Space and Silence
By Roxanne Felix
When you first meet the refugee families I’ve worked with – these people who have been witness to horrors of war and unjust persecution – you start off silent. Afraid to ask the questions – and afraid to hear the answers – you offer a smile, a shared laugh, a face to recognize when they step through the doors. And that’s how the relationship begins.
Silence is key.
It gives them space to share their story. Not the politics, not the religion, not the sequence of national events. But the who, what and where of the territory in their heart.
My co-workers and I are sometimes entrusted with this history. We honor it, cradle it respectfully in our consciousness and live the story again with them, sometimes with tears, sometimes with pride.
I no longer see a Sudanese mom, a Burmese father, or a Somalian teenager. I see questions – What was your journey here? Who are your loved ones? What brings you strength when you are weary? I see stories now, not people. Unheard, but not unwritten.
Then, there is always that one recounting that makes me realize I am no longer just holding their story. I am changed.
As my own days at my agency draw to a close, I have been able to put aside the timesheets, invoices and cashflows and return to how I was during my first months there. If someone walked through my door, I’d turn away from the computer and the list of tasks and the two-week-old messages-yet-unreturned and stop to listen to the person in front of me.
When I started, I knew it was the only way to learn anything. And, now that I am leaving, I remember it is still the only way to learn anything. And with the renewal of this practice, my spirit starts to move again.
The wise and experienced in my field – those who have sustained themselves over the years – have observed that every time we listen to those who have suffered and triumphed, it lights a flame within us … whether it be of compassion, horror, anger, or hope. If we do not do something with this heat and fire, we risk burning out.
Perhaps it is this blaze that I’ve been holding for so long that is moving, flickering again within. I’ve been stifling it under proposal deadlines and media releases. And, as I leave the agency – now that I have time and space – maybe this flame can be used for something. Many of my colleagues turn to policy change, activism, song, dance – some form of expression to reflect how our daily life has been transformed from hearing the words of these survivors.
I am overwhelmed by the simple moments from over the last two years that are suddenly revealing themselves as something more. These moments will transform themselves, I am sure. It’s the fire within that will help in its rebirth. Maybe into poems, blog postings, short stories, editorial letters or even an informal re-telling over coffee with a neighbour – or a politician.
It is not with an easy heart that I leave my agency to make space for my art, for my writing.
But I recognize by making space for my words, I’m making space for the words of the families I have worked with. These words that have left a loving mark on my living story.
And I realize – perhaps – I am not leaving the most important part of my work behind, after all.
“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”
- Madeleine L'Engle
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TALES Edmonton / An Evening of Creative Storytelling for Africa.
FYI ©
TALES Edmonton / An Evening of Creative Storytelling for Africa.
$15.00 Adults $5.00 Children, Tix at the door, or call Lauretta 466-9510
(A) Tuesday, July 08, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. St. Augustine's Anglican Church, 6110 Fulton Road. "From the Village" is an evening of Creative Storytelling featuring award winning Ottawa storytellers Donna Stewart and Ruth Verger-Stewart, presented by St. Augustine's Members of a non-profit organization dedicated to helping Grandmothers in Africa who struggle to raise the homeless, helpless children orphaned by AIDS.
Donna has shared storytelling in Canada for over 20 years. Ruth's popular CDs bring Canadian folklore/history to life. Refreshments will be served. African crafts available for sale following the program. NOTE: All Proceeds donated to Grandmothers in Africa through the Steven Lewis Foundation.
Visit their website: www.stephenlewisfoundation.org
(B) Thursday, August 28th First STORY CAFÉ of the 2008/2009 season. Theme: "FESTIVAL TEASER." This café is a warm-up to our annual storytelling festival & will feature special guest: New Brunswick storyteller Joan Meade! $Pay What You Will Cover Charge/ $6.00 minimum. Open Mic/Tell Your Story. For more information call: 932-4409; Rosie's (439-7211).
(C) August 31 - September 1, 2008 T.A.L.E.S. 20th Annual Storytelling Festival "Follow Your Star" at Fort Edmonton Park. Follow your star through a world of stories. Morning workshops, afternoon storytelling for all ages, Sunday evening concert. Check out TALES website: www.ecn.ab.ca/~tales - Click on "Festival."
Special Acknowledgments: TALES Edmonton is the grateful recipient of funding from the City of Edmonton through the Edmonton Arts Council.
TALES Edmonton, T: 932.4409
E: talesedmonton@hotmail.com
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Youth Summer Camps
Hello!
I have been asked by Mary-Pat Schlosser a med student at the University of Alberta to pass along the registration form for 2 upcoming youth summer camps at the university. This is an amazing opportunity for youth aged 10-14 to gain exposure to the university facilities and participate in a number of highly engaging and educational science/recreational activities.
