At a precarious time for refugee and migrant rights in Canada, Citizens for Public Justice has been responding by bringing people together for meaningful dialogue and sharing.
Throughout the spring, CPJ met with communities across the country on The Renewed Canadian Welcome Book Tour, creating spaces for thoughtful conversations about migration, belonging, and justice. We held events in Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Hamilton, bringing together migrants, scholars, advocates, faith communities, students, and community members to explore what a more welcoming Canada could look like.
We had the privilege of working with a range of partners for this tour: the Centre for Refugee Studies at York University, The King’s University, the Centre for Missional Leadership, the Labour Studies program at Simon Fraser University, St. John’s College, the University of Ottawa, and the Anglican Diocese of Niagara. Together, we encouraged meaningful dialogue and amplified the voices of people most affected by Canada’s immigration policies.
“One thing that has really encouraged me is the response we’ve received from refugees and migrants who participated in our panel discussions. They described the events as thoughtful, impactful, and meaningful, and attendees consistently shared that these conversations were both important and timely.”
– Rena Namago, CPJ’s Refugee and Migrant Rights Policy Officer
Asvini Uthayakumaran and Kaylee Perez, two contributors to A Renewed Canadian Welcome at an event hosted by Kentro in Mississauga, ON.
The Ottawa stop on the Renewed Canadian Welcome Book Tour was combined with CPJโs Annual General Meeting, and was held at the University of Ottawa.
At the Vancouver โ UBC stop on the Renewed Canadian Welcome Book tour, we were fortunate to be joined by several panelists representing several different organizations: Milad Rajabi, Dena Nicolai, Lynn Weaver, Mark Glanville, and Tim Dickau.
CPJโs Executive Director with Cherilyn and Gary Spraakman, two long time CPJ donors who have made our Building the Canadian Welcome fundraiser possible through a $20,000 matching grant.
A Renewed Canadian Welcome is CPJโs new award winning refugee and migrant rights book, published by McGill-Queenโs University Press.
In Edmonton, The Renewed Canadian Welcome was generously hosted by the Kingโs University and featured book contributor Marco Luciano.
Help us Build the Canadian welcome
The conversations sparked during the tour are only the beginning. Through Building the Canadian Welcome, CPJ is continuing this work by strengthening refugee and migrant rights through advocacy, storytelling, public engagement, and policy change.
If you’d like to see these conversations continue across Canada, we invite you to support Building the Canadian Welcome and help create a more just and welcoming future for everyone
