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:
TO: OCASI Member Agencies
FROM: Debbie Douglas, OCASI Executive Director
RE: OCASI School of Social Justice 2016- Invitation to Participate
Deadline for 2016 Applications - Friday, July 22, 2016
Application: Download the OCASI SSJ Application (Word document)
PRESS RELEASE
June 20, 2016/Toronto - Today, on World Refugee Day, OCASI calls on all Ontarians to create welcoming communities for refugees and to play a meaningful role in eliminating barriers that prevent refugees from fully participating in Canadian society.
The United Nations says, “Every minute eight people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror.” This does not mean that people arrive to safety or that they are welcomed immediately by any country, be it neighboring or far away.