Monday, November 25, 2024 | Lundi 25 novembre 2024 11:45 AM \u2013 1:00 PM PST | 11h45 \u00e1 13h00 HNP A01 (in person) \u2013 10 Reasons To Hate Others and What To Do About It Facilitators: Victoria Esses \u2013 Western University and Pathways to Prosperity Partnership, Hazel Markus \u2013 Stanford University, Stephen Reicher \u2013 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","event-category":[],"class_list":["post-5596","events","type-events","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"blocks":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"
Chair: Rob McBride - New Language Solutions<\/p>\n
IRCC-funded, the free CanAvenue platform serves temporary foreign workers, refugee claimants, and those on waiting lists for formal language training programs like LINC. Other newcomers are unable to attend formal language training because of geographic isolation or work and family responsibilities. Many have exhausted their formal language training eligibility. The CanAvenue courseware serves two English proficiency levels, CLB 3\/4, and CLB 5 - 7. CanAvenue.ca provides orientations to independent learning, formal language training, employment and citizenship. CanAvenue supports skill building in listening, speaking, reading and writing and is grounded in Canada\u2019s cultures and diversity. Settlement services participants in the workshop will explore how the platform can serve their newcomer clients.<\/p>\n\n
Chair: Aamna Ashraf - Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)<\/p>\nThe Immigrant and Refugee Mental Health Project (IRMHP), an IRCC-funded national initiative, builds the capacity of the health and settlement sectors to support the mental health of immigrants and refugees. This work is done through training, partnerships and collaborations across Canada and with leaders in the settlement sector. Recognizing the diverse needs of the sector, this workshop will feature promising practices on anti-racism and anti-oppression from Kamloops, Winnipeg and Toronto.\n
Chair: Christine Binne, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)<\/p>\nIn this session, AHC Alberta and ANC Employment Services will present comprehensive strategies for supporting immigrant youth social, cultural, and workforce integration. AHC Alberta will present its synergetic approach to immigrant youth integration, focusing on youth empowerment, youth as catalysts for change, and advancing integration through collaboration and stakeholder engagement. ANC Employment Services is initiating a new project entitled Newcomer Youth Trades Toolbox. Funded by ESDC, it is structured to enhance clients' readiness for the construction labor market. Through skills development, employment readiness training, and a work experience placement, it provides the opportunity for youth to experience trades and carpentry.\n
Chair | Pr\u00e9sidente : Dani\u00e8le B\u00e9langer - Laval University | Universit\u00e9 Laval<\/p>\nDuring this workshop, presenters will launch a new report featuring an original study that analyzes the impacts of the Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers on temporary foreign workers who experienced abuse and applied for it. The study is based on in-depth interviews with 47 workers in BC, Ontario, and Qu\u00e9bec collected in 2023-2024. The findings highlight inequalities and barriers to accessing the program, as well as new vulnerabilities following the application process and the issuance or denial of the permit. Recommendations from study participants are included. The workshop will showcase a true partnership between academia and community organizations.\n
Chair: Cristian Medina - Planning for Canada, CICan<\/p>\nThis workshop led by Planning for Canada, a pre-arrival program, will present experiences with designing self-directed e-learning modules. Initiated to empower immigrants to Canada with comprehensive resources tailored to their needs, these modules were developed by experts in various disciplines. Norquest College will explain the technical side of creating these modules. JVS Toronto will share the benefits of integrating e-learning with personalized counselling sessions to support pre- and post-arrival skilled immigrants. This workshop will be useful for anyone interested in creating e-learning resources that are effective and accessible to immigrants. We will also share how cross-sector partnerships amplify service delivery in the digital age.\n
Chair: Pat Marilley-Bodner - MOSAIC<\/p>\nMOSAIC and the Hospital Employees Union partnered to develop and pilot a language training program for healthcare workers in the private sector. The goal of the training was to improve English skills so workers could access career training or accreditation, while working full-time. This workshop will explore the motivations of clients to participate in language training and how the two organizations formed and carried out their strategic partnership to meet client needs. The workshop will also explain aspects of the curriculum and program delivery which made the training accessible, flexible, relevant and supportive of client goals and needs.\n
Chair: Julie Rodier - Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC)<\/p>\nJourney maps are an emerging and innovating data collection method, valuable in understanding newcomers\u2019 lived experience as they adapt to life in Canada. This method illustrates their challenges and needs, thoughts, and opportunities for improvement at significant timepoints. Drawing from two projects, we will share how journey maps were utilized to capture the factors that motivate or hinder the transition of international students to permanent residency, and newcomer mothers\u2019 experiences in accessing mental health supports. Insights gained offer recommendations on providing culturally appropriate services to newcomers and inform immigration policies targeting international students for their attraction and retention in Canada.\n
