The Honorable Ralph Goodale
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
269 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0P8 Canada
July 15, 2016
Dear Minister Goodale,
Re: Immigration Detainees on Hunger Strike
OCASI – Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants is writing to ask that you meet with the more than 60 immigration detainees presently on hunger strike at two Ontario prisons.
There are two initiatives that have been my focus for the past few weeks that I want to share with you. While the links between the two may not be casually apparent, they are related as both their goals are about change – attitudinal and systems change.
OCASI Executive Director Debbie Douglas has been appointed to the Ontario Income Security Reform Working Group.
Ontario has established the Working Group to help guide the province's efforts to reduce poverty, support people in their efforts to participate in the economy, and provide services in a way that makes sense to the people who need them.
The group is to:
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
2016 OCASI Executive Directors Forum
The Westin Prince Hotel
Toronto Ontario
November 9 & 10
Deadline for submissions: Wednesday July 27, 2016
OCASI is pleased to announce the OCASI Executive Directors Forum 2016 will take place at the Westin Prince Hotel in Toronto, November 9 & 10, 2016.
Overview
Article Series on Self-Care for the Immigrant and Refugee Serving Sector by Aina-Nia Ayo'dele (July 2016)
How are you handling stress at work?
If your answer is "o.k." to "not good at all", you may want to cry at yourself or the situation that is causing you stress?
Laughter is one of the oldest healing arts and has been reported to reduce the levels of stress hormones as well as activate the release of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins (the body's natural painkillers). A technique as simple as laughter will: