1 Welcome NL Building Capacity to Welcome Newcomers Dr. Willow - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Welcome NL

Building Capacity to Welcome Newcomers

• Dr. Willow Anderson, Mind the Gap Consulting™

• Context
• Key components
• Related research
• Next steps

Outline

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Context

• Demographic challenges in NL - 10% decline in working-age

population by 2025

• Reduced workers, reduced tax revenue
• “The Way Forward: On Immigration in Newfoundland and

Labrador” **

• 1,700 immigrants* annually by 2022
• Attracting newcomers, but also retaining
• ANC has opened satellite offices in Corner Brook, Grand

Falls-Windsor, Labrador City, Happy Valley-Goose Bay

** http://ow.ly/4Esv30hTn8i 4

Welcome NL Toolkit

Creation of multimedia settlement and integration toolkit to raise awareness and offer guidance on welcoming for communities

Outreach

Presentations will be delivered to municipal delegates at regional meetings to obtain feedback respecting areas for additional coverage

Working Group

Municipal representatives, settlement NGOs, and community members will provide feedback and guidance on toolkit development

Key Personnel

Kathleen Parewick, MNL & Willow Anderson Mind The Gap Consulting™

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Phase 1 Toolkit Material

• Context for and importance of immigration
• Immigration avenues
• Identifying and supporting champions
• How to do a welcoming community inventory
• Services available for newcomers

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Evidence-Based Approach

Special consideration is being given to:

• Nationally- and provincially-based research
• Local lived experiences

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17 Characteristics of a Welcoming Community

These scholars did an in-depth look into what makes a community welcoming for newcomers. Any guesses on what they found?

Esses, V., Hamilton, L. K., Bennett-Abu Ayyash, C., & Burstein, M. (2010). Characteristics of a welcoming community. Welcoming Communities Initiative, http://bit.ly/1MBSanN 8

17 Characteristics

• 1. Employment opportunities
• 2. Fostering social capital
• 3. Affordable and suitable housing
• 4. Positive attitudes towards immigrants
• 5. Presence of newcomer support services
• 6. Connections between the main players
• 7. Features and services sensitive to newcomers
• 8. Educational opportunities

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17 Characteristics

• 9. Accessible and suitable healthcare
• 10. Available and accessible public transit
• 11. Presence of diverse religious organizations
• 12. Social engagement opportunities
• 13. Political engagement opportunities
• 14. Positive relationships (police/justice system)
• 15. Safety
• 16. Opportunities for use of public space/recreation
• 17. Favorable media coverage

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Local Experiences

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• Things that can be challenging include: Geographic and social

isolation, weather, racism, adapting to a more rural setting

• David recounted the story of a woman who immigrated to Canada and

settled in a mid-sized NL town: “she said she didn’t like Toronto. She thought it was a village compared to [home].”

(Anderson, 2012)

Local Experiences

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• Things that help: Offering to help, inviting people to activities they may

not have the skills/equipment for, facilitating employment/social connections

• When does a newcomer know they have been accepted as a local?

(Anderson, 2012)

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“You come closer to belonging here (at least in my frame of reference) when someone says you are just like a bayman. I like that. And, to that extent, I have a boat. I go out fishing. I have a lot in common with the folks around here. So, at least in [this community], I feel a sense of belonging because I don’t get asked ‘where are you from?’ at all—they know I’m from here now.”

• Miguel

(Anderson, 2012)

Something to ponder

“Community cannot feed for long on itself; it can only flourish where always the boundaries are giving way to the coming of

• thers from beyond them — unknown and undiscovered

brothers.” (Thurman, 1971, p. 104)

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Ways you can get involved

• Look through the material on the website
• Spread the word about the toolkit in your area
• Become a point person for future engagement in your

region

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Thanks!

Any questions? Find us at welcomenl@municipalnl.ca @WelcomeMNL

Credits 17

Advanced Education, Skills, and Labour (2017), The Way Forward: On Immigrating in Newfoundland and Labrador http://ow.ly/4Esv30hTn8i Advanced Education, Skills, and Labour (2018), The Way Forward: Immigration to Newfoundland and Labrador Anderson, W.J. (2012). Immigration to rural Newfoundland: Individual and community change (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from: http://hdl.handle.net/1928/21043 Esses, V., Hamilton, L. K., Bennett-Abu Ayyash, C., & Burstein, M. (2010). Characteristics of a welcoming community. Welcoming Communities Initiative http://bit.ly/1MBSanN