| |
|
|
| Maytree Speaks
|
Maytree Chair Alan Broadbent spoke at a recent sold-out Ramsay lunch on Canadian foundations with Helen Burstyn, Chair, Ontario Trillium Foundation and Martin Connell, Chair, Toronto Community Foundation. Download his speaking notes.
Broadbent also spoke at a pre-election breakfast event focused on putting urban issues on the federal agenda. At New Deal for Cities Revisited: Urban Issues and the Federal Election he highlighted the need for urban empowerment stemming from increased taxing authority for municipalities rather than relying on handouts. He linked urban issues to economic competitiveness; housing, transit and immigration as key elements in stabilizing people’s adhesion to the labour market. While urban centres are where wealth is created their issues are glaringly absent in government platforms, the media and public discourse. Read his new book Urban Nation to learn more.
Maytree President Ratna Omidvar and Cities of Migration Project Manager Kim Turner will present at the 13th annual Metropolis conference in Bonn, Germany. The conference will explore the relationships between migration, immigrant integration and development. Omidvar will also deliver the closing plenary at the conference by invitation of Stiftung Mercator, a private foundation based in Essen, Germany. |
|
| |
|
|
Upcoming Events & Deadlines
First Nation Education: Attend our first policy webinar Diversity in Governance Awards. Mark your calendar
Five Good Ideas. Register today for our fall program |
First Nation Education: Attend our first policy webinar
Join us from the comfort of your own desk on:
Thursday, October 23
Noon-1pm EST
Michael Mendelson is the author of Improving Education on Reserves: A First Nations Education Authority Act. He will explain why sixty percent of students living on reserves are not graduating from high school, and propose solutions such as a First Nations Education Authority Act, Regional First Nations Education Centres and a National First Nations Language, Culture and Education Institute. Question and Answer will follow his presentation. To register, contact: policyinfocus@maytree.com. For more information please read Poor Educational Outcomes for Aboriginal Students Threaten Canada’s Prosperity. |
|
|
|
|
|
Diversity in Governance Awards. Mark your calendar.
Attend the Awards Ceremony on November 12th at the Bata Shoe Museum
Submit your nomination by: October 17, 5pm
As part of Maytree’s DiverseCity onBoard program, these Awards go to voluntary and public organizations whose governing body demonstrates exemplary and innovative leadership by:
- Demonstrating a clear commitment to diversity
- Providing measurable and tangible results
- Showcasing promising practices to other organizations
Previous award winners include the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the City of Toronto, Seneca College and Dixon Hall. |
|
|
|
|
|
Five Good Ideas. Register today for our fall program.
Government Relations: Cornerstone of Effective Advocacy
with Judy Pfeifer, Hill & Knowlton
Thursday, October 16, 2008,
Noon-2pm
Governments have the ability to profoundly impact the work of nonprofits. Changes to funding, policies or regulations are often made with little consultation or in isolation. With so much influence resting with governments, it is critical that nonprofits articulate their positions to politicians and civil servants as early and as often as possible. This presentation will provide you with hands-on tips and tactics that you can use to create your own government relations program and ensure your issues are heard and acted upon.
Building Conversations on the Web
With Marco Campana, OCASI and Christopher Wulff,
Community Social Planning Council of Toronto
Wednesday, November 19, 2008,
Noon-2pm
What do we mean by "conversation" on the web? Who are we trying to talk to? And can technology really help us connect with people we may never see or talk to? At this session you will get answers to these questions and more. Building on Jason Mogus' 5 Good Ideas about Reaching Out in a Web 2.0 World, Chris and Marco will further demystify online communication and help you take the next steps in making practical, daily use of the Web in your community engagement, client service and public campaigns.
Five Good Ideas sessions are most useful for staff and board members of small and mid-sized nonprofits.
Space is limited so register early. There is no cost for the workshop and a light lunch will be provided.
Location
St. Michael's College - Elmsley Hall, Charbonnel Lounge
81 St. Mary Street,
Closest subways are Bay Station and Wellesley Station. |
|
|
|
|
| More than 200 diverse leaders appointed to GTA boards |
DiverseCity onBoard has facilitated 207 appointments to agencies, boards and commissions across the Greater Toronto Region. Juan Carranza is one of the stellar candidates on our roster available for appointment.
Leader Profile: Juan Carranza
DiverseCity onBoard candidate
Juan Carranza is the founder of Carranza, Barristers and Solicitors, Toronto’s largest ethnic law firm providing culturally sensitive services to clients in over 10 languages. He is the first Central American to be called to the Law Society of Upper Canada.