The camp is free of charge and aimed at providing education and support for low-income families.
Informed Consent Form
Sample Weekly Plan
Registration Form
Camp Dates:
Camp 1: July14-July18: 9am-4pm
Camp 2: July 21-July24: 9am-4pm
Contact Mary-Pat Schlosser
780-721-1002
mschloss@ualberta.ca
Best Regards,
Jessica Haak
Program Coordinator
Inner City Children's Project
10135 89ST
w) 780-420-6102
c) 780-619-0097
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Government of Canada Announces Consultations on Immigration Priorities
July 3, 2008
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire – July 3, 2008) - The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today released details of consultations on Canada's immigration priorities, following the passage of changes to Canada's immigration legislation under Budget Bill C-50.
The new immigration law gives the Minister the authority to issue instructions on which categories of applications are prioritized, returned with a refund or held for future consideration.
The new law is intended to stop the growth of the backlog of applicants so that, ultimately, people who want to come to Canada receive a decision within 6 to 12 months instead of the 6 years it can take now. The new law also more closely aligns Canada's immigration system with labour shortages so that immigrants who come to Canada will have more opportunities to find employment in their chosen fields.
The consultations will focus on identifying critical occupational shortages, the role of immigration in responding to them, and any barriers to foreign credential accreditation. They will help develop instructions to immigration officers on which applications are identified for priority processing, particularly in the federal skilled worker category.
"The changes to Canada's immigration law allow us to bring to Canada more quickly those immigrants with the skills that match Canada's labour market needs," said Minister Finley. "We are now consulting to make sure we accurately define those needs. This will help our economy and help newcomers better support their families."
Beginning July 7th, the Department will consult with all provinces and territories, as well as key stakeholders, through a series of face-to-face meetings and videoconferences. A consultation schedule is attached. Representatives from business, labour, and academic and non-government organizations will be invited to these sessions.
The Minister will also consult national stakeholders at a roundtable in August. Other organizations or interested individuals who wish to provide input can submit their feedback online at www.cic.gc.ca until the end of July.
"We committed to consulting across the country and we are delivering on that commitment," said Minister Finley. "I believe this inclusive approach will help identify the categories of workers who get priority, and will allow us to prepare instructions that reflect the knowledge and expertise of the provinces, territories and stakeholders."
Following consultations, the instructions will be published in the Canada Gazette and available on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website at www.cic.gc.ca. They will also be tabled in Parliament as part of the Annual Report on Immigration.
To meet the 2008 immigration plan, which calls for the admission of 240,000 to 265,000 new permanent residents, CIC missions around the world continue to process applications submitted before February 27, 2008, the date the legislation takes effect. With wait times exceeding six years in some categories, few missions are currently processing applications received in 2008, which is expected to be a transition year.
The legislation will not affect agreements with the provinces to process provincial nominees or, in the case of Quebec, Quebec skilled workers. It cannot affect refugee protection, nor is it intended to affect our goals for family reunification. This means CIC continues to process applications in those areas in the usual way.
Applications from federal skilled workers who already have a job arranged for them when they arrive will also be processed. Other applications received on or after February 27, 2008 in the federal skilled worker category will be considered for possible processing once the instructions are issued.
Consultation sessions themselves will not be open to the general public or media. Documents that form the basis of the consultations are attached and available at www.cic.gc.ca.
BACKGROUNDER
CONSULTATIONS ON IMMIGRATION PRIORITIES
Overview
On June 18, 2008, Parliament approved changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) to improve Canada's immigration system.
The new law allows the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to issue instructions to prioritize certain categories of applications received on or after February 27, 2008, and to return, unprocessed, applications that do not meet the priorities. It is important to note that our objectives for family reunification and refugee protection will not be affected.
Instructions are meant to achieve three major goals:
- Improve Canada's competitiveness and more closely align the skills of newcomers with Canada's labour shortages
- Ensure that immigration targets are met
- Ensure that the backlog does not grow, and that people who apply to come to Canada receive a decision quickly
Consultation schedule(i) (meetings and videoconferences)
July 7 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
July 9 Halifax, Nova Scotia
July 10 Fredericton, New Brunswick
July 11 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
July 15 Vancouver, British Columbia
July 16 Edmonton, Alberta
July 17-18 Winnipeg, Manitoba (and Saskatchewan)
July 21-22 Toronto, Ontario
TBD Northwest Territories
TBD Nunavut
TBD Yukon
August 15 National roundtable
(i) Because Quebec exercises jurisdiction over immigrant selection under the Canada-Quebec Accord, there are no formal consultation sessions with this province. Instead, CIC officials will be holding an information session in Quebec.
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Edmonton Social Commentary
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SAGE Awards
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Save the Date – AHLN Conference 2008 – Navigating a Course for a Healthy Future
