Last Updated: Nov 6, 2014
IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE SERVICES: NEGOTIATING SPACES FOR ADVOCACY
by Debbie Douglas
by Debbie Douglas
ABSTRACT
Half of all women in Canada have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16. We know that violence against women is significantly under-reported, and that immigrant women and racialized women – particularly women with precarious status are most vulnerable to abuse and violence. What does this mean in Ontario’s immigrant and refugee-serving sector, where organizations’ work is grounded in values of equity and human rights – and particularly at this time of advocacy-chill for organizations receiving government funding? This presentation will explore how community organizations in our sector balance reality with expectations, strategize and build alliances as they carry on the difficult work to educate, organize and seek systemic change.
Half of all women in Canada have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16. We know that violence against women is significantly under-reported, and that immigrant women and racialized women – particularly women with precarious status are most vulnerable to abuse and violence. What does this mean in Ontario’s immigrant and refugee-serving sector, where organizations’ work is grounded in values of equity and human rights – and particularly at this time of advocacy-chill for organizations receiving government funding? This presentation will explore how community organizations in our sector balance reality with expectations, strategize and build alliances as they carry on the difficult work to educate, organize and seek systemic change.
Debbie Douglas
Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) Toronto Debbie Douglas is the Executive Director of OCASI -the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, the province-wide network for agencies working with immigrants and refugees. A well-known face in Ontario and across the country, Ms. Douglas champions the issues of women, immigrants, refugees and racialized communities with a particular focus on equity and inclusion particularly the intersections of race, gender, class, sexual orientation and accessibility among other issues. Ms. Douglas has had a long history of work in community, non-profit organizations and public institution policy development; and in social change movements. She began her career working with young marginalized women through YWCA Toronto and soon became active in the violence against women movement including as the Director of Shirley Samaroo House, Ontario’s first abused women’s shelter for immigrant women. She was co-founder and producer/writer of I-Sis Productions a film, video and consulting company committed to producing progressive educational materials including the award winning productions AnOther Love Story: Women and Aids and Tama Ba, Tama Na: Enough is Enough a film on immigrant women and partner violence. She is also the co-editor of Maka Juks: Writings of Gays and Lesbians of African Descent published by SisterVision Press. Ms. Douglas is a founding steering committee member of Colour of Poverty, Colour of Change (COPC-COC) a coalition concerned with racial and economic justice. Called upon often as an expert by government she is a member of the province’s Expert Panel on Accepting Schools and was a member of Ontario’s Expert Panel on Immigration which released Expanding our Routes to Success, the province’s immigration strategy. Ms. Douglas is a member of the Board of Directors of CERIS-the Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement; and Women’s College Hospital. For her contribution to social change she has received the YWCA Women of Excellence award and the Canadian Council for Victims of Torture (CCVT) Amino Malko Award among others. Website: http://www.ocasi.org/ |