Ottawa Public Forum on Syrian Refugee Resettlement
Live blog of Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson's public forum on Syrian refugee resettlement. Ottawa City Hall, Thursday, Oct. 1, 5:00pm to 9:00pm
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Mayor Jim Watson and the City of Ottawa announce the creation of United for Refugees and the website - refugee613.ca - to assist community members and concerned citizens from around Ottawa as they contribute to relief efforts for Syrian refugees, and to coordinate their skills and recourses to ensure donors and volunteers can be matched with the appropriate organizations.
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Shaking and with trembling voice, a recent Iraqi refugee speaks of how important he believes it is for the people of Canada to help the Syrian and Iraqi refugees in their time of need. He describes the Syrian people as a "generous, helpful and caring" people, and thanks them for their tremendous assistance during the rebuilding efforts in Iraq following the 2003 U.S. led invasion.
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Don Smith from the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa describes the harrowing story of Omar and his family's journey to Canada after fleeing Iraq in 2003.
As Palestinians stranded in the Middle-East, Omar and his family encountered many obstacles while seeking refuge in neighbouring countries.
Smith explains the additional hardships many Palestinians face when fleeing violence. Particularly, the unwillingness of nations to accept Palestinian refugees due to the "tumultuous" relationship between Israel and its neighbours.
Visit the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa's website at: www.ottawa.anglican.ca -
Ottawa area lawyers and University of Ottawa law students announce the creation of refugeessp.ca to provide those seeking to sponsor Syrian refugees and those whose family members are trying to enter Canada with information on legal service and how to navigate the application process.
Those interested in sponsorship should also visit The Refugee Sponsorship Training Program's website at: www.rstp.ca -
The City of Ottawa and University of Ottawa's websites - refugee613.ca and refugeessp.ca - work in conjunction with one another to support sponsorship agreement holders, groups of five, community sponsors and other persons interested in sponsoring refugees by providing helpful information to assist in application and immigration process .
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For additional information related to the sponsorship of Syrian or Iraqi refugees you can visit the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website at:
www.cic.gc.ca -
Watson calls for a "grassroots" movement to spearhead a project similar to Marion Dewar's 1979 "Project 4000," which succeeded in resettling 4,000 South-Asian refugees in the Ottawa area.
Rather than declare a definitive number of refugees that the city is able to commit to sponsoring, Watson prefers that community leaders and interested parties gather their resources first so that city officials know where best to dedicate services and support.
Reiterating the intended role of refugee613.ca in coordinating sponsorship efforts within the Ottawa region, Watson hopes that all concerned parties will be able to connect with one another in order to ensure the most efficient allocation of resources. -
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Jennifer Jeppsson explains refugee613.ca and how it can be used to aid those interested in sponsoring or assisting Syrian and Iraqi refugees.
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