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Raising Refugee Voices

About this project

The Canadian Council for Refugees aims to help its members and allies to raise refugee voices. Telling refugee stories is more complicated than it seems. Many refugees, refugee claimants and other newcomers to Canada have reasons for wanting to remain quiet, even if they have a compelling story to tell and important lessons or opinions to be shared.

How can refugees, refugee claimants and other newcomers share their stories so that they feel safe and respected? How can we engage newcomers in sharing their stories? How can we reach audiences who should be listening to these stories?

This webspace is an area to explore these questions and more. It aims to help groups working with refugees and newcomers to be storytelling partners: to help refugees and newcomers to tell their own stories, to share them with the people that need to hear what they have to say.

Our primary goals are to:

  • Share storytelling resources and techniques
  • Share refugee and newcomer stories
     

This is an experiment. For it to succeed, we need your help and your ideas:

  • Participate in forum discussions on this website to share tips and tricks to address tough issues in newcomer storytelling
  • Submit resources and ideas to share with others across Canada on this website
  • Sign up to receive news about storytelling resources, events and ideas.
  • Organize activities near you to share refugee and newcomer stories

Any questions or comments? Send us an email at: stories@ccrweb.ca

Recommended resources
 

Storytelling tools

Witness.org: Video for change tooklet (guided video and storytelling plans)

Storytelling partners

Passages to Canada

Story sharing projects and resources

In Canada:

CCR Youth Network SpeakUp! videos

FCJ Refugee Centre

Mapping Memories: Experiences of refugee youth

Mennonite Coalition for Refugee Support with LatitudesLongitudes

Mennonite New Life Centre Speakers’ Bureau (Newcomer Advocacy Committee)

North York Community House

The Lucky Ones: African Refugees' Stories of Extraordinary Courage (with readers guide)

Internationally:

Belonging:Museum of London (UK)

Refugee Stories: (London UK)

International Organization for Migration (IOM): Migrants Contribute Moving Stories

UNHCR: The Human Story

Welcoming Refugees (USA)

Do you know of other resources that should be listed here? Send the details to stories@ccrweb.ca