Fall 2006

CISSA-ACSEI Update

With the active involvement of AMSSA-IICC representatives, the Canadian Immigrant Settlement Sector Alliance (www.cissa-acsei.ca) continues busily to promote the national infrastructure of immigrant settlement services. CISSA-ACSEI has met with politicians and senior bureaucrats of all parties, has submitted briefs to federal committees on finance and planning, and has vastly increased knowledge of the new body to municipalities and other service partners.

In late September, the alliance met with CIC officials on key service issues and received support from all political parties. CISSA-ACSEI provincial representatives, including BC reps Tim Welsh, Jean McRae and Chris Freisen, continue to develop administrative processes and structures for the new national settlement body through a 3-year action plan including submitted proposals to CIC, Canadian Heritage, and community foundations. Recently, CISSA-ACSEI was profiled in Minister Solberg’s e-bulletin, demonstrating the positive impact of its work.

Multicultural Policy Study

AMSSA is a community partner and supporter of a comparative study of the Implementation of Multiculturalism Policies in Urban and Rural BC that aims to develop an empirical base for AMSSA members and governments to improve existing policies and programs on multiculturalism issues. This study is conducted in partnership with Dr. Shirley Chau (lead investigator), School of Social Work, UBC Okanagan; Dr. Miu Chung Yan, School of Social Work, UBC Vancouver; and Professor Dave Sangha, School of Social Work, University of Northern British Columbia.

In each city, two focus groups will be conducted between October to December, one of which will involve service providers from community organizations regarding how they perceive their roles and actual work in implementing policies. The other one will involve service users to gather information about their perceptions and experience of services delivered under the auspices of the multiculturalism policy. After the focus groups are completed, a survey will be distributed to all organizations

We encourage member organizations in the three regions to support this study through participation in focus groups. This study provides an opportunity for organizations and service providers to contribute in building an understanding of the processes and activities that make the multiculturalism policy come to life in BC communities. If you have any questions about the study or would like to participate, contact Ada at 604-718-2776 or diversity@amssa.org.

Multicultural Health Fair 2007

Mark your calendars for Canada’s largest Multicultural Health Fair!  On Saturday, March 3rd, 2007 the third AMSSA health fair will be held at the Croatian Cultural Centre in Vancouver from 11 am to 5 pm.  Located at 3250 Commercial Drive (a few blocks from the Broadway SkyTrain Station), this multi-purpose facility will comfortably accommodate our exhibitors, workshops, health screenings and cooking demonstrations.

Plans are underway for AMSSA’s 2007 Multicultural Health Fair – securing funding and obtaining financial, in-kind and media sponsors are currently the priorities.  For information and updates on the event, please visit:  www.amssa.org/healthfair2007 .

If you are interested in being a sponsor or exhibitor, please contact Vivianne de Pass, the Multicultural Health Fair Coordinator, via email at healthfair@amssa.org or call 604.718.2779.  The Sponsorship Information Package and the Sponsorship Form can be found at: http://www.amssa.org/healthfair2007/sponsors.htm. Exhibitor guidelines and application will be posted soon!

Postcards with the fair theme “Promoting Healthy Living” will be available in November for display and distribution to your networks.

Order Multifaith Calendars Online Now!

The 2007 Multifaith Calendars are fresh off the press with new images and dates of a range of religious dates for the coming year. AMSSA has recently launch a website where visiters can now order the calendars online! Visit us at: http://www.amssa.org/calendar/index.htm and click "AMSSA Store."

IICC Meetings with Minister Monte Solberg and Mme Raymonde Folco

On August 23, IICC Steering Committee members met with the federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Monte Solberg, and subsequently with the federal Liberal Opposition critic for Citizenship and Immigration, Madame Raymonde Folco. IICC members’ main messages for the Minister were the need to expand the range and scope of immigrant ESL in BC; the benefits of expanding BC’s community settlement service capacities “across the board”; the primary importance of ensuring equitable funding, and equitable service accessibility, for settlement services in all provinces and communities; and opportunities to improve the BC-CIC model for planning for and encouraging immigrant regional dispersion.

The Minister was well-prepared for the meeting, demonstrating a solid knowledge of his new portfolio, indicating that BC will receive a substantial increase in “per immigrant” funding soon (for equity with Ontario’s increase). At the end of the meeting, he stated his intention to remain in regular communication with AMSSA and the IICC about the issues discussed, as well as emerging settlement and integration issues. Madame Raymonde Folco was also very knowledgeable and prepared to engage in discussions with the IICC.  The Opposition Critic expressed her interest and willingness to assist the IICC with matters such as clarifying and supporting the federal government’s “enduring role” in immigrant settlement given the “devolution” of settlement service delivery to BC.

