The City of Toronto announced with great fanfare that its Toronto sign- the marker of a proud city that for some rivals the CN Tower as THE Toronto landmark - would be lit in bright red to mark the beginning of Asian Heritage Month. For Torontonians, this is par for the course as we celebrate our rich diversity of cultures and peoples from every corner of the globe. Then the sun rose …
A community of BIPOC men ages 17-25 are coming together to make communities stronger and safer through nurturing the leadership of young racialized and newcomer men in preventing GBV. Young Men Leading Change Collective includes Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre, Immigrant Women Services Ottawa and OCISO. Youth leadership programs are offered in London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Peterborough and Ottawa.
COVID infection rates are on the rise, particularly the more infectious variants. Study after study has shown that women and the working poor – particularly racialized and im/migrant workers are disproportionately impacted. OCASI calls on the government of Ontario to give workers at least two week of permanent, paid sick days.
OCASI is encouraged by many promising initiatives in the federal budget that could benefit immigrants and refugees. They include a Disaggregated Data Action Plan by Statistics Canada, extension of the Racialized Newcomer Women Pilot, a national Childcare strategy, support for initiatives to address gender-based violence, and address systemic racism, anti-black racism and discrimination.
We have exciting news! OCMS, the powerful Client Management System developed by the sector for the sector is bilingual now. You can streamline client information for your agency quickly and easily in French AND English. Watch the OCMS video or register for a webinar. Contact ocmssupport@ocasi.org.
Calling All SettleNet.org Members!
SettleNet.org has always been “by the sector, for the sector”. We would love to hear how it is or isn’t working for you as someone involved in Canada's immigrant and refugee serving sector. Your feedback will help us improve what already exists and prioritize new features.
Start survey now »
Take the SettleNet.org Member Survey and help make the platform work better for you!
Roundtables on Refugee Integration
We invite you to two Allies for Refugee Integration Roundtables:
Thursday May 20, 2021 1:00-2:30
“Practical Tools for Working Together”: tips for settlement workers & sponsors to improve collaboration in your work with sponsored refugees. Register for roundtable »
Thursday May 27, 2021 1:00-2:30
“Big Picture Policy Recommendations”: our suggestions for IRCC to better support sponsored refugees and what it means for settlement & sponsorship organizations. Registe for roundtable »
Your Rights: Reporting Police Violence
How well do you know your rights when it comes to police misconduct? The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is an independent civilian agency that investigates police misconduct. Here's what to do if someone is abused or witnesses abuse by Ontario police. You can find more articles like this at Settlement.Org; information newcomers can trust.
Vos droits : signaler la violence policière
Connaissez-vous vos droits quant à la violence policière? L’Unité des Enquêtes Spéciales (UES) enquête sur les abus de la part de la police. Voici ce que vous devriez faire si vous êtes victime ou témoin de violence de la part de la police en Ontario. Vous trouverez d'autres articles comme celui-ci sur Etablissement.Org; de l'information fiable pour les nouveaux arrivants francophones.
SECTOR HAPPENINGS
Challenging security inadmissibility in Canada’s immigration system
This website provides information for migrant and undocumented residents in Ontario, and a list of health clinics that have agreed to abide by Access Without Fear protocols. The list will be updated as more agencies sign up. Materials will be translated into multiple languages and posted on the website.
Webinar: Gender, Civic Engagement, and Migrant Resilience
On May 12, 2021 12:15pm-1:15 pm join an exciting conversation about migrant women’s civic engagement, activism and resilience. Audience discussion will follow presentations. Speakers: Rupaleem Bhuyan, Alexandra Charette, Allison J. Petroziello, Jenna Hennebry and Tenzin Chime. The webinar is organized by Building Migrant Resilience in Cities/Immigration et résilience en milieu urbain. OCASI is a partner in BMRC-IRMU.
Toronto Arts Council Newcomer & Refugee Arts Engagement Grant
Are you a non-profit or artist collective supporting the integration and inclusion of newcomer artists in Toronto? The Toronto Arts Council (TAC) Newcomer and Refugee Arts Engagement program is providing targeted funding to eligible Toronto organizations and collectives. The grant is $20,000. Register for an information session to learn more. Deadline to apply is June 15, 2021.
Call for Proposals: Department of Canadian Heritage
The Digital Citizenship Contribution Program is accepting proposals for time-limited funding for citizen-focused research and activities to combat online disinformation and other harms and threats to democracy and social cohesion in Canada. Contact the Program to request an application package, including guidelines and application form. Deadline to apply is May 28, 2021.
Here is an opportunity to advise the provincial government through the Office for Victims of Crime and have immigrant and refugee-serving sector voices at these government tables. This is a part-time position. The closing date is May 12, 2021. Link to application.
Faire une demande pour être un membre du groupe consultatif d’OAVAC
Voici une occasion de conseiller le gouvernement provincial par le biais de L’Office des affaires des victimes d’actes criminels (OAVAC) et de faire entendre la voix du secteur au service des immigrants et des réfugiés à ces tables gouvernementales. Ce poste est à temps partiel. La date de clôture est le 12 mai 2021. Lien vers l'application.
Common Good Plan - Planning For Retirement
The Common Good Plan is a new affordable option for non-profit organizations for workplace savings and retirement, regardless of the size of the organization and age of the employees. Anyone who works for a Canadian employer and is a Canadian resident for tax purposes can join. Read the Maytree blog about the plan.
