Thank You
I'm sending my thanks to all of the staff at the Mennonite Centre for the really lovely plant that is gracing my living room. Special thanks to all of the staff in Language Services for their support before, during, and after my surgery. A huge hug to Carole for making me laugh, and talking to me straight. I'm doing very well and hope to be back at work soon.
Submitted by Jacqueline Scott
--------------------
Volunteers
From now on, we will be collecting volunteer hours for our records on a monthly basis. Please help us hit this target by sending your program volunteer time records by the end of each month, starting by end of February or, as this is the start of implementation, any time into the first or second week of March.
As agency programs that use volunteers expand, and with volunteer activities happening at multiple locations and at different times, including on weekends, it's becoming more difficult for the Volunteer Services unit to collect time records from individual volunteers. A more reliable way is therefore to track volunteer hours through the programs and services that use them.
Individual programs are free to send in their volunteer time records by whichever way works for them, either through the program manager (ideally, as some programs have been doing), a designated program staff member or volunteer as a focal point.
Please forward your program volunteer time records to Phillip Deng at pdeng@emcn.ab.ca, AND copy to Odette Ingabire at oingabire@emcn.ab.ca.
Thank you for your assistance.
Submitted by Phillip Deng
--------------------
Housing Support Services Hub
EMCN is one of the 14 NGOs that are part of the Hub partnership.
Click here for the ROOPH Award Congratulations Letter from the Minister
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
--------------------
Beyond Band Aids & Bailouts: Public Solutions in Critical Times
Dear Members and Supporters of PIA:
Public Interest Alberta invites you to attend our 3rd Annual Advocacy Conference
Beyond Band Aids and Bailouts:
Public Solutions in Critical Times
April 3 - 5, 2009
Conference Overview
We are living in critical times. Alberta, like the rest of the world, is faced with some important decisions about how it responds to the economic crisis. The decisions that will be made will impact on every aspect of our lives and could reshape and strengthen the foundation of our economy and society. Governments around the world are being called on to take strong leadership and immediate action. But the public debate about solutions in Alberta has been far too limited, and the private interest lobby groups are mobilzing behind closed doors to secure their bailouts. Rather than pouring billions of dollars into corporate tax cuts, royalty roll backs and using public dollars for oil industry subsidies like carbon capture and sequestration, most Albertans have other priorities and values.
Keynote speaker Judy Rebick and a distinguished plenary panel explore how we can move beyond the band aids and bailouts to invest in Albertans and build quality public services and programs for healthy communities and a strong economy.
There are two levels of registration for the conference:
Members:
$175/individual $1050/Table of 7
Non-Members:
$200/individual $1225/Table of 7
The Keynote Presentation and Reception (Friday, April 3 @ 7:00 pm) are included in the registration fee, however, additional tickets are available at a cost of $15.00.
Hotel Information
The conference is being held at the Chateau Louis Hotel & Conference Centre, 11727 Kingsway Avenue, Edmonton. For participants requiring hotel accommodation, a special rate of $99/$109 (single/double) is available until March 15. Please contact the hotel directly at (780) 452-7770 or 1-800-661-9843 and identify yourself as being with Public Interest Alberta to receive this rate.
For further information, contact:
Public Interest Alberta
(780) 420-0471
Register Now!
Public Interest Alberta
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
--------------------
Edmonton Citizen Panel Project Begins
The City of Edmonton and the University of Alberta have launched an innovative pilot project demonstrating the use of a Citizen Panel to gain additional public input into the City’s planning and budgeting processes. The pilot is a result of a Council request to explore participatory democracy to improve the process to expedite community consultation.
The Edmonton Citizen Panel brings together 50 Edmontonians that are broadly representative of Edmontonians by age, gender, income, ethnicity and length of residence. They will spend six Saturdays learning about and discussing how we can use our collective resources to achieve the City’s Vision.
Having citizens dedicate time to develop a fuller understanding of the City’s Vision and strategic goals and having citizens take the time and opportunity to discuss how to best use City resources to realize those goals adds to the richness of community debate on the budget process.
The objective of the Citizen Panel pilot is to gain informed citizen opinion for Council to seriously consider in the development of the long-term budget.
The Citizen Panel recommendations will be considered by Council as input into the 2010-2011 City of Edmonton budget process. This pilot extends the City’s commitment to involving citizens in the decisions that affect them. All citizens are affected by long-term budget priorities.
At the end of the pilot, all stakeholders – City Council, panel members, citizens and Administration -- will assess the Citizen Panel process to determine if this is a repeatable process to gain informed public opinion into city decision making.
You are invited to view the first (9 am to 10 am) and last (3 pm to 4 pm) hour of each of the six Citizen Panel sessions on a live webcast at www.edmonton.ca/citizenpanel. You can also join a Facebook group and take part in a moderated discussion 24/7. Go to http://www.facebook.com/edmontoncitizenpanel
For more information about the Edmonton Citizen Panel:
Dr. Marco Adria
Associate Professor of Communications
780-492-2254
For more information about the City of Edmonton budget planning process:
Mary Ann Debrinski
Director, Financial Strategy and Budgeting
780-496-6867
For more information about the City of Edmonton Public Involvement framework:
Jill Bradford -Green
Office of Public Involvement
780-446-1037
Edmonton is the proud host of the 2009 ICLEI World Congress - a conference on advancing local environment initiatives.