Chair: Oded Oron - JIAS Toronto<\/p>\nThis workshop offers lessons learned from two Diversity, Equity and Inclusion projects:\n
Chair: Leesha Kanbour - Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA)<\/p>\nThe Enhancing National Sector Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) Capacity project aims to enhance the national newcomer-serving sector's capacity to mainstream GBA Plus within programs, policies, and procedures. Through a research process and piloting phase with Service Provider Organizations (SPOs) across the country, the project has produced sector specific guidance to support SPOs in meeting the specific needs and priorities of diverse newcomer populations. At this session, project staff will share findings from the final research report as well as tools and resources from the sector specific bilingual resource guide.\n
Facilitators: Samantha Lee and Traicy Robertson - Manitoba Possible<\/p>\nThe concept of Cultural Brokering is centered on promoting inclusive practices and bridging differing cultural values to advance knowledge and drive social change. This approach emphasizes gaining a profound contextual understanding of lived realities and is aligned with DEI and JEDI principles. Cultural Brokering is increasingly recognized as a fundamental approach within the evolving narrative of Canada. However, the specifics of its implementation and the mechanisms for its realization remain open questions. We invite you to participate in our discussion to explore the potential impact of this practice at local and regional levels and envision what this process might entail.\n\n
Facilitators: Nikita Laranjeira and Marzieh Nezakat - MOSAIC<\/p>\nJoin us for an engaging roundtable discussion that brings together leaders from settlement organizations, transitional housing and shelter experts, and advocacy groups to tackle one of today\u2019s most pressing challenges: securing safe, affordable housing for refugee claimants. Discover how the BC CHARMS housing referral database has transformed collaboration in this space, unlocking new ways to connect those in need with critical housing resources. This dynamic conversation will dive into real-world examples and new strategies for future partnerships, offering fresh ideas to address the growing housing crisis for refugee claimants. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the solution! Roundtable participants include:\n
Chair: Shahin Kassam - University of British Columbia<\/p>\nWomen living within intersections of migration, gender, race, and class are affected by forms of gender-based violence and persistently experience challenges in timely access to health and settlement services. Addressing this challenge through a community-academic partnership consisting of health and settlement organizations, we describe a research project grounded in inclusively engaging with realities of women impacted by migration. Integrated knowledge mobilization (iKM) activities that generated \u201cThe Roadshow\u201d which shared findings across four settlement organizations will be focused on. We will describe the intentions, nuances, and impacts of our collaboratively delivered iKM work including how they inform future partnership endeavours.\n
Facilitator: Alyssa Saiphoo - Diversity Institute - Toronto Metropolitan University<\/p>\nBlack entrepreneurs are still underrepresented in the Canadian entrepreneurial ecosystem. Recent data on Black entrepreneurship reveals multifaceted challenges at the societal, organizational, and individual levels. In addition, Black entrepreneurs with intersecting identities (e.g., women and immigrants) may face compounding barriers when navigating entrepreneurship. The roundtable will facilitate key discussions into the current status of Black immigrant entrepreneurship in Canada, their barriers and challenges, current strategies and emerging research to provide an overview of Canadian government initiatives, diverse support programs, and enablers for Black entrepreneurship to drive a more inclusive innovation ecosystem.\n\n
Chair: Marco Campana - Access Alliance Multicultural Health & Community Services<\/p>\nWhen it comes to employment services and solutions it feels like we've been doing the same things for over 40 years and Newcomers still face significant structural barriers to employment. Why do we think doing the same things will continue to work? Let's talk about what we know works, and how to make these solutions scale to meet the actual numbers of Newcomers coming to Canada each year, and what it takes to get employers to the table, also at scale.\n
Chair: Paul Bishop - North York Community House<\/p>\nThe 'Journeys to Active Citizenship' (JAC) project is supporting the settlement sector by promoting and fostering civic engagement among immigrants and refugees. The JAC project is committed to a 'Community of Practice', which incorporates the perspectives of settlement workers and service providers into the development and dissemination of curriculum that has been developed to help facilitate civic engagement. This workshop will be an opportunity for practitioners to discuss how to generate active citizenship in a way that highlights viewpoints from all corners of the country. During the workshop, participants will be invited to reflect on their experiences supporting immigrants\/migrants and refugees in their journeys to active citizenship and settlement.\n
