The Latin American Campaign for Civic Participation integrates newcomers into Canadian life, through popular education and the facilitation of dialogue with politicians.
immigrant rights
Warming up the welcome for immigrants
For many newcomers to Canada, political engagement is not an immediate priority. Immigration poses challenges, learning a new language, navigating a new community, seeking employment, finding housing, and so much more. It can be completely overwhelming for those newly arrived. But according to Adriana Salazar, a Toronto-based project co-ordinator at Toronto's Mennonite New Life Centre, civic participation is crucial for newcomers who seek to make a life for themselves within Canadian society.
Jason Kenney's disposable workforce of temporary foreign labour
Using the distraction of police violence against protesters that was on display at the G20 Summit marches in Toronto, the Canadian government once again affirmed their commitment to the movement of people across their borders only as cheap and replaceable labour.
Help bring Gary Freeman home to Canada
Douglas Gary Freeman (the former Joseph Pannell), an African-American, is married to a Canadian, and they have four Canadian-born children. He has been a well-loved and respected member of the community since his arrival in Canada in 1974. The Canadian government is now trying to prevent Freeman, who has lived the majority of his life in Canada, from returning home.
The Canadian government has deemed Freeman "inadmissible" to Canada on "national security grounds" based on the false assertion that he was a member of the Black Panther Party (BPP), which it further claims -- again with absolutely no historical foundation -- engaged in acts of terrorism.
Background
Immigrant workers fight back
Fight Back: Workplace Justice for Immigrants
(Fernwood Publishing,
2009;
$17.02)
"A lot of Filipinos and others are silent in their jobs....They are scared that if they do something for change, they will be deported....They feel held at the blade between life and death."
Economic justice in the service industry
Though the first workshop in this guide is based around the film "Eyes on the Fries", it's not essential to have to hold the other workshops on economic justice in the service industry featured. Try replacing it with your favourite service-industry documentary.
The guide includes tips for facilitators, activities for the workshop and different scenarios of workers for participants to relate to. Some stats may have to be adjusted for a Canadian audience but the goal is the same: to empower service industry employees to organize. The workshop covers:
The importance of the informal economy
Factors that exploit workers
Activist Toolkit weekly roundup: DIY banners, immigration workshops, rights of Moe Harkat, International Migrants Day
| December 15, 2011International Migrants Day
On December 18, 2000 the United Nations celebrated the first International Migrants Day (also known as the Global Day of Action Against Racism and for the Rights of Migrants, Refugees and Displaced People). The date was chosen to commemorate the UN's international convention in 1990 which protects the rights of migrants and their families. The day raises awareness about the human and labour rights of migrant workers.
Rights?
Immigration and security issues for activists
Thanks to the People's Commission Network, a Montreal organization opposed to the national security agenda, there is a workshop guide that not only includes a facilitation guide at the back based on group size and orientation (allies etc) - but each page doubles as a handout!
You can customize the workshop to suit any outline provided in the guide to be instructive, discussion based or to just host an extremely informative talk.
The workshop breaks down:
