Agents for social change

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It is very important to have refugee community organizers who can competently assist, welcome and help integrate the newest members of Canadian society. Our research has shown that refugees are more likely to contact people who arrived to Canada before them, rather than accessing support services, to understand how to navigate the new system, processes and procedures and to help them understand more broadly how Canadian society functions. Informal migrants’ and refugees’ networks are effective in providing support, but can also be channels

of misinformation and creating exaggerated expectations on the newcomers’ side. The first responders need effective supports, training and access to reliable information in order to provide assistance to their peers without causing harm.

Institutions tend to over-victimize refugees and asylum seekers, especially on the early stages since their arrival, starting by the treatment at the border, risk of detention, long waiting periods and precarious living conditions. The asylum application process conditions refugee claimants to focus on the traumatic parts of their experience and underplay their sense of agency. At the same time, successful integration to the new society, be it language acquisition or job search, requires agency and a positive mindset. 

The program addresses the existing challenges that refugees and asylum seekers face and draws upon their strengths and existing knowledge to create a growing pool of leaders emerging from refugee and newcomer communities who can develop practical solutions to support other refugees, a process we compare to a ripple effect. By matching our participants with local community organizations, this project provides a pathway for refugees to enter into the Canadian labor market, as they will obtain Canadian work experience with a community organization, while contributing to their own community. At the same time as creating openings for refugees, this program strengthens refugees' social, emotional and professional skills to better prepare them to work and act as change agents in their communities, become ambassadors for refugees in society and mediators between refugees and services, organizations and government. We adopt an active learning methodology to all components of the program, centering knowledge sharing, mindset liberation, and practical application. 

The program is designed around four core components, which will be run over an 18-month period with weekly workshops, full-day seminars, retreats, study trips, social gatherings, and one-on-one meetings with the program facilitator. 

Those four core components are: 

1. Resilience and Empowerment
2. Community Practice Approaches
3. Project Planning in Practice
4. Implementation and Follow Up