Pr\u00e9sidente : Nassera Touati - \u00c9cole nationale d'administration publique (\u00c9NAP)<\/p>\nCet atelier vise \u00e0 partager les r\u00e9sultats d\u2019un projet de recherche-action visant \u00e0 favoriser la pleine participation \u00e9conomique et sociale des femmes et des adolescentes immigrantes et de minorit\u00e9s racis\u00e9es (FAIMR) victimes de violence conjugale et dans les relations intimes. Il s\u2019agissait de developer, dans un territoire a Montr\u00e9al, une r\u00e9ponse intersectorielle et de pratiques adapt\u00e9es \u00e0 la dimension culturelle, de genre et d\u2019\u00e2ge. L\u2019atelier : 1) identifiera les besoins des FAIMR , les obstacles et les facilitateurs dans l\u2019acc\u00e8s aux services 2) discutera des recommandations d\u00e9coulant de ce diagnostic et des d\u00e9fis d\u2019implantation 3) pr\u00e9sentera les principaux enseignements de l\u2019\u00e9valuation des interventions mises en place.\n
Chair: Jessica Kwik - United Way Greater Toronto<\/p>\nThe path to achieve digital equity is multi-pronged. Digital transformation of the sector should also go hand in hand with the realities of newcomers\u2019 digital access. It is important to understand who is falling through the gap in the shift to digital. Digital transformation of service providers is effective if it is accessible to all. Two parallel projects in Peel that contribute to the transformation of digital in the settlement sector will discuss how these aspects are linked and contribute towards digital equity in the sector, examining from the lens of the service providers as well as service users.\n
Chair | Pr\u00e9sidente : Marijke Geurts - New Language Solutions<\/p>\nThis bilingual workshop highlights the transformative role of volunteerism in enriching language education and fostering community integration in Canada, benefiting both learners and educators alike. Learn how leveraging volunteers can enrich language learning experiences, reduce waitlists, and foster stronger community connections. Discover how TBLV (TESL Basics for Language Volunteers) and its newly transadapted Francophone counterpart, AFIB (L\u2019ABC du FLS pour les Instructeurs B\u00e9n\u00e9voles), enhance both English and French language programs for immigrants. Available on Avenue.ca, these online training programs equip diverse volunteers\u2014from retirees to immigrant students\u2014with interactive tools to support ESL\/LINC and FSL\/CLIC instruction.\n
Chair: Diana Delgado - Options Community Services<\/p>\n
The ILA (Instant Language Assistant) system is designed to provide immediate interpretation services for clients with limited English proficiency or when no staff member fluent in the client's language is available. It is important to note that ILA complements rather than replaces human interpretation. It is activated when interpretation services are at capacity or when a human interpreter is unavailable, ensuring clients receive timely service access. Our workshop will focus on how to create a culturally safe and practical service delivery environment for newcomers with limited or no English language skills, while empowering frontline staff to provide services.<\/p>\n\n
Chair: Alice Ang - Prometric<\/p>\n
This workshop is a collaboration between settlement sector and other key sectors to support newcomers in their integration journey. Our speakers will discuss the role of assessment and testing in immigrant settlement success, offering insights from various perspectives. The presentations explore how appropriate assessments help immigrants meet requirements for pathway programs, enhance employment opportunities, and support further education. We will highlight effective strategies and share success stories of immigrants. Overall, the presentations will illustrate the synergy between settlement services and assessment sectors, showcasing how this collaboration, along with insights from New Canadians TV, fosters a supportive community from new immigrants.<\/p>\n\n
Facilitators: Sa\u0161a Loggin - Skeena Diversity Society, Carolyn Amantea - Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy, and Hafsa Khan - Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA)<\/p>\n
In this roundtable discussion, participants will share insights on retaining and attracting newcomers. The discussion will be guided and facilitated by two smaller centre representatives with participation from attendees from all over British Columbia and Canada. The discussion will address key topics including place-based approaches to settlement services, innovative strategies for attracting and retaining newcomers in small and rural communities, promising practices for addressing local challenges, and how creating welcoming communities fosters a sense of belonging. Overall, this session aims to offer a valuable exchange of ideas and practical solutions to empower settlement organizations in smaller centres.<\/p>\n\n
Chair: Navreen Gill - BIPT & Burnaby Family Life<\/p>\n
Burnaby is one of a handful of Canadian cities without a \u2018majority ethnic group\u2019, with over half its population being born outside of Canada. In response to a disturbing trend of rising incidents of racism and hate, the City of Burnaby collaborated with citizen-led groups such as Burnaby Together to build a stronger community response. Recently, the Council also approved the Anti-Racism Framework to make Burnaby a more welcoming community for all. We will present various initiatives to build the capacity of the City staff and communities to respond to incidents of racism and hate more effectively.<\/p>\n\n
Chair: Michelle Nguyen - Peterborough Immigration Partnership & New Canadians Centre Peterborough<\/p>\n
