We invite you to take a read through our Holiday Newsletter 2015: click here

We start collecting art supplies for non-status children and we were so happy to find these letters in each of the art bags.  These letters defined our local neighbour… Canada. Keep doing what you are doing. Humanity needs you. Keep safe, well and strong… we are together in this.

Special thanks to Maeve and Tate for your wonderful letters. They are 6 and 8 years old and send their beautiful words in Solidarity with non- status children.

Once again this fall, FCJ Refugee Centre will participate at the RIDE FOR REFUGE: help us to help others! Preparations are gearing up for this year’s ride!

Please join our team- October 3rd is race day!! As you all know, it is based here in Toronto but it is an inspiration and leader nationally!

We like to extend an invitation to you, your family and friends to join a team of Centre supporters- Why not join us Saturday October 3rd for a great day and support the centre at the same time?!! The Ride and Walk for Refuge!

There is still lots of time until ride/walk day on October 3rd to find some donors, recruit some friends and tune up your bike or find your walking shoes!
Our team page is at sweat.w-ith.us/fcjfriends . There you can join the team and, if you can’t walk or ride, make a donation.
You can choose to bike 5,10, 25 or 50 kilometres and you can also WALK or jog 5 km for refuge as well!

There is more information on the ride available at our facebook events:
FACEBOOK- at https://www.facebook.com/events/144155909260885/

I hope you will join us on Saturday October 3rd- your support is greatly appreciated!
You will also see when you sign up that you can start your own team if you would like- this is definitely encouraged!! A family, friends or workplace team would be an amazing addition!

Thanks for your support, and in solidarity!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Different organizations   participated  in the Proud to Protect Refugees Rally on Thursday September 3rd

The tragic death of 2 children has shocked our community, leaving sadness, anger and impotence before all the barriers that the Canadian government is imposing to Syrian refugees.

CCR Media Release

3 September 2015

Boys’ tragic deaths highlight the human costs of Canada’s inaction on Syrian refugees

In the wake of the tragic deaths of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi and his five-year-old brother Galip, the Canadian Council for Refugees reiterates its call for Canada to open its doors to Syrian refugees. The boys died with their mother while trying to reach Europe after their application to resettle to Canada was refused.

“These small boys could be alive today, if Canada had responded more appropriately to the Syrian refugee crisis,” said Loly Rico, CCR President. “We shouldn’t need to wait for a tragedy like this to realize we must open our doors. We call on an urgent basis for Syrians with family in Canada to be allowed to travel here immediately and complete processing in Canada where they can be safe. We don’t want to see any more children die in this way.”

The Canadian Council for Refugees calls for:

• Flexible measures (such as Temporary Resident Permits) for Syrians with family in Canada. (Aylan and Galip had an aunt in Canada and likely would have been able to get a Turkish exit permit if they were leaving to reunite with family).
• A commitment to a minimum of 10,000 government-assisted resettlement places for Syrians to be brought to Canada immediately, funded by the government and additional to Canada’s regular resettlement numbers (current Syrian announcements are within existing commitments so the numbers simply displace other refugees). Refugees should be selected solely based on need.
• Elimination of barriers to the private sponsorship of refugees, including restoration of full Interim Federal Health coverage and lifting of the document requirements for Group of Five sponsorships.
• Priority to be maintained for resettlement of other refugees (currently Syrian refugee applications are expedited at the expense of processing for other refugees).

In past refugee crises Canada has responded quickly and decisively. In 1999 Canada took extraordinary measures to evacuate thousands of Kosovar refugees. The same level of commitment is needed now.

 

FCJ Refugee Centre Annual Garage sale is coming up on July 11 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm!

Location: 208 Oakwood Ave. Toronto
We are organizing a garage sale and invite everyone to participate by collaborating with donations and stopping by for some shopping.

Do not miss this important fundraising event!!!
Join us!!!!

Through this event we intend to raise awareness among the general population of the plight of LGBTQ Refugees and the multiple barriers they face. More importantly, we want to afford members of these communities with a venue to display their talents. This will be achieved through a day of musical and theatrical performances, art, exhibitions, cultural displays and speeches by community leaders.

Date: June 19th, 2015
Venue: Artscape Wychwood Barns
Address: 601 Christie St. Toronto, ON M6G 4C7
Time : from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm

To confirm participation please follow the Eventbrite  link: https://diverse-residents.eventbrite.ca

 

RAD information sessions will provide the Appellant with a FREE opportunity to be better prepared for the presentation of their appeal before the RAD.
Rejected refugees will learn the steps to follow and how to document your appeal before the Refugee Appeal Division (RAD)
Frequent questions:
Am I eligible to appeal?
Where should I go if I want to appeal?
Who can help me to prepare an appeal?
Learn:
•What you need to do to appeal your negative decision?
•The documents you need for your appeal
•What happens during an appeal to the RAD?

The RAD sessions are supported by The Law Foundation of Ontario.

 

 

BREAKING THE SILENCE: A CONVERSATION AROUND FEMINICIDE AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

 

Breaking the Silence is a documentary that shows the violence that women are continuously facing, specifically in El Salvador. FCJ Refugee Centre was happy to release this documentary as a resource to create awareness about this situation around the world. The video will be available soon.

To know more information  about this reality please check the following article published by UN Women: Femicide in Latin America

Femicide in Latin America

Every time the body of a dead woman appeared, at least four families would come to see whether or not it was their loved one. The problem was much greater than we realized,” recalls Silvia Juárez, Coordinator of the Programme for a Life Free from Violence for Women, of the Organization of Salvadoran Women for Peace (ORMUSA, Organización de Mujeres Salvadoreñas por la Paz).
Supported by UN Women and others, ORMUSA is one of the many organizations of the Feminist Network against Violence towards Women, which advocated for the Special Integrated Law for a Life Free of Violence against Women in El Salvador, which came into effect on 1 January 2012.

El Salvador is in fact the country with the highest murder rate of women in the world [2]. However, with its legislation that also outlaws femicide, the country is among the most recent to join the fight to confront this type of violence in Central America – along with M (To rear the complete article click here)

 

TORONTO, March 4, 2015 /CNW/ – Thousands of women will march through the downtown streets on Saturday March 7 in North America’s largest International Women’s Day demonstration.

Organized by a coalition of community, students and labour and sponsored by Women Working with Immigrant Women, this year’s theme is “Our Bodies, Our Territories, Our Communities” and organized in solidarity with World March of Women events taking place across Canada.

Speakers will address the crisis of murdered and missing Aboriginal women, sexual violence and racial injustice. In addition, striking university workers will speak about the problems with precarious work and the need for good jobs for all.

 

RAD information sessions will provide the Appellant with a FREE opportunity to be better prepared for the presentation of their appeal before the RAD. Rejected refugees will learn the steps to follow and how to document your appeal before the Refugee Appeal Division (RAD). RAD info-sessions are hosted by the Coalition of Service Providers for Refugee Claimants in Southern Ontario in partnership with the Refugee Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.
REGISTRATION FORM
REGISTRATION: To register for the next RAD, please fill out the REGISTRATION FORM below and when you finish submit it to Carolina Teves: cteves@fcjrefugeecentre.org
We will contact you to confirm your registration. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
REGISTRATION FORM RAD INFO-SESSION