Beginning of Semester Potluck!!!!! Welcome back!

A partir de cette année, le club de McGill “B.Refuge” offrira un événement mensuel pour faciliter la rencontre des membres de la communauté. N’importe qui peut nous joindre, si vous êtes nouvellement arrivé(e) à Montréal, ou si vous vous intéressez à ceux ou celles qui le sont. Chaque mois, l’événement aura un thème différent pour permettre aux gens de partager leurs intérêts et d’apprendre des autres. Le thème pour ce mois-ci est… La Nourriture!

Apportez votre plat préféré, et ensemble nous allons créer un repas commun, o ù tout le monde peut essayer quelque chose de nouveau. Ça ne doit pas être un plat luxueux, seulement quelque chose que vous aimeriez partager avec les autres! L’événement aura lieu le 28 janvier, à La Maison de L’Amitié (détails à suivre). À bientôt!

Date: January 28, 2012

Time: 6:30-8:30pm

Location: House of Friendship/Maison de l’Amitie

120 rue Duluth Est, Montreal, QC, H2W 1H1

Starting in the new year, B. Refuge will be hosting a monthly social gathering for the purpose of bringing community members together. Anyone is welcome to attend, whether you are new to Montreal or are interested in getting to know those who are. Each month the gathering will have a different theme to allow people to share their own skills and interests and to learn about others. The theme for January is: Food!

Bring any type of food that you like to eat and together we will create a potluck dinner where everyone gets to try something new. It doesn’t have to be fancy or creative, just something that you enjoy and would like to share. This gathering will be on January 28 at the House of Friendship. More details are below.  See you there!

If you have any questions or concerns, email us at brefuge.montreal@gmail.com

You can also join the facebook event here: http://www.facebook.com/events/222409717845722/

Events for Week of October 17-23

Hey guys!
Here’s the events happening this week! We hope you can make it to them in the midst of midterm season. Power through!

1. Boundary Training
–Wednesday 5:30-6:30 in SSMU Room 403. If people cannot make this time there can be a make-up session on Friday from 5:30-6:30 in the SSMU Ballroom, but you MUST get back to us confirming you need to do the Friday training (we will cancel it if no one asks for the make-up session)

Three Reasons to Do the Training:
-Mandatory event if you want to join the buddy program!
-Looks great on your resumé!
-Rumours of free pizza, and if not, some other delicious form of refreshment!

2. Refugees in the City Workshop
–Friday October 21 from 1-3 in the SSMU Ballroom
-Yet another great opportunity to interact and learn!
-Please confirm your attendance on the facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=718151693#!/event.php?eid=163863673703947 and join the BRefuge Group while you’re at it!

3. Group Event: Climb Up the Mountain!!!!!!
-Sunday October 23
-Opportunity to meet and mingle with other members of BRefuge and refugees
-Free bagels and cream cheese provided
-Bring frisbees or soccer balls or other fun outdoor things
-Exact time and meeting location TBA

Do 1 Thing 2011 – Le Show Pours Les Refugiées!!!! November 25, 8 PM

This is going to be really fun! Check out more at http://popmontreal.com/en/event/do-1-thing-2011

CHANGE IN TIME FOR TONIGHT’S MEETING

Instead of 6-7 in the SSMU caf, the meeting will be held from 7-8 in a different TBA location. The advantage to this time change is that there will be a general meeting for half an hour, and then after an half an hour presentation by Janet Dench – the executive director of Canadian Council for Refugees. This is an amazing opportunity if you want to learn more about the ways refugees enter into Canada, the different reasons why they leave in the first place, the different ways they are treated upon arrival, and perhaps also the differences between refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers.

She’ll definitely let us know of some ways we can get involved!

Upcoming Events!!!!!

