I tried not to stare but the scene was captivating. A youngish Persian brother and sister were having a very animated discussion on the bus I was on. Of course, I had no idea if they really were Persian or even siblings, but their features were very similar. Their wheelchairs were electric, but obviously older models and very well-worn. I started to turn away, embarrassed by my fascination with this exchange that obviously was none…
Even as Canada continues to welcome newcomers including refugees, a staggering number is still finding it tough to land a job. A Statistics Canada report updated earlier this year paints a rather grim picture and says that immigrants who landed 5 or a few years earlier reported an unemployment rate of 10.2% at all education levels. Immigrants with no degree, certificate or diploma reported an unemployment rate of 14.8% and high school graduates reported an unemployment rate…
If you skipped the class or if you weren’t curious about marketing, here are some fundamentals; always get them to buy what you are selling. At least, that is what the elderly Chinese woman at a grocery store in my neighborhood taught me while I was buying vegetables one fine evening. “You want tomatoes? $2 outside,” she pointed to the boxes lying outside her shop. As I returned with a bag, she added, “Other stores…
Shy and fearful, Mohamed, 2, seldom ventures from his family’s tent without holding tightly to his cousin Malak’s hand. Both his parents died in Syria. For the past five months, he’s lived with 13 aunts, uncles, and cousins in a homemade tent in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. (©2016 World vision/photo by Jon Warren) The Syrian Crisis Syrian refugee crisis: Fast facts 5 million people in Syria need humanitarian assistance due to a violent civil war that…
Overview of the promising Global Skills Strategy for Canada… “Our future success is largely driven by attracting talented people from around the world. Our diversity not only brings its own economic and social rewards, but with Canada’s aging population, having a robust, effective, and efficient system is critical to our long-term economic growth.” Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau New Global Skills Strategy Justin Trudeau’s new immigration reforms, dubbed the Global Skills Strategy, are being operationalised to…
As the MCIS team made its way to the Homeless Connect event on October 30, we were sure that many people would come looking for interpretation services, and they did. Although the event was scheduled to start at 11 a.m., people started queuing up in the early hours of the morning. Volunteers could be seen rushing to help those seeking assistance. Around 700 guests showed up for the event. Several of the homeless walked in…