Since 2017, many communities across Canada have launched Workplace Inclusion Charters (WICs) to boost local employee attraction and retention. It is a toolkit that encourages and supports employers to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and practices into their workplaces. In this workshop, participants will learn about the processes, challenges, and lessons learned from Kingston (ON), Peterborough (ON), Edmonton (AB), and Red Deer (AB) across different stages of implementing DEI practices in their communities. The practitioners will share the resources, strategies, and best practices for facilitating a project involving multi-sector partners including employers, service providers, and community organizations.<\/p>\n\n
Chair: Katie Crocker - Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA) & Pathways to Prosperity<\/p>\n
Newcomers are integral to the strength and wellness of communities across Canada. Yet reality and perception are not always aligned, and the past year has seen newcomers face growing negative rhetoric as they become scapegoats for issues that are symptoms of systems failure. One effective way in which to counteract this rhetoric is for Canada\u2019s broader settlement and integration sector to provide standardize, evidenced-based counter messaging, something which provincial umbrella organizations are uniquely positioned to do. As such, this workshop aims to refute some of the most prominent misconceptions that have emerged regarding newcomers by examining the unique role of umbrella organizations in working to amplify shared priorities and strengthen the collective voice of the settlement and integration sector.<\/p>\n\n
Chair: Danielle Barnes - NorQuest College<\/p>\nThis workshop explores current best practices and identifies gaps in supporting newcomers with disabilities. It introduces the Sight Loss Integration Teacher Toolkit, specifically designed to empower educators in effectively accommodating learners with sight loss in diverse classroom environments. The toolkit encompasses practical strategies, lesson plans, and technological solutions. Additionally, comprehensive approaches for supporting students with physical and cognitive disabilities in both classroom settings and settlement practices will be outlined. Emphasis will be placed on inclusive classroom methodologies and specialized learning partnerships. From a settlement perspective, the workshop will address how to guide newcomers through available supports and highlight community practice models such as cultural brokering and cultural humility.\n
Chair: Margarita Tellez Espa\u00f1a - DIVERSEcity Community Resource Society<\/p>\nThe housing crisis in Canada, especially in British Columbia, severely impacts refugees. City in Colour Co-op partnered with DIVERSEcity Community Resource Society to document the housing realities and dreams of Government Assisted Refugees (GARs) and refugee claimants in Surrey. This workshop will present findings from art-based research from the perspective of four refugee groups: Dari, Swahili, Arabic-speaking GARs, and Spanish-speaking claimants. We will explore language barriers, discrimination, and unfamiliarity with housing search tools, highlighting the refugee housing crisis. Co-researchers with lived experience will share personal stories and discuss potential community-led solutions to housing challenges.\n
Chair | Pr\u00e9sidente : Lara Gautier - University of Montreal | Universit\u00e9 de Montr\u00e9al<\/p>\nDuring COVID-19, it became more important than ever for public and community-based organizations to work across sector lines in supporting the health and well-being of refugees asylum seekers, and non-status migrants. Mandatory distancing pushed for new forms of cross-sectoral collaboration. The REAC! participatory research project sought to analyze these new collaborations, their success and challenges, from the perspectives of service providers and migrant service users in Qu\u00e9bec and Ontario. As the project finishes and our findings get publicized, this workshop will offer the critical reflections of REAC! community partners, their takeaway for practice, and their suggestions for promising research avenues.\n
Chairs: Elder Glida Morgan and Shawna Duncan - Indigenize It Resource Centre<\/p>\nThis session, \u201cMy New Home: Colouring Canada\u2019s History\u201d, invites the audience to experience a section of the curriculum. \u201cMy New Home: Colouring Canada\u2019s History\u201d is a virtual workshop designed for first-generation immigrants. It offers an engaging learning experience for participants as they move through Canada\u2019s pre-colonial and colonial history, up to present day. Participants learn through storytelling and interactive colouring activities, making the history accessible and engaging. The virtual workshop highlights the ongoing impacts of colonialism, while also shining a light on the ongoing resistance by Indigenous Nations. This session will provide an in-person experience of a section of the virtual workshop's content.\n
Chair: Kathryn Bates-Khan - YMCA of Greater Halifax\/Dartmouth Immigrant Services<\/p>\nThe National Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Strategy for Agencies Serving Immigrants has developed a GBV Client Workshop and Facilitation Guide available to service providers. Come learn about this free workshop that you can use in your work, how to become a Champion in our National Strategy, and participate in learning more about Trauma Informed Facilitation Training for delivering GBV workshops with newcomers. This workshop is facilitated in collaboration between anti violence and settlement sector organizations.\n