Three Great Events/Meeting this Week:

1. B.Refuge will be holding a general meeting from 6-7 pm this upcoming Tuesday September 27th in the SSMU Cafeteria on the Second Floor of the SSMU Building.
During this meeting, Kelsey will be giving a short presentation on the refugee system in Canada for everyone who wanted to learn a little bit more about the cause of our organization. Some of the posts below can also help in becoming informed about the current campaigns happening in the area.

2. Kelsey is trying to organize a meeting sometime during this week to revamp the buddy program. Anyone who is really disappointed the buddy program is tentatively delayed should get in contact with us at brefuge.montreal@gmail.com so we can make sure to let you know of the day and time.
You can sign up for the doodle here: http://www.doodle.com/n3mv3natxg5ws4w4 to indicate what day/time works best for you.

3. There will be a FALL CLEANING this upcoming Saturday October 1st at Maison Haidar, a residence for refugees and other newly arrived persons in Canada. Cleaning may not sound like the most exciting way to spend your Saturday afternoon, but this activity is actually really fun and rewarding! Please email us at brefuge.montreal@gmail.com if you plan on attending!

Saturday happens to be the day where Maison Haidar hosts Zone Libre -a weekly event where more than 50 individuals (past and current residents) come together to visit with old friends, make new acquaintances, and, of course, participate in cultural exchanges. So, not only will you become better acquainted with the other members of B.Refuge, but you will also hopefully get the opportunity to meet people who are staying at the residence! The cherry on top of course is free food will be supplied. 🙂
So come on out this week before midterms begin because all three of these events are awesome ways to get involved!!

To sign off, here’s an inspiring story about how Maison Haidar got its name:
The Maison Haidar received its name from a 16-year old youth from Afghanistan who arrived in Montreal alone.  His courage, determination and will to persevere in difficult circumstances had a tremendous impact on the residence.  His presence led the Project Refuge team to reflect on their efforts to assist individuals experiencing high levels of stress due to the difficulties they have faced throughout their forced migration.

Building a Solidarity City : A conference on access to services for non-status migrants

An invitation from Solidarity Across Borders …
Building a Solidarity City : A conference on access to services for non-status migrants

Solidarity Across Borders is organizing a day-long conference to discuss and share strategies about access to services (health care, schooling, food banks, housing, etc) for non-status migrants. We’re inviting local community organizers and activists, health care workers, researchers and all people interested in this topic to participate in this conference in order to reinforce our links of solidarity and mutual aid.

——————-
WHEN : Saturday, October 1st, 2011, from 9am-5pm
WHERE : Hall Building at Concordia University, 7th floor
1455 de Maisonneuve West, métro Guy-Concordia

* Childcare and kids activities on-site (free)
* Whisper translation (English, French, Spanish)
* Wheelchair accessible
* Snacks and free lunch available on-site
* Please confirm your participation (solidaritesansfrontieres@gmail.com / 514-848-7583)
——————-

For thousands of undocumented immigrants across the country, cities such as Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver are sweatshops. Immigrants and refugees work the most precarious and dangerous jobs. The Canadian economy cannot survive without this work force that is exploited due to the lack of permanent status and the threat of forced removal. These undocumented people are our neighbors, our colleagues, our classmates and our friends. They are people whose only “crime” was to migrate in the search for a better life for themselves and their family.

Too often non-status migrants do not have access to essential services such as health care, education or social services. Or, they might never dare entering a hospital, clinic or food bank for fear that their status be revealed to the authorities.

In 2009, Solidarity Across Borders launched the “Solidarity City” campaign. Inspired by “Sanctuary City” movements and by the “Right to City” principle, Solidarity City aims to make Montreal a city where essential services are truly available to everyone, regardless of their immigration status. We undertake this campaign in the context of the larger goal of putting into place a regularization program for all non-status persons living in Canada.

In the current context of a re-elected Conservative majority government, the Solidarity City campaign constitutes a response to austerity measures and the repressive policies of the Canadian state. We are not waiting for this government to give us presents: we choose instead to organize on our own basis, according to principles that have guided migrant justice struggles in Montreal: mutual aid, building networks of support that break isolation and fear, solidarity between different social justice struggles, direct action and the organization of campaigns based on the lived realities of migrants.

