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Day 2 - Wednesday, November 27

Detailed Daily Program

(Information subject to changes and will be updated as new details become available)

Wednesday, November 27

9am - 10:30am: Workshops Bloc C
  • C1: Untold stories: combating sexual violence against women and LGBTQ+ migrants
    Location: Richelieu
    This workshop is dedicated to the reality of sexual violence experienced by refugee women and migrants. Whether it occurred in their country of origin, along their migration journey or in Canada, this form of violence and its consequences is often overlooked by immigration and settlement services in the supports as well as the legal counselling offered to them. The panelists will share their knowledge on challenges they face and bridging the existing gaps in services and policy making. With a focus on women and LGBTQ+ migrants and refugees, this workshop will shed light on their untold stories as well as best practices that promote well-being, safety, and justice.
     
    Speakers
    Rosa Arteaga, Battered Women’s Support Services (Vancouver, BC)
    Deepa Mattoo, Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic (Toronto, ON)
    Vicky Zois, Mouvement contre le viol et l’inceste (Montréal, QC)
     
    Moderators
    Basel Abou Hamrah, Newcomer Centre (Edmonton, AB)
    Claudia Limoli Cubria, Montreal City Mission (Montréal, QC)
     
     
  • C2: Unpacking collective care and trauma-informed organizations in the sector
    Location: Chaudiere
    Newcomer serving organizations support refugees from intersectional and diverse identities with unique experiences of mental health and trauma. Research highlights the challenges that organizations face especially when many employees in refugee-serving organizations are themselves refugees. Using a trauma-informed approach this workshop will identify the tension employees faces between being trauma-informed and seeking psychological safety with the moral distress and injury that comes from working in social services. This workshop will invite speakers and participants to explore how organizations can better work to support employees as they navigate the complexities of this work.
     
    Speakers
    Dr. Candice Christmas
    Mariana Martinez Vierya, Vancouver Association for the Survivors of Torture (VAST) (Vancouver, BC)
    Stéphanie Verdon, Réseau d'intervention auprès des personnes ayant subi la violence organisée (RIVO-Résilience), (Montréal, QC)
    Maral Bolourian, Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic (Toronto, ON)
     
    Moderators
    Jacques Bertrand, Réseau d'intervention auprès des personnes ayant subi la violence organisée (RIVO-Résilience), (Montréal, QC)
     
     
  • C3: Extractive industries and forced displacement in the Democratic Republic of Congo
    Location: Joliet Frontenac
    The UNHCR reports the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Democratic Republic of Congo at 7.1 million, making it the largest IDP population in Africa and one of the largest in the world. This workshop will explore the root causes of displacement in the Great Lakes region, with a particular focus on the role of Canadian companies in extractive activities in the DRC. It will also help us understand the significant impacts of these activities on local communities. Learn about the actions undertaken by various organizations and the concrete steps CCR members can take to address these root causes and Canada's complicity, beyond resettlement efforts.
     
    Speakers
    Victor Setibo, Jesuit Refugee Service (Goma/Nord Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo) (virtual)
    Catherine Coumans, MiningWatch Canada (Ottawa, ON)
     
    Moderators
    Hugo Ducharme, Jesuit Refugee Service Canada (Montréal, QC)
    Brian Dyck, Mennonite Central Committee Canada (Winnipeg, MB)
     
     
  • C4: Messaging for Reclaiming Public Support for refugees and Migrants
    Location: Ballroom AB
    There is significant public support and strong values in Canada to welcome refugees and migrants, but this is being beaten down, and the public is being told it is waning. In this workshop we are going to explore how we can reclaim this space by developing messages that maintain and grow Canadian public support for refugees and newcomers.
     
    In the first part of the workshop, CCR members and allies will present messaging resources they have developed and deployed. We will then break into small groups to work on developing effective messaging to neutralize attacks, and increase support for refugees, refugee claimants, and immigrants. Our small group discussions will follow a messaging template developed by ASO Communications. To complement learnings from this workshop, attendees are strongly encouraged to attend our evening plenary “Refuge from our Rhetoric: Developing a Narrative that Welcomes and Wins” with messaging expert and ASO Communications principal Anat Shenker Osorio.
     
