November has been filled with surprises so far. Here it is mid-month and at the time of this writing we are enjoying weather that reminds us of early Fall. The leaves are mostly gone but the memory of the glorious reds, yellows, oranges and browns are fresh in our minds and remind us of why we treasure our country and its changing seasons.
IRCC Questions:
Strengthening our Canadian fabric
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LASI and OCASI Statement on the death of Abdirahman Abdi
[La version française se trouve plus loin.]
Ottawa/July 28, 2016 - Local Agencies Serving Immigrants (LASI) – Ottawa and OCASI – Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants are deeply concerned and saddened by the death of Abdirahman Abdi.
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.
In December 2015, the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants with financial support from the Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration, and International Trade (MCIIT), undertook an environmental scan to assess the existing capacity and service gaps of refugee and immigrant-serving organizations in Ontario to meet the needs of large numbers of Syrian refugee arrivals.
OCASI letter to Toronto Star, sent on May 15, 2015
OCASI would like to commend Ontario Superior Court Justice Frederick Myers for his recent ruling on police carding in favor of a Sudanese immigrant who was profiled and assaulted by police for exercising his right. The ruling is a first step in the right direction and underscores what a growing number of people in Toronto believes must happen - the end of carding and other racial profiling activities in the name of 'public safety'.
OCASI Executive Director Debbie Douglas appeared as a witness before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration to present on ‘Promoting Economic Prosperity through Settlement Services' on March 26, 2015.
She made the following observations in her presentation:
OCASI Executive Director Debbie Douglas appeared as a guest panelist on TVO's ‘The Agenda' hosted by Steve Paikin, on January 15, 2015. The show explored changes resulting from the introduction of the new Express Entry immigration system earlier this year, and what they mean for Canada and Ontario.
Sondages sur les besoins des immigrants et réfugiés francophones LGBTQIA: la date limite prolongé au 25 juillet