Regional Meetings Preparation

AMSSA is once again preparing for its October IICC regional meetings. The upcoming meetings will include a special component of staff consultation on “service transition”. As the only qualified respondent for BCSAP Stream 4 “settlement net” services, we are extending services, ensuring that a range of BCSAP service and administrative staff positions are represented, to learn about what web-based and direct networking services would best serve them. AMSSA has built into this proposal the funding to develop initial web-based services for BCSAP staff during this fiscal year. Included will be information sharing with SaM Division staff, strategic planning by Steering Committee representatives to guide that body’s activities for the year, selection of new Steering Committee representatives, and consultation about the IICC’s role in CISSA-ACSEI.

AMSSA Host Program “Business Mentoring” Research

Based on focus groups and interviews involving employers, newcomers, and “mentoring” service provides from across Canada conducted in August and early September, AMSSA and Changeworks have completed a final report to Citizenship and Immigration regarding models for adding Business Mentoring as a service component for the federal Host Program. The report is now available on our website at: http://www.amssa.org/publications/publications.htm

Promoting Healthy Living in BC’s Multicultural Communities

Two workshops in Nanaimo hosted by the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society and in Kamloops hosted by Kamloops Immigrant Services were held in September to share information about the need for culturally competent health care and how a multicultural health fair helps to address this need. A newly developed Multicultural Health Fair Toolkit, a guide to planning and implementing a community multicultural health fair, was part of the presentation and group discussions.

Participants learned about AMSSA’s two successful Multicultural Health Fairs and identified the components of a cultural competent health care in relation to the fair’s goals and objectives. They learned to take their communities’ health priorities and ethnic diversity into consideration when planning their multicultural health fairs. Participants in both workshops had the opportunity to brainstorm and discuss what cultural competent health care means. They also identified people and resources that might be available for their future multicultural health fairs. Evaluations from participants showed that they found the content of the workshop very useful and that they look forward to using the Multicultural Health Fair Toolkit, which will be available at the end of October.

Consultation with the Child & Youth Office

The Child and Youth Officer for B.C. is preparing a briefing paper for the new Representative on individual advocacy. 

Fred Milowsky, Deputy Child & Youth Officer, consulted with members of the IICC in a focus group session after the September IICC Steering Committee Meeting regarding the following question: "What would you tell the new Representative to ensure effective advocacy services for individual children and youth in your community?" with a specific emphasis on ethno cultural communities. IICC members provided rich information from the immigrant settlement frontline about societal challenges facing newcomer youths and their families.

Stars Shine at AMSSA’s 29th AGM

On Friday, September 15th, AMSSA members and friends celebrated the organization’s 29th AGM. Highlights of the day included a keynote address by Hasan Alam, a recent graduate from Simon Fraser University who was the head of the Muslim Students Association branch in Western Canada. Hasan spoke about the challenges of discrimination in times of war and terrorism and the hope for a more understanding future.

The AGM included farewells to a few Board Members – Jean McRae who served on the Board for six years and was AMSSA President for four years, Jane Dickson, who also served on AMSSA Board for six years and Cheryl Ward, who was a Board Member for a two-year term. New Board members were nominated and welcomed to the AMSSA family including Francis Birdsell, Mason Loh, and Hilde Schlosar. Many of the previous year’s Board Members will be committing another term at the organization. Board Members who will serve another term are: Farah Kotadia, Farimah Shakeri, James Gill, Nicolas Lozovsky, Laurie Baggio, Lakhvinder Jhaj, Terre Flower, Emese Szucs and Elyssa Lockhart. The new President of the AMSSA Board is Emese Szucs, who has served on the AMSSA Board for four years.

This year, the Raisat Ali Khan Diversity Award was presented to Ambo Dhaliwal who was both a director and an executive officer at Kamloops Cariboo Regional Immigrant Society for more than 15 years and was an AMSSA Board Member from 2000-2002. She has also contributed many years of service to diverse groups including the Sikh Cultural Society, Kamloops Multicultural Society and City of Kamloops Race Relations Committee. The winner of the 2006 Service Recognition Award was presented to Ruth Falhman, a long-term worker in Early Education, who championed her work as the Program Director of Multicultural and Diversity Services at Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre. She dedicated many years to multicultural anti-bias and diversity work through publications of articles, children’s books, workshops and curriculum. Congratulations!

Safe Harbour Program Updates

AMSSA is raising awareness of the Safe Harbour Program. Recently, AMSSA was able to outreach to organizations, community members and police departments from around BC as an exhibitor at the BC Crime Prevention Conference at the Delta Airport Hotel in Richmond. AMSSA continues to recruit new Safe Harbour communities and develop additional resources to support the program. With the Gaming funding that AMSSA has received, money will be allocated to new communities for workshop and training. The Safe Harbour website has been revised with new content including website links and media coverage at http://www.safeharbour.ca. AMSSA is also exploring ways for community organizers to communicate and share resources using an online forum.

AMSSA would like to thank Telus who has just given funding to implement Safe Harbour activities. Funds will be used to support new and existing communities in the Lower Mainland as well as to produce resources for all communities in the province.