Finding Home » Newcomers

Iranian River Party

admin — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 19:42:11 +0000

During Finding Home™ Iranian Seniors Dialogues at John Braithwaite Community Centre and the North Shore Neighbourhood House, dialogue participants shared stories about the meaning of home, how to live well together, and tips for newcomer Iranians on how to create home in Canada. Throughout the dialogues, participants expressed the importance rivers play in creating home for them. One dialogue participant broke into song about the Karoun River in southern Iran and told us that all human beings should see this river, because once you see this river you will know the love of the world. Consequently, we hosted their celebrating success event at a local North Shore river, where the seniors, sang, read poetry, danced, gave speeches and shared food. Now these creative and inspiring seniors are busy preparing for BC Rivers Day where they hope to share their love of rivers with the wider community.

Iranian Seniors Finding Home™ Dialogue Participants

See a Video Clip HERE

Download Posters HERE

Newcomers Say Making Friends is Top Priority

admin — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:03:54 +0000

Alexandra Neighbourhood House hosted a Finding Home Newcomers Dialogue in South Surrey, White Rock. 40 Newcomers from Chinese and Korean origins attended. Dialogue participants shared stories about moving to Canada, finding work, learning English, trying to access services and workplace problems. Despite the myriad of hurdles they all overcame to find home in Canada, all agreed the most important priority is to make friends, they rest they say will take care of itself.

40 Newcomers gather for Finding Home Dialogue in Crescent Beach

Alexandra Neighbourhood House Welcomes Newcomers

admin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:01:07 +0000

Alexandra Neighbourhood House Newcomers and long time residents alike are working together to welcome recent newcomers. In preparation for a multicultural dialogue to be held on November 21st, 2009, Alexandra Neighbourhood House hosted Finding Home’s Community Engagement workshops. Seniors, ESL youth and long time residents of all ages gathered to share experiences and learn new tools to engage newcomer communities in a dialogue. It was decided that the dialogue would be called a “Tea and Chat” and the motto they created is “Today you come here by yourself. Tommorrow you come here with friends.”

Alexandra Neighbourhood House Community Dinner

admin — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:03:06 +0000

Tonight Alexandra Neighbourhood House launched their Building Welcoming and Inclusive Communities (BWIC) strategy by hosting a community dinner and a Finding Home presentation and dialogue. Over 30 people participated, including youth, seniors, newcomers, long time residents, service providers, artists and community organizers. Many ideas were generated and a new BWIN advisory group was formed. I look forward to continuing to work with this dynamic community. In October, I will be giving a community engagement workshop to their BWIN advisory group and youth group. In November I will facilitate a Finding Home Multicultural Dialogue for Newcomers in Crescent Beach South Surrey.

The Refridgerator Factor – A Cross-cultural Belonging Indicator

admin — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 22:16:20 +0000

Midway through Finding Home’s launch dialogue in 2007, where over 155 participants from diverse backgrounds explored the concept of Finding Home in our current global and local contexts, a participant asked, “How do we make sense of all these individual interpretations of what creates home and arrive at a sense of ‘collective home’ where we can all belong?”

In response to this question, Dianne Shiner from Whidbey Institute relayed a story about working in a foster care project for unaccompanied refugee children. The staff, one day discussed what they felt was the one indicator that cut across diverse cultures and indicated when a child felt a sense of belonging. After many discussions they identified what became known as the “refrigerator factor”. When a child feels comfortable enough to go to the
refrigerator on their own, open the door and help themselves to the food knowing it belonged equally to them – this indicated that a child felt at home – that they truly belonged.!

In reflecting on her story, the challenge was put to the group “How do we create a world, a town, a home, where people feel they belong and can come to the refrigerator and help themselves?”

Weaving Webs of Community: Conversations About Indigenous and non-Indigenous Relations

admin — Sun, 04 Sep 2005 20:33:01 +0000

When people talk about reconciliation between First Nations and Canada, they are often referring to the first Protestant and Catholic European Canadian settlers and Indigenous Peoples of North America. However, there have been several waves of immigration to Canada and each group has developed their unique relationship with First Nations. In 2005 to 2006, we put on a series of teleconferences in order to learn more about Indigenous – Newcomer relations in Canada.