The Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) will have a strong presence at the 14th National Metropolis Conference, to be held in Toronto on February 29 – March 3, 2012.
Debbie Douglas, Executive Director will share insights on the potential settlement and integration impacts, as a discussant on the Friday morning panel “A New Balancing Act for Sexual Minority Refugees? Potential Impacts of Refugee Reform for LGBT Asylum in Canada” (C10).
The Council's work in the areas of breaking down barriers for immigrants and refugees with disabilities (a partnership with Ethnoracial Disability Coalition of Ontario); results of a survey of 2500 Newcomers on their use, non-use and satisfaction with settlement and integration services, and the use of discussion fora to provide settlement information to newcomers will be profiled in the following workshop sessions:
Thursday: A1 - Immigrant Integration in a Digital World: The Opportunities and Challenges of Social Media
Friday: E9 – Falling Through the Cracks: Newcomers with Disabilities in Canada
Saturday: F6– ‘Making Ontario Home' Newcomer Survey: Results and Significance
Several OCASI member agencies too will be sharing their experience and expertise at other workshops and roundtable discussions as well as a plenary.
The National Metropolis Conference provides OCASI and other sector organizations as well as researchers and policy makers with the opportunity to come together to share and exchange knowledge and experience in immigration and settlement.
OCASI is a founding member of CERIS – The Ontario Metropolis Centre, the organizer of the 14th National Metropolis Conference. The Council sits on the Board and the Management Committee of CERIS.
Click here for more information about the Metropolis Conference.
___________________
Contact:
Amy Casipullai
acasipullai@ocasi.org
tel: 416.322.4950 x 239