    Speakers
    Darcy Knoll, UNHCR (Ottawa, ON)
    Louisa Taylor, Refugee 613 (Ottawa, ON)
  • Martin Lukacz, The Breach (Montréal, QC)
     
    Moderators
    Tanja Maleska, Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) (Montréal, QC)
    Alice Alvarez-Pereyre, Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) (Montréal, QC)
10:30am - 11am: Coffee Break
Location: Ballroom C
11:00am - 12:30pm: Workshops Bloc D
  • D1: Government Dialogue : Accountability for Advancing Anti Racism in Refugee and Immigration Policy
    Location: Ballroom AB
    This workshop provides a platform for collaborative dialogue between CCR members and the government on commitments to advance anti-racism. Participants will have a chance to learn and ask about the plans and actions of IRCC and CBSA as well as the connections to priority areas for anti racism advocacy for CCR, as developed with members over the past two years. Together, we want to ensure commitment to policies on anti-racism, with a particular focus on addressing anti-Black racism and racism toward refugees and migrants of African descent.
     
    Speakers
    Michael Farrell, Equity Branch Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) (Ottawa, ON)
    Gilbert Iyamuremye, Diocese of London (London, ON)
    Nhung Nguyen, Equity and Inclusion Programs, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) (Ottawa, ON)
  • Brett Bush, Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) (Ottawa, ON)
     
    Moderators
    Deepa Mattoo, Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic (Toronto, ON)
    Gauri Sreenivasan, Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) (Ottawa, ON)
  • D2: Current Immigration Policies and their Effects on Young Newcomers
    Location: Richelieu
    Newly announced pathways for those fleeing global crises, the 2024 federal budget, and other new IRCC policies have put young newcomers in a more precarious situation for building their futures. This workshop will share perspectives on what the current immigration and refugee policy landscape means for young newcomers who seek a safer and more stable life in Canada. From debilitating restrictions behind the definition of family, to the financial precarity of refugee claimant youth, and caps on incoming international students, we will dive into all aspects of these current policies and their effects in the migrant youth experience in Canada.
     
    Speakers
    Mustafa Abbas, Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) (Toronto, ON)
    Yankish Chahar, Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) (Moncton, NB)
    Ana Zavalza, Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) (Toronto, ON)
     
    Moderators
    Ekat Barrios, Welcome Collective (Montréal, QC)
    Stefan Enrique Joseph Kallikaden, FCJ Refugee Centre (Toronto, ON)
     
  • D3: Looking globally, thinking locally: Best Practices for Building Public Support
    Location: Joliet Frontenac
    In an increasingly globalized world, looking to other parts of the world for inspiration is crucial. Throughout history, social movements have looked across oceans to learn and share tactics; this practice should be applied to the resettlement sector. This workshop will explore policy suggestions and advocacy efforts globally. Participants will benefit from a panel discussion surrounding global efforts to mobilize for refugee rights and best practices. Participants will then engage in critical thinking activities about how to incorporate/learn from these global efforts and build actionable efforts nationally.
     
    Speakers
    Keith Neuman, Environics Institute for Survey Research (Toronto, ON)
    Sarah Marinier Doucet, UNHCR (Ottawa, ON)
    James Milner, The Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN)(Ottawa, ON)
     
    Moderators
    Alina Murad, The Refugee Centre, Montréal, QC
    Camille Fournel, The Refugee Centre, Montréal, QC
12:30pm - 1:30pm: Lunch
Location: Ballroom C
1:30pm - 3:30pm: Working Group Meetings
  • *Immigration & Settlement
    Location: Richelieu
  • *Inland Protection
    Location: Joliet Frontenac
  • *Overseas Protection and Resettlement
    Location: Chaudiere

*Please note that the Working Group Meetings are closed to representatives of the Government and the media.

3:30pm - 4pm: Coffee Break
Location: Ballroom C
4pm - 5:00pm: Plenary
  • 2024 Plenary - Keynote Speaker: The Honourable Marc Miller (tbc)
    Location: Ballroom AB
7:30pm - 9pm: Plenary: "Refuge from our Rhetoric: Developing a Narrative that Welcomes and Wins"
  • 2024 Plenary - Keynote Speaker: Anat Shenker Osorio
    Location: Ballroom AB
    US-based political strategist and messaging expert Anat Shenker Osorio, whose work has led to progressive electoral and policy wins across the globe, will deliver the keynote address for our Evening Plenary. In her talk, she will challenge us to rethink our rhetoric and offer messages based on priming experiments, task-based testing and online dial surveys that will excite those who already support us, and help us win over the persuadable ‘middle’.  
     
    Moderators
    Louisa Taylor, Refugee 613 (Ottawa, ON)
    Tanja Maleska, Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) (Montréal, QC)