IN THE NEWS
1 in 6 Canadians a visible minority according to Statistics Canada newly released 2006 census (http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/release/ethnicorigin.cfm).
Other highlights of the report:
- More Canadians reporting multiple ancestries.
- 33% increase in mixed-marriages.
- About 75 per cent of recent immigrants (those who arrived after the 2001 census) were of non-European ancestry.
- Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Ottawa-Gatineau, Edmonton and Winnipeg were all home to at least 100,000 visible minorities as of 2006.
- South Asians have surpassed Chinese as largest non-European group.
- New groups reported in the latest census included Montserratan from the Caribbean, Chadian, Gabonese, Gambian and Zambian from Africa.
Youth festival's films focus on diversity
This year is the 10th anniversary of the Vancouver Reel 2 Real International Festival for Youth which plans to mark the anniversary by emphasizing "old school, new media and cultural diversity." The festival, held from Feb. 22 to 29 and geared towards youth aged 7-19. This year, Reel 2 Real has an interactive website that posts film clips and shorts created by children as part of an online festival. Pull up www.r2rfestival.org.
SOURCE: Vancouver Sun – 02/21/08 http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastlife/story.html?id=4e2cbbf7-86ab-47f6-9c32-fe9911c9cd33
Secretary of State (Multiculturalism) on Lunar New Year
Jason Kenney, MP Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity) issued a statement regarding the Chinese New Year. He said for people of Asian heritage living in Canada, the Lunar New Year is a time to reflect on the past and think toward the future. He also drew attention to the contributions that members of the Asian community have made to Canada.
SOURCE: Marketwire - 02/01/2008
www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=816763
Al-Maktoum Institute Hosts Major Islamicjerusalem Conference
Speakers from five different countries will address the 10th International Academic Conference on Islamicjerusalem Studies in Dundee Monday, February 4, 2008. The conference is being held at the city’s internationally-renowned Al-Maktoum Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies. The speakers will be exploring the paradox that although this region is so commonly associated in today’s news with conflict, within Islam the region of Islamicjerusalem is an important model for multiculturalism, security, peaceful co-existence, and conflict resolution.
SOURCE: All Media Scotland – 02/04/08
http://www.allmediascotland.com/media_releases/2200/al-maktoum_institute_hosts_major_islamicjerusalem_conference
Toronto Trustees narrowly approve black school
In a tight vote, Toronto District School Board trustees approved a contentious proposal for a black-focused school that opponents argued would be the equivalent of segregation. The 11-9 vote in favour came after an evening of impassioned pleas both for and against the school from community members, including one from the mother of slain 15-year-old Jordan Manners. Last night's vote means that an alternative Afrocentric school will open in the city in September, 2009, but its location and grade levels are still to be determined.
SOURCE: Globe & Mail – 01/30/08 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080130.SCHOOL30E/TPStory/TPNational/Ontario/
Immigrants can earn more in small towns, StatsCan says
Where immigrants choose to plant new roots in Canada appears to affect how much they earn, a new study on the economic integration of immigrants reveals. The Statistics Canada report, published Friday, January 25, 2008 in Perspectives on Labour and Income, says that most immigrants settle in the places where economic integration is slowest -- in large urban areas. Even after taking into consideration their education level upon arrival, their ability to speak an official language, their admission class and country of origin, the study found that immigrants achieve income parity with Canadians much faster in smaller centres.
SOURCE: Ottawa Citizen - 01/25/2008 www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=17851e43-dd68-41e6-9b96-bc0c4220870f
On the Move
Migration is a sensitive issue in just about every rich country. Voters are especially concerned in those areas where foreigners have been arriving in large numbers for the first time, for example in the south-east of America. In Europe countries such as Ireland and Sweden that were long net exporters of people are now seeing historically high rates of migration. As with the freer flow of goods and capital, the easier movement of people has the potential to reduce poverty enormously.
SOURCE: Economist - 01/07/2008
http://economist.com/daily/chartgallery/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10488624
Government of Canada announces new funding for research on immigration and diversity
The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and Dr. Chad Gaffield, President of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), announced funding of $7.5 million over five years for the national Metropolis Project for research on globalization, migration and diversity. The Metropolis Project was established in 1995 as an SSHRC and CIC joint initiative and has grown into a unique partnership of policy makers, researchers and practitioners that is both national and international in scope.
SOURCE: Government of Canada – 01/07/2008 http://news.gc.ca/web/view/en/index.jsp?articleid=371039&categoryid=1&category=News+Releases