We invite allied groups and local community organizers and activists to join us on October 1, 2011 to discuss together the issues linked to access to essential services by non-status persons, and to share our experiences and strategies so that together we can building a Solidarity City.
———-

Proposed Agenda (October 1, 2011):

9am-10am: Breakfast and Coffee

—
10am-12pm: Discussion – Education For All!
How do we organize to ensure access to public education by non-status children? How can we make links with the movement for accessible education?

10am-12pm: Discussion – Health Care For All!
How do ensure real and universal access to the health care system?
—

12pm-1:30pm: Lunch

—
1:30pm-3:30pm: Discussion – Community Services (food and housing)
What are the issues related to access to food banks and other community resources by non-status people? How do we make the link between migrant struggles and the struggle for accessible and affordable housing?

1:30pm-3:30pm: Discussion – Women/Trans Shelters and Services
How can we create a situation where immigration agents cannot enter womens/trans shelters?
—

4pm-5pm : Closing Plenary
———-

You can attend the discussions that directly interest you, or the entire day. The discussions will be organized to share strategies between participants. We are hoping that concrete projects will emerge from this day.

Please confirm your attendance (and if possible, which workshops you are interested in attending). We will be organizing information tables, so please let us know if you want to share informational materials.

Working groups are organizing each of the conference discussions. If you want to contribute to the organization of one of these discussions, please let us know as soons as possible at :solidaritesansfrontieres@gmail.com

The conference is fully wheelchair accessible. For other accessibility needs, please get in touch at solidaritesansfrontieres@gmail.com

We will also be offering free childcare and kids activities on-site. Please contact us (at least 48 hours in advance, if possible) to request childcare. We will also have free bus/metro tickets available.

INFO:
www.solidarityacrossborders.org
solidaritesansfrontieres@gmail.com / 514-848-7583

This posted is directly copied from the Solidarity Across Borders website to help inform B.Refuge members and others about about a great event that is happening next weekend at Concordia!

Some Groups B.Refuge is Affiliated With, and Some Campaigns

B. Refuge just had its first annual meeting today, and we’re happy to announce it was well attended! Thanks to all who came out for it!!!

Before next meeting, feel free to learn about some of the issues Canadian refugees are currently facing, and try to get acquainted with some of the organizations we work with.

First of all, it’s important to know that B. Refuge is proud to be a QPIRG working group. QPIRG stands for Quebec Public Interest Research Group, and basically conducts research, education and action in the name of environmental and social justice. You can learn more about QPIRG’s mandate here.

Another organization we work closely with is the Canadian Council for Refugees. They keep us well informed on issues that refugees in Canada are facing. You can  check out some of CCR’s current campaigns here.
Learn about….
Refugee transportation loans
Human trafficking in Canada
Refugee Migrant Workers
The Delayed Process of Family Reunification

To learn more about other organizations and issues, check out our blogroll on the side bar.

These campaigns should give you a glimpse into some the issues refugees are facing in Canada, and hopefully inspire you to want to take action with us!

We will be having a formal training in the next couple of weeks so stay posted!

Refugee Glossary

REFUGEE TERM (taken directly from the CCR website)

Refugee – a person who is forced to flee from persecution and who is located outside of their home country.

Convention refugee – a person who meets the refugee definition in the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. This definition is used in Canadian law and is widely accepted internationally. To meet the definition, a person must be outside their country of origin and have a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.

Refugee claimant or Asylum Seeker – a person who has fled their country and is asking for protection in another country. We don’t know whether a claimant is a refugee or not until their case has been decided.

‘Claimant’ is the term used in Canadian law.

Resettled refugee – a person who has fled their country, is temporarily in a second country and then is offered a permanent home in a third country.  Refugees resettled to Canada are selected abroad and become permanent residents as soon as they arrive in Canada.