Beyond his contributions to the legal profession, Juan has been a member of the
Latin American Community Centre and Salvadorean Settlement Services. He has volunteered with several organizations including CLASP, Centre for Spanish Speaking People, CSCDES and Salvaide where he also served as chair of the board. He was a news reporter with the radio show “Central America this Week” on CKLN and producer of the 1994 community TV program “Que Pasa Aqui?” In 2000 Juan was honoured with the Law Society of Upper Canada’s award for Community Service and was voted among the Top 10 most influential Hispanics in Canada in 2007.
A current member of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, American Trial Lawyers Association, and the Ontario Brain Injury Association Juan has also recently been appointed to the Board of Governors of Centennial College.
Find out more about DiverseCity onBoard and other candidates like Juan. |
|
|
|
|
New council to address labour shortage in Saskatoon |
Maytree’s ALLIES (Assisting Local Leaders with Immigrant Employment Solutions) has awarded a start-up grant to the Saskatoon Community Foundation. This grant will support the creation of an immigrant employment council that develops local interventions and solutions to meet the needs of both Saskatoon’s employers and skilled immigrants who live in the region.
Spurred by the recent economic boom, Saskatoon’s employers are turning to skilled immigrants to meet the burgeoning labour shortage. Saskatchewan has the highest GDP growth rate of any province (projected growth of 4.2%). Much of this growth has been fuelled by increased demand for potash, uranium and oil. As a result, many large employers are looking outside the Province to meet their labour needs. Recently over 50 employers visited Toronto to attract skilled immigrants to fill over 10,000 jobs available in Saskatchewan.
|
|
|
|
|
The Race for Talent: Event presentations available online |
The Race For Talent: Comparing Canada's, the United States' and Australia's Approaches to Skilled Worker Migration
This event held in late September described the immigration policies for skilled immigrants in Canada, the U.S and Australia, compared labour market outcomes, and suggested how immigration policies in the three countries have contributed to skilled migrants' successes or failures. Presentations are now available online. |
|
|
|
|
Extending Municipal Voting Rights: Campaign launched |
On September 10, 2008, the I Vote Toronto Campaign was formally launched at Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office. More than one hundred supporters attended and listened to messages of support from OCASI (Ontario Coalition of Agencies Serving Immigrants), Toronto Environmental Alliance, Councillor Janet Davis, ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), FCJ Refugee Centre and Maytree. The campaign is calling for municipal voting rights for permanent residents in Toronto. View video highlights of the launch and support the campaign. |
|
|
|
|
Leaders for Change graduate receives urban health award |
Rene Adams has been recognized with the Wellesley Institute’s 10 in 10 Urban Health Award that honours unsung heroes that have made a significant contribution to the health of urban communities in the GTA from 1998 to 2008. |
|
|
|
|
Human trafficking in the media spotlight |
Maytree is the major funder of Stop Human Trafficking, a BC-based project to raise awareness about human trafficking in Canada.
Human Trafficking refers to the recruiting, transferring, habouring or receiving of people for the purpose of exploitation. UBC law professor Benjamin Perrin started a working group in 2007 to provide recommendations to the government and to raise public awareness about a problem that people don’t tend to associate with Canada.
According to Perrin, Canada has one of the worst records in the developed world in terms of combating human trafficking. And the Canadian government is far behind the United States in implementing strategies to address it.
The RCMP estimates that upwards of 1200 people are trafficked into Canada each year, about half of them women brought here for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Labour exploitation is also a problem, as is the using of trafficked people, including children, for drug smuggling.
A 2006 UN report estimates that worldwide, 800,000 people are trafficked annually, the majority of which are women and girls.
To learn more read the series in the Toronto Sun. |
|
|
|
|
Immigrant Employment Loan Program: Success stories |
Ravi received a loan from Maytree in 2005 to take a software program in engineering design. Today he is working to complete his Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering at Ryerson University while working part-time for One Cad Solutions and as an independent contractor with Wardrop, both engineering services companies.
Another loan recipient, Carlos graduated with honours from the quality assurance program at Seneca College in 2002. Since then he has built golf courses and managed one company’s operations, leading them from insolvency to profit. Today he oversees 13 staff as a quarry supervisor and has plans to obtain his professional engineer’s license.
|
|
|
|
|
Contact Us |
Questions or comments about the Maytree newsletter? Send an e-mail to info@maytree.com.
|
|
Maytree
170 Bloor St. W. Suite 804, Toronto, ON
CANADA M5S 1T9
|
|
