As the rights and protections of refugees and newcomers continue to be at risk and anti-immigrant sentiment is on the rise in Canada, the need for a deliberate and informed messaging campaign that can be carried by diverse actors feels urgent and existential.
The Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) is taking on this challenge by convening a wide coalition of civil society actors around a national campaign to shift public opinion.
The risk we face in this moment of organizing is that individual civil society organizations each attempt to engage with traditional activist messaging in disparate ways and at smaller scales given limited capacities. Having a strong and coordinated strategy that shifts the public narrative and mobilizes collective power in civil society is more critical than ever. As part of this campaign, our members and allies will receive training and a messaging guide, along with all the necessary tools and resources needed for us all to become better advocates for those who come to Canada seeking a better life. To help us develop an impactful campaign, we are asking our members to make a contribution and help us raise the funds for this important work. If your organization has a budget for public education or communications to fight anti-refugee and anti-migrant sentiment, please consider contributing those funds to CCR's campaign.
About the Campaign
In collaboration with two key implementation partners, ASO Communications and LeBlanc (& Co.) Communications, the CCR proposes to bring together a wide coalition of advocates and other partners to work on a multi-phase research and messaging project. The goal of our campaign is to develop and deploy effective messaging to help civil society neutralize attacks, increase support for immigrants, refugees, migrant workers, and people seeking asylum, and mobilize Canadians to demand better for every family in Canada – no matter where they come from or what they look like.
Our project includes three phases:
Phase 1 – Message Testing (April-May 2025)
This phase is currently underway and we are working with ASO Communications to test messages that move public opinion, including options that adapt their proven Race Class Narrative framework for Canada, and we are partnering with EKOS Research Associates Inc. to test these messages on a representative sample. ASO Communications will then assess results based upon how well they engage our base, persuade the middle, and alienate the opposition and present them to our coalition.
Phase 2 – Message Guide and Training (June-September 2025)
In this phase we will work with LeBlanc (& Co.) Communications to translate our new messaging into a message guide that supports participating CCR members, advocates and groups to use the messaging effectively and with confidence, with strategies on how and where to deploy it. This phase also involves sector training, where members and advocates will be equipped with the necessary tools and resources needed to navigate complex conversations, effectively engage with media, and successfully pushback against harmful narratives. It is not merely about what the winning narrative is but also how we use it in every medium and for various issues.
Phase 3 – National Campaign (dates TBD, funding dependent)
Finally, once the messaging is set and our sector and other advocates have been trained, we will launch a national campaign. As part of this phase, we will create communications assets with the campaign’s key messages. Depending on the level of funding secured, this could range from simple posters and social media shareables to more involved public relations strategies with digital ads and full video campaigns with placement. All shareable products will be made available for members and other key stakeholders to access on our website.
How you can help
As this expansive and urgent project is ongoing, the CCR is looking to bring together key coalition partners in this campaign, and we are looking towards our members to participate and join. This campaign presents an opportunity not only to rally collective action but also to create a lasting shift in public discourse.
We are therefore inviting you to:
- Sign on staff members to receive updates on the campaign by clicking the button below;
- Contribute to the campaign through the form or e-mail membership@ccrweb.ca indicating the amount you want to contribute so we can send you an invoice (we prefer EFTs over credit card payments);
- Share this with potential funders (foundations, faith-based organizations, unions, and any other donors you think way be interested) and ask them to support this important work.
- Share this within your networks, as we hope to get individuals to contribute as well.
Sign up your organization to join our messaging campaign!
Some key partners who have already signed on include:
- Amnesty International Canada (English Speaking)
- Amnistie internationale Canada francophone
- Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH)
- Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers (CARL)
- Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT)
- Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
- Canadian Council of Churches (CCC)
- La Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes (TCRI)
- Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI)
- Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of British Columbia (AMSAA)
- Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA)
- Saskatchewan Association of Immigrant Settlement and Integration Agencies (SAISIA)
- Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations (MANSO)
- Atlantic Region Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (ARAISA)
- National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)