Visit: www.iclei.org/worldcongress2009
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
--------------------
Legal Publications: Recently Updated and Translated!
http://www.mosaicbc.com/Whats_New_Publications.asp#Legal%20Information
Publications
• Legal Information - A Public Legal Education Project for Newcomers:
A Guide for Humanitarian and Compassionate Applications (Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Filipino, French, Persian, Russian, and Spanish)
Family Law (TBA)
Human Rights Law (TBA)
Immigration and Refugee Law
Miriam Jurigová, LLB
LEGAL ADVOCACY PROGRAM for Newcomers to Canada
tel: 604.254.9626 ext.251 | fax: 604.629.0061
M.O.S.A.I.C. | 1720 Grant St. Van. BC V5L 2Y7 | www.mosaicbc.com
MOSAIC: "Assisting immigrants and refugees to participate in the social, economic and political life of Canada."
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
--------------------
The City of Edmonton, Community Services Men & Relationships Weekend
April 3-5, 2009
Dear colleague: registration is open for Men & Relationships Weekend Session, aimed at men wrestling with relationships, intimacy, communication, parenting, separation/divorce or who feel empty or alone.
Designed to help participants understand their current relationships, the weekend presents opportunities to explore, heal from previous wounds, cope with current crisis and begin to build a foundation for healthier living.
Men who have survived separation, divorce, weekend parenting and other life challenges have helped develop a program that is flexible/relevant.
Weekend Retreat is facilitated by professional social workers & veteran men's group members, real life presentations, self-discovery exercises, reflection time/small group discussions, it provides a safe & challenging experience.
Many men choose a new direction for themselves & take steps to become the person they want to be. Sessions are inspirational, and well worth the effort.
To reserve your spot or for more information contact:
. Dean McKellar, M.S.W. / R.S.W. @ 780.944.5542 . Tony Arcand, B.S.W. / R.S.W. @ 780.944.5543 The City of Edmonton, Community Services
PS. Support is available for men not comfortable with the structured setting or those desiring weekly support through, Men Without Hats -Weekly Drop-in, North/South-Side Locations. Community Services also provides or supports the work of: Men & Relationships - Spring & Fall Sessions; Men Without Hats - Men's Drop-in, North/South Side Locations; Men's Talk & Do I & Men's Talk & DO II - Men's Discussion Groups; From Chaos to Peace; G.A.T.T.E. & MENInc.
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
--------------------
Lee Global Education Awards
The goal of the Lee Global Education Awards is to create and support opportunities for young Albertans to become more knowledgeable about and experienced in the challenges and issues facing developing nations, related to socio-economic development, environment, human rights, civil society, peace and security, and social justice, and to contribute to their understanding of Canada's role in meeting these challenges. The Awards will support global education programming undertaken locally by the University of Alberta as well as provide awards in the form of financial assistance to individuals or organizations on and off campus to engage in experiential global education activities for young Albertans.
Recently, most awards to individuals were $350-500 to support experiences in countries of the Global South. Preference has been given to those without significant experience living in the Global South, and for experiences judged to contribute most to developing knowledge, skills and attributes related to global citizenship.
The Lee Global Education Awards were established in 2004 through an endowment by the Clifford E. Lee Foundation, as one of its wind-up legacy grants.
More information about the Lee Global Education Awards is available at http://www.international.ualberta.ca/globaled/leeawards.cfm
The next deadline for applications is March 21, 2009.
Nancy Hannemann
Director, Global Education
University of Alberta International
ph. (780) 492-5962
fax (780) 492-1134
e-mail: Nancy.Hannemann@ualberta.ca
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
--------------------
Useful publication on birth and diversity
The Best Start Resource Centre is pleased to offer service providers a new resource and a workshop titled
"Giving Birth in a New Land - Strategies for Service Providers Working with Newcomers".
The manual shares information about the beliefs and practices of newcomer women when accessing reproductive health services. It is adapted from Linda Kongnetiman's 2005 document on women's cultural health practices (AB focus) but this doc is more Ontario focused.
It explains strategies for service providers to offer services in a culturally competent manner. The manual is available for download (free) or purchase ($7) at:
http://www.beststart.org/resources/rep_health/index.html
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
--------------------
Interfaith Dinner
Dear members and supporters, we do hope you are attending our annual Interfaith Dinner on Tuesday March 3 at 6:30. It will be at the Delta Hotel, 4404 Gateway Blvd., South Edmonton, on the 11th floor, Top of the Inn. Guest speaker will be Linda Goyette, author of "Edmonton in Our Own Words", and "The Story That Brought Me Here". Special honourees: Jim Gurnett, Executive Director of the Mennonite Centre for Newcomers; Charlene Hay, Executive Director of the Northern Alberta Alliance on Race Relations; and Dr. Zohra Husaini, educator and human rights activist. Tickets are $60.00, with a $25.00 tax receipt. There will be entertainment and a silent auction. Please contact us at the office so we can get your tickets to you ahead of time, they can be picked up and paid for at the door but this creates a long line-up and delays the start of the evening. If you have anywhere you could put up a poster please let me know and I'll email one to you. Thanks, looking foward to hearing from you, Netta
Edmonton Interfaith Centre for Education & Action #113, 11148 - 84 Ave.
Edmonton T6G 0V8
780 - 413 - 6159
intfaith@shaw.ca
www.edminterfaithcentre.ca
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
--------------------
Alberta Policy Manual Update - Health Benefits Review Committee Request for Optical Services Form
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
--------------------
Brown Bag Seminar - Educational Cultural Brokers and Newcomer Children’s School Adaptation
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
--------------------
GHANA’S 52ND INDEPENDENCE DAY Celebration Banquet
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
--------------------
Hope, Resilience, and Psychological Trauma Conference Package
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
--------------------
International Women’s Day and the Silver Jubilee of the ICWA
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
--------------------
Sexual Exploitation Awareness Week – Invitation
Submitted by Jim Gurnett
EMCN Weekly Newsletter - February 24, 2009
