited to share with the community ‘A Place for Us’, the final report and recommendations of the North Bay Positive Spaces Research Project. The report documents the experiences of 140 North Bay residents, in the areas of services, support, safety, discrimination, social activities, belonging, connecting to others, and future supports and services.
OCASI submitted comments on a federal government proposal for open work permits for migrant workers facing abuse or the risk of abuse. OCASI calls for open work permits for all workers, and recommends that in the long-term all migrant workers should receive permanent resident status upon arrival.
Is your agency looking for a better way to do program evaluation? Check out SIS, an affordable, open source evaluation platform developed by LogicalOutcomes in partnership with OCASI. Want to learn more about the platform and the research behind its design? OCASI's Manolli Ekra recently participated in a webinar on SIS, now available to view online.
Thousands of people are summoned for jury duty each year. Any Canadian citizen over the age of 18 can be considered for jury duty. It is part of your civic duty to respond to a jury summons and, if chosen, to serve as a juror.
What should policy makers be focusing on? Young people in Ontario between the ages of 14-29 can submit an article, op-ed, podcast, infographic, or video on a pressing policy issue to Laidlaw Foundation’s new online initiative - the Emerging Policy Lab. Submissions will be accepted year-round until December 2019. Successful contributors will receive an honorarium.
Steps to Justice now has information about getting legal help for problems with immigration law. Popular questions answered on the site include “Where can I get legal advice and help with a problem about immigration status in Canada?” and “I can’t pass the citizenship test or speak and understand English or French well enough. Can I become a citizen?”
The Canadian Women’s Foundation is now accepting proposals for the 2019-2020 Annual Violence Prevention Grants. The submission deadline is February 4, 2019 at 11:59 pm PST.
Submit proposals for workshops, papers, and posters for the 2019 International Metropolis Conference by February 15, 2019. The conference will explore opportunities and challenges regarding the fulfillment of the “promise of migration” for the wellbeing of all involved, including migrants, host societies and sending communities. It will be held at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa, June 24 to 28.
BRIDGES 2019 is a Toronto-wide collaboration and partnership forum bringing together service providers from multiple sectors. The 2019 Forum will focus on emerging trends in agency collaboration and partnerships and opportunities to discuss ideas for collective action. Organizers are Toronto East Quadrant Local Immigration Partnership in collaboration with all Toronto Quadrant LIPs, Toronto Newcomer Office and TDSB Newcomer Services.
