Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
Calgarians are celebrating World Refugee Day and commemorating the city’s longstanding legacy of welcoming newcomers who have been forced to flee their counties to escape conflict or persecution.
The international day, designated every June 20 by the United Nations, sheds light on the rights, needs and dreams of those looking for a new lease on life.
On Thursday, the event coincided with the 30ed anniversary of the Margaret Chisholm Resettlement Centre, established by the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS).
Former CCIS CEO Fariborz Birjandian reflected on the facility, which he helped build after he arrived in Calgary back in 1988 as a Baha’i refugee from Iran.
“We didn’t have many resources then, but I believe we had ambition and dedication,” he said.
“We felt we needed to do our refugees a favour, because many of them come to this new country with fears. We wanted to remove those fears and build a unique place where they are” n feel at home, and we managed to create that.”
Since then the building has welcomed thousands upon thousands of Government Assisted Refugees (GARs) to Calgary, and has exceeded international standards to help integrate newcomers into Canadian life.
“Canada is a country built by immigration, and refugees have been a huge part of that,” Birjandian said.
“Refugees have to be sure that this is going to be a community that will accept them. The only thing they have to do is do the right thing and be a good citizen to be a part of” this great country.”
That’s the goal for the 352 newly arrived privately sponsored refugees who landed in Calgary earlier this week.
They were greeted by several members of their family in what turned out to be emotional reunions several years in the making, along with a blessing from Piikani Elder Herman Many Guns.
Hundreds of privately sponsored refugees touched down in Calgary this week.CCIS director of settlement and reintegration services, Bindu Narula, says the act of making refugees feel welcome is more important than ever.
“I think what’s really important to understand about refugees is that they’re just like anybody else,” Narula said.
“It’s just the circumstances they’ve had to go through, and having to change what situation they’re in. The truth is that there are good people and there are bad people just like everyone else, and we have to be sensitive to the situation, because having a home and a safe place to live is something that is a human right.”
Canada has welcomed 1,088,015 refugees since 1980, according to the latest statistics available from the United Nations refugee agency.
Many of those efforts have been supported by a number of humanitarian organizations including the Catholic Welfare Association of the Near East (CENWA).
The director of the organization based in Ottawa, Dr. Adriana Bara, that the extraordinary generosity and compassion of Canadians who support refugees around the world is evident, along with the resilience of others during times of division and economic challenges.
“It is very important that no one loses hope, because there is always a way to help others who are in a dire situation. They may not see it immediately, but there are people who want to help,” said Bread.
Center for New Arrivals welcoming thousands of refugees
More than 120 million people have been displaced worldwide, a number that has more than doubled over the past ten years and increased by 10 million since last year.
The Calgary Center for Newcomers (CFN) welcomed 50,000 clients last year alone, almost 20 percent of whom were refugees.
Chief program officer Kelly Ernst says the center is seeing about double the number of people from the previous year, with many choosing Calgary for its affordability, but also its inclusiveness.
“There’s a really diverse community of different ethnicities that people can connect with immediately, and that attracts people to the city,” says Ernst.
“It’s also doing well economically, so people come here because they know after a short time, they can probably get a job that will sustain them – and there are a lot of people who aren’t from necessarily like what they see when they arrive. into bigger centres, and they want something a bit smaller too.”
Solome Asfaw was once a newcomer.
She arrived in Canada in 2010 from Ethiopia with her two young boys, and has since made Calgary her home.
She works as a childcare specialist at CFN and says she loves inspiring the next generation of children to follow their dreams.
Since then his two sons, Ebenezer and Gideon Bedada, have had incredible success receiving full athletic scholarships to play NCAA division 1 football in the United States.
“They’re an opportunity to sit there once you look for it, you’re going to get there and you can succeed,” Asfaw said.
“I have the opportunities, as my children do, and I am so glad that Canada has opened their arms to us.”
Meanwhile, other workers at CFN, such as Shahram Ersali, have used their talents to give back to refugees in need.
He was a refugee from Iran himself, but has since been learning English as a second language for the past 21 years.
“Language is a connection to your community and connecting with the real community in Canada is so important,” he said.
“I learned this from my own teachers, so I thought that’s what I can give back to others who want to achieve their own career goals.”
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgarians-celebrate-long-lasting-legacy-of-welcoming-newcomers-for-world-refugee-day-1.6934936
