I forgot. For a long moment I forgot that I/we are living in “The Wake”, to borrow from Christina Sharpe. Sometimes the four hundred years old waves and eddies are disguised by the islands of liberation we carve out for ourselves in these broad and deep oceans of racialization and racism. Anti-Black racism.
A shortage of affordable workforce housing harms the region’s economy and society. WoodGreen Community Services and the Toronto Region Board of Trade collaborated from January 2020 to July 2021 on a 3-part series that looked at the challenges of finding affordable housing in Toronto and cost to the region if nothing is done. Read the reports via the links below.
Professional Development and Training Funds Increased
If your organization is in Ontario and funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada you can apply to the OCASI Professional Education and Training Program (PET) to cover trainer costs. Training funds for the 2021-22 fiscal year are increased, upto $3,500 for groups and upto $1,000 for individuals in 2021-22.
Contact Beverly Lawrence-Dennis, PET Project Coordinator at: blawrence@ocasi.org
Journeys to Active Citizenship
Journeys to Active Citizenship is an innovative civic engagement program that is being developed for, and with, the im/migrant and refugee-serving sector.
We hope you will join the conversation about active citizenship among im/migrants and refugees. Join our group on SettleNet, the sector’s online community of practice, to be part of the discussion.
Chemins vers une citoyenneté active
Chemins vers une citoyenneté active est un projet d’engagement civique innovant, qui vise à favoriser la citoyenneté active parmi les personnes immigrantes et réfugiées partout au Canada.
Nous espérons que vous participerez à la conversation sur l’engagement civique au sein du secteur. Rejoignez notre groupe sur RéseauÉtab, la communauté de pratique virtuelle du secteur, pour contribuer à la discussion.
Reminder! Register for Building A Blueprint
Have you registered yet for the 2nd annual conference of “Building a Blueprint: End GBV against non-status, refugee & immigrant women"? Coming up on November 25 &26, it will bring together non-status, refugee and immigrant women and those who support them to learn & plan for an intersectional “she-covery” in our communities. For more information and registration: addressinggbv.eventbrite.ca
New French resource alert: Allies for Refugee Integration
New French language resource alert! Allies for Refugee Integration (ARI) is pleased to share the French translation of our 2021 Final Report!
Nouvelle ressource en français : Alliés pour l'intégration des réfugiés
Nouvelle ressource en français! Alliés pour l'intégration des réfugiés (AIR) est heureux de partager la traduction en français de son rapport final 2021!
Employers and Vaccination
OCASI held a virtual Town Hall for member agencies on October 1, 2021 on employer responsibilities and COVID-19 vaccinations. The Town Hall featured a presentation by Jonquille Pak and Dilpreet Grewal of JPAK Employment Lawyers. You can view the recorded presentation, download presentation slides and find links to vaccination policies at OCASI member agencies.
The SettleNet.org/Réseau-Étab.org team is looking for enthusiastic ambassadors to help us reach and engage more individuals in the sector by promoting the platform by posting on social media, presenting at conferences, creating content, etc. This is a highly flexible opportunity with training, support, and promotional kit provided. Email mbeker@ocasi.org for more details and to apply
Why Agencies Love OCMS
An OCMS user tells us, "OCMS is a great tool. For case management of our clients, it is extremely helpful. All of the client's information is located on this system... Workers can then see everything that has been done for the client. Furthermore, action plans and follow-ups can be done more easily..."
The Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010 (ONCA) came into effect as of October 19, 2021. Previously, the Ontario Corporations Act governed charities and nonprofits. The new legal framework may affect nonprofits in many different ways. Nonprofits will have three years after the proclamation to transition to the new rules. Follow the links below for more information and free online resources for nonprofits.
Register now for the Canadian Council for Refugees Fall 2021 Consultation. The consultation will be held on 29 November - 3 December on the theme of Welcoming newcomers with open borders.
Urban Alliance on Race Relations and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation will host their 2nd annual racial justice summit on November 17-18, 2021. The Summit aims to convene racial justice advocates from diverse backgrounds to engage in dialogue, learn from one another, and build relationships and collaborations to enhance their work in the field. Read more
First National Summit on Racism in Nursing and Health Care
Presented by the Canadian Academy of Nursing, the summit will feature guest leader and CNA ambassador, The Honourable Murray Sinclair, and political activist and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Movement Canada, Sandy Hudson. On Nov 24, 2021 11:30 AM Eastern Time.
Social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic is making it more difficult for those who are at risk of abuse or violence to safely reach out for help. “Signal for Help” is a simple one-handed sign someone can use on a video call to silently show they need help and want someone to check in with them in a safe way.
Ontario Human Rights Commission released a policy statement calling on governments, service providers, housing providers and employers to take positive action towards substantive equality in their COVID-19 recovery planning efforts. The statement introduces six key principles for COVID-19 recovery, and potential policy and program actions consistent with a human-rights based approach.
The Anti-Racism Directorate is now accepting applications for the Anti-Racism Anti-Hate Grant Program with a focus on supporting community-led initiatives that will increase public education and awareness on the impact of #racism and #hate. Application submission deadline: November 15, 2021 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
Canadian Women’s Foundation is accepting applications for Gender-Based Violence COVID Emergency Funds. Stage one applications are due November 21, 2021. This opportunity is made possible through funding from the Department for Women and Gender Equality to support women’s organizations and other organizations offering significant gender-based violence supports and services related to women, trans, Two Spirit, and non-binary people.
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives' Alternative Federal Budget (AFB), now in its 26th year, calls for urgent policy priorities that would ensure a publicly led, inclusive pandemic recovery. The AFB will remove immigration status barriers to income and other supports, create a regularization program to ensure all refugees and migrants can gain immigration status, and more. OCASI is a contributor.
A new report from the Conference Board of Canada on the current and future role of (im)migrant talent. The study analyzes the level of Canada’s dependence on immigrants and temporary residents as essential workers and the extent to which the current immigrant talent pool matches essential vacancies. Includes recommendations on how to leverage immigration to meet labour market demands.
CJPME has released the results of a Canada-wide survey conducted in May 2021, co-sponsored with the Canadian Arab Federation and the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association. The survey found systemic racism affects Arabs’ ability to immigrate to Canada, participate and thrive fully as citizens, enter into the workforce, and to live free of preconceptions about their lives and morals.
National Right to Housing Network and Women’s National Housing and Homelessness Network present three research reports on how to realize the human right to adequate housing in Canada through law and policy. The reports offer concrete and detailed recommendations on how Canada can implement a rights-based approach to housing.
In Canada, provinces control the residential eviction process, but cities experience the effects of these policies, from rising housing instability to an increased burden on the shelter system. A new paper for the Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance maps the eviction crisis in Toronto, shows the impact of evictions and the City’s limited authority to prevent them.
