In our workshop today, we will Introduce ourselves Look at historical migration in Canada Hear about Syrian resettlement Think about what co-ops should consider Talk about resources and supports in Ottawa Wrap up and evaluate the workshop Acknowledgement I will begin today s session by acknowledging that the land we gather on is unceded territory of the Alonquin Anishiinabeg people 1
Rules of Engagement Respect for all Share the air Phones on silent /vibrate Positive language Introductions At your table, please share: Your name The name of your co-op Your families origins Peoples in Canada Indigenous, Metis and Inuit In Canada for at least 12,000 years. Lived without polluting the water, or air, and without destroying the land or decimating the animal populations. Each First Nation had self-government. Source: http://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/ 2
Coming to Canada Waves of migration to Canada have made the country what it is a mosaic In 2011, Canada s foreignborn population was approximately 20.6 per cent Policies of exclusion include MS St. Louis, Chinese Head Tax, Komagata Maru No Entry Allowed Source: http://www.thecanadianencyclop edia.ca/en/article/ms-st-louis/ Pay to Move Here Source: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca /en/article/chinese-head-tax-in-canada/ 3
Roundtrip Back Home Source: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedi a.ca/en/search/?keyword=komagata Some Good News In 1986, Canada was awarded the Nansen Medal by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Timeline of Resettlement in Canada Loyalists, African Americans, and Iroquois (1775-1783) African Americans (from 1793) Scots (1770-1815) The Irish (Late 1840s) Poles (1830 and 1858) Italians (1880-1914) Jews (1880-1914, 1950s- 1970s, 1970s-1990s) Ukrainians (1891, 1920-1939,1945-1952) Post World War Two Displaced People (1947-1956) Palestinians (1956) Hungarians (1956) Czechoslovakians (1968-1969) Tibetans (1970-1972) Bengali Muslims (1971) 4
Video 1 Timeline of Resettlement in Canada Ugandans (1972-1973) Chileans (1970s) Americans (1970s) Iranians (1979 onward) Vietnamese Boat People, Cambodians, and Laotians (1979-1980) Somalis (mid-1980s onward) Bosnian Muslims (1992) Colombians (2005 onward) Karen (2006) Bhutanese (2008-2013) Iraqis (2003 onward) Tamil Refugees (2009-2010) Haitians (2010 onward) Syrians (2011-2015) Syrians (2015-2016) Video 2 & 3 5
Skilled Worker Temporary Foreign Worker Student Sponsored family member Self-Employed Person Refugee/ Asylum Seeker Syrian Refugees in Canada Historical Perspective Civil war since 2011 causes mass displacement Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Egypt original places of refuge Not much attention was being paid to the crisis until Syrian Refugees Resettlement in Canada This happened Sept 2015 6
Syrian Refugee Resettlement Canada committed to resettle 35,000 by YE 2016 A Convention refugee Fears persecution based on: Race; Religion; Political opinion; Nationality, or Membership in a particular social group. A Convention Refugee Fears the following will take place if returned to their home country Torture; Threat to their life; or Cruel and unusual punishment. 7
Types of Refugee Resettlement There are three ways that refugees are resettled to Canada : Government-Assisted Refugees (GARs) Privately sponsored refugees (PSRs) Blended Visa Office-Referred refugees (BVORs) Syrian Refugees in Ottawa CHASEO held a forum in November 2015 to discuss how co-ops could support Syrian refugee families Syrian Refugees in Ottawa Co-ops Co-op LaFontaine has housed a family of 6 Alex Laidlaw Co-op housing refugee family of 4, Any others to report? 8
New Canadians in Our Co-ops Applicants may be dealing with: Post Traumatic Stress Instability Loss family, homes, employment What do Co-ops need to consider working with new Canadians? Considerations The following are new: Country; Climate; Culture; Political environmental (co-op); Reality as a religious/ ethnic minority; and Understanding of social housing. 9
Culture Culture can affect attitudes and power dynamics The group vs. the individual Trust vs. distrust of authority Showing confidence vs. modesty Short term vs. long term thinking When worlds intersect Culture Shock: A psychological and emotional reaction that people experience in a new culture that is different from their own. Cultural Adaptation: A process people face when relocating to an unfamiliar culture, where they try to create and maintain a stable relationship with the culture and people around them. Cross Cultural Communication Culture can affect: Tone of voice How direct or subtle their message is How close they stand Non-verbal communication (ex: posture, hand shaking, eye contact) 10
Cross Cultural Communication We communicate in ways based on our culture Different cultures may have different rules and norms Understanding of other cultures makes communication easier Different cultures communicate differently. Cross Cultural Communication Cross Cultural Communication 11
Member Selection Brass Tacks The only rules are: Under the Co-operative Corporations Act, the board approves applicants for membership Under the Ontario Human Rights Code, the co-op cannot discriminate against applicants Member Selection Is your co-op s application process clear? Does it conform to human rights legislation? Is there a process to verify certain membership criteria for new Canadians (eg. Landlord check, credit check, etc). Interviewing new Canadians take plenty of time for the interview keep to plain language find people in your co-op who would translate in interviews try to get members to translate written information for applicants into different languages 12
Interviewing cont d Avoiding stereotypes No one type of person will make a good co-op member Someone who has a lot of community or co-op experience may be an asset to the co-op. The co-op does not need to be filled with born leaders. The crucial question is this: Will this person take seriously the responsibility of living in a democratic community? Consider that this person/family s first Canadian experience finding housing how can we make them feel welcome? Welcoming new members Consider the co-op s Unit orientation process Bylaws and guidebooks Orientation about member s rights and responsibilities outdoor routine (garbage/ recycling, snow removal, yard maintenance) Are there assumptions about members understanding of these things that need to be questioned? 13
Democratic Functioning Even for long term co-op members Our meetings are intimidating Our co-op vocabulary can be challenging Co-op living can be difficult Successful member orientation plans Welcome members and build sense of community Educate and mentor the new members Are clear about expectations for member involvement Your Mission: Work together to think of three actions your co-op can take to help new Canadians feel welcome! 14
What makes a co-op a co-op? A housing co-op is a business. People who together voluntarily to meet common needs through an enterprise they own and control together A co-op is guided by ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others Adapted from statements by the International Co-operative Association Next Steps What will you bring back and implement in your co-op to better serve your membership? Which ideas will you report back to your Board of Directors? 15
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