Charities

Late last month, I attended a bi-national meeting hosted by the UNHCR in the USA on Alternative to Detentions (ATD). Present were Government, NGO and UNHCR representatives from Canada, USA, Australia and Sweden. In between the very many presentations on new policies and guidelines, good and bad practices, challenges and advocacy strategies for getting governments and communities to buy into ATD, we made side trips to visit service agencies both in the USA and in Canada.

I've always thought of the day after Labour Day as the beginning of a second new year.  As colleagues return to work from vacations and “staycations”, one can sense a renewed focused energy, a ramping up of gears, a new sense of purpose that organizations take on after the long lazy days of summer.  This year more than most I felt that there was a sense of change in the air.