Members of the media are invited to a national consultation on refugee and immigration issues taking place in Ottawa from 29 November – 1 December 2007. The theme of the Consultation is ‘Breaking the Barriers to Refugee and Immigrant Rights’.
Workshops will include:
• The Iraqi refugee crisis
• The health care needs of refugees
• Strategies to deal with fraudulent immigration consultants
• Temporary workers
• Issues affecting trafficked persons in Canada
• The impacts of immigration and refugee policies on LGBT persons
• The international protection agenda
...and many more
During the plenary session on Thursday, November 29th from 9 - 10:30 am, hundreds of refugee rights advocates will launch a campaign to prevent future charges being laid against those who assist refugee claimants for humanitarian motives in Canada. This plenary session will be followed by a press conference on this topic at 10:30 am.
The CCR Consultation will bring together leaders in the promotion of refugee and immigrant rights from across Canada and this is an opportunity to meet them. Participants will include senior representatives of local and national refugee and immigrant-serving organizations, representatives of faith-based organizations, policy-makers, academics, lawyers, youth activists and refugees.
Most of the Consultation sessions are open to the media and we encourage media representatives to contact us beforehand to discuss what you would like to cover. Please check in at the CCR registration desk on site. Opportunities will be available to interview participants.
When: 29 November – 1 December, CCR Fall Consultation 2007
Location: Travelodge Ottawa Hotel and Conference Centre, 1376 Carling Avenue, Ottawa
Consultation program and other details: available at www.ccrweb.ca/eng/about/meetings.htm
Contact: Colleen French, Communications and Networking Co-ordinator, tel. (514) 277-7223 ext. 1(before 28 November), (514) 476-3971 (cell phone from 28 November – 1 December)