Resettled refugees are determined to be refugees by the Canadian government before they arrive in Canada. Refugee claimants receive a decision on whether they are refugees after they arrive in Canada.

Protected person – according to Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, a person who has been determined to be either (a) a Convention Refugee or (b) a person in need of protection (including, for example, a person who is in danger of being tortured if deported from Canada).

Internally displaced person – a person who is forced to leave their home, but who is still within the borders of their home country.

Stateless person – a person that no state recognizes as a citizen. Some refugees may be stateless but not all are.  Similarly, not all stateless people are refugees.

You may also hear… Political refugee, Economic refugee, Environmental refugee – these terms have no meaning in law. They can be confusing because they incorrectly suggest that there are different categories of refugees.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A REFUGEE AND AN IMMIGRANT?A refugee is forced to flee for their lives. An immigrant chooses to move to another country.

TERMS FOR IMMIGRANTS

Immigrant – a person who has settled permanently in another country.

Permanent resident – a person granted the right to live permanently in Canada.  The person may have come to Canada as an immigrant or as a refugee.  Permanent residents who become Canadian citizens are no longer permanent residents.

OTHER TERMS FOR PEOPLE OUTSIDE THEIR HOME COUNTRY

Temporary resident – a person who has permission to remain in Canada only for a limited period of time.  Visitors and students are temporary residents, and so are temporary foreign workers such as agricultural workers and live-in caregivers.

Migrant – a person who is outside their country of origin.  Sometimes this term is used to talk about everyone outside their country of birth, including people who have been Canadian citizens for decades.  More often, it is used for people currently on the move or people with temporary status or no status at all in the country where they live.

Economic migrant – a person who moves countries for a job or a better economic future.  The term is correctly used for people whose motivations are entirely economic. Migrants’ motivations are often complex and may not be immediately clear, so it is dangerous to apply the “economic” label too quickly to an individual or group of migrants.

Person without status – a person who has not been granted permission to stay in the country, or who has stayed after their visa has expired.  The term can cover a person who falls between the cracks of the system, such as a refugee claimant who is refused refugee status but not removed from Canada because of a situation of generalized risk in the country of origin.

You may also hear… Illegal migrant/illegal immigrant/Illegal – these terms are problematic because they criminalize the person, rather than the act of entering or remaining irregularly in a country.  International law recognizes refugees may need to enter a country without official documents or authorization.  It would be misleading to describe them as “illegal migrants”.  Similarly, a person without status may have been coerced by traffickers: such a person should be recognized as a victim of crime, not treated as a wrong-doer.

Here’s some different ways you can get involved with B. Refuge!

B. Refuge organizes pairs or small groups of McGill students and refugees to build a
peer relationship of mutual support. B. Refuge members who do not participate in the
buddy program help with public campaigns and campus outreach to engage the McGill
community in refugee issues.

Student Buddy: A McGill Student selected by the Executive Committee of B-Refuge to
participate in the B-Refuge Program.

Claimant or Refugee Buddy: A refugee or refugee claimant recruited through Montreal City Mission, YMCA Covered Garden, Juan Moreno, or Action Refuge Montreal, toparticipate in the B-Refuge Program.

Outreach volunteer: A McGill student interested in working on refugee issues through
campus outreach and education.

Some of B. Refuge’s Goals:

• To stimulate and develop harmonious relationships between refugees and Montreal society creating an atmosphere free of prejudice, fear, hate, violence and helplessness.
• To provide natural and open communication channels to learn and improve language skills.
• To develop an understanding of the needs and emotions of one’s own culture and the culture of others and to value and respect this diversity.
• To provide encouragement and support for refugees in the process of adjusting and adapting to a new language, culture, climate and community.
• To provide an opportunity for McGill students to develop an understanding of thesituation of refugees in Montreal within a greater social, political and economic context.
• To ensure the quality of the exchanges through a thorough and comprehensive student training program.
• To open information channels about the rights, responsibilities and available resources in the community that will assist new refugees.