Summer 2022

Aida worked with Special Olympics International and co-researcher Margaret Turley, a Special Olympics Athlete, to understand the needs of Special Olympics athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Community Engagement Initiative: Aida Mohajeri & Margaret Turley worked together to design and model an inclusive approach to research. “Inclusive Research: Nothing Without Us” is a mini guide on how to approach research with people with disabilities lead by people with disabilities.

Final Report: Supporting Families of Special Olympics Athletes during COVID-19: An Inclusive Research Project

Read the Easy-to-Read Version of the report written by Aida & Margaret

This study fills a critical need to update the Special Olympics International (SOI) 2013 Family Engagement Strategy by exploring how Special Olympics can support families of Special Olympics athletes and what the expectations of the families are from SOI, given the challenges of the COVID-19. Through an inclusive, mixed methods approach, the authors surveyed 30 people and interviewed three family members in Ireland, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. Key findings emphasized the desire for social connectedness amongst families: family members placed social connectedness as their most urgent need with an average ranking of 1.96, on a scale of one as the most important and seven as the least important need. The authors recommend prioritizing social connectedness through further funded outreach, expanding inclusive research methodology, conducting family research on a larger scale, expanding intersectional research, and continuing temporal research post COVID-19

Read Aida & Margaret’s blog: International Perspectives: Disabilities, Social Connectedness, and COVID-19

Read the Easy-to-Read version of Aida & Margaret’s blog: International Perspectives: Disabilities, Social Connectedness, and COVID-19

Bio: Aida Mohaheri (she/her) holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Arab and Islamic Studies from Villanova University and a Masters in International Education Policy from Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). She is a former U.S. Fulbright Research Fellow and HGSE Equity and Inclusion Fellow. Aida is an experienced (dis)ability researcher and advocate, with lived experiences and niche knowledge of policies in the United Arab Emirates, Iran, United States, and Canada. She is passionate about establishing equity for all through policies, programming, and intersectional research. 

Keywords: Family Engagement, Intellectual Disability, COVID-19, Social Connectedness, Special Olympics, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, Pennsylvania, United States

Ariana worked with Fora: Network for Change, an organization dedicated to gender equity and youth empowerment. Young women were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic making up 59% of the total jobs lost. Her research and Fora’s continued advocacy seek to place young women and gender marginalized people at the centreof decision-making spaces.  

Community Engagement Initiative: Ariana’s participatory approach to research guided her in-depth interviews with young women and gender marginalized people. She spent the summer conducting 18 interviews and connected with young people at the Fora: Network for Change 2022 Leadership Forum. How do youth envision a feminist economic recovery? Find out in her Community Engagement Initiative report: Young Feminist Recovery

Final Report: Young Feminist Recovery: Fostering Belonging by Giving Young Women and Gender-Diverse Individuals the Power to Lead the Economic Recovery

The report invites the reader to immerse themselves into the worlds of young women and gender diverse youth to understand the unique impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their lives and livelihoods. By means of qualitative research, the report engages with their perspectives and lived experiences with an intersectional lens. The report explores some of the large barriers that young people experienced to participate in political and professional decision-making spaces in Canada, and argues that youth underrepresentation is an issue that must be at the centre of the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing upon feminist economics approaches, the authors call for the advancement of a feminist economic recovery that places youth at the centre. The findings of this study are conceptualized through the lens of intersectionality, decolonial feminism, and the feminist politics of care. The study brings forward the interconnectedness of the COVID-19 crisis with other systemic issues, showing the importance of understanding young peoples’ experiences in an intersectional manner. The study also advances the centrality of care, in its multiple capacities – ranging from individual to collective care and care for the environment – as relationships were transformed and re-configured due to the pandemic.

Read Ariana’s Blog: Moving Towards a Feminist Economic Recovery

Bio: Ariana Seferiades Prece (she/her) is passionate about gender equality and social justice. As a social anthropologist, she seeks to generate meaningful research and tell stories that build community towards having a positive social impact. Prior to becoming a Fellow, as a longtime feminist activist she collaborated with women’s organizations in every country she has lived in: Argentina (her home country), Mexico and Canada. In parallel, she worked at Google for almost five years, until she decided to go back to graduate school to further her education and pursue a career in research. 

Keywords: young women, gender diverse people, underrepresented youth, feminist economic recovery, decision-making spaces, barriers to participation, intersectionality, politics of care, mental health, sustainable economy, Canada 

Ashli worked with Arts Research Internship Awards (ARIA) at McGill University with the support of Dr. Claudia Mitchell, a professor within the Department of Integrated Studies in Education at McGill. Her research explored the tangible steps taken by individuals and groups that work with and for queer youth to foster community amidst COVID-19.  

Community Engagement Initiative: Ashli sought to identify leading examples and innovative approaches to reaching 2SLGBTQ+ youth during the pandemic. She interviewed five queer youth group program leaders to identify key community building strategies. Read her Programming for Queer Youth report. 

Final Report: Fostering Community in COVID-19: How Individuals and Groups that work with and for Queer Youth have adapted to a Virtual World.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent shift from in-person support networks to online community programming has changed the way that some queer youth access the 2SLGBTQ+ community and experience social belonging. In light of this, Ashli Au and Dr. Claudia Mitchell looked at how and why certain programming decisions were made, what led them to do so, and what learnings can be applied to the future. They interviewed individuals that work with queer youth-oriented organizations across Canada and conducted a literature review on existing research on the topic. In doing so, they explored what challenges community organizers anticipated that queer youth were experiencing and developed recommendations on how programming could be modified to address the needs and experiences of queer youth in COVID-19 and into the future.

Read Ashli’s blog: A 2022 Pride Reflection: The Complexity of Connectedness for LGBTQ+ Ukrainians

Bio: Ashli Au (she/her/elle) is a second-year law student at McGill University based in Montreal, Canada. She is an active member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community having worked with Capital Pride Ottawa, EGALE, and McGill’s Subcommittee on Queer People amongst other organizations. 

Keywords: 2SLGBTQIA+, youth, COVID-19, social isolation, belonging, accessibility, resilience, virtual, online, Canada, unscheduled, intersectional identities

Dara worked with Indigenous Climate Action an Indigenous-led organization guided by a diverse group of Indigenous knowledge keepers, water protectors and land defenders from communities and regions across the country. 

Final Report: Connecting Our Hearts: Indigenous Restitution, Relationship Building, and Rebalancing: A First-Hand Oration

“This is a story about how my lived experience has informed the way that I engage with community, with nature, with my family, and with myself. My responsibility in life is to be a good person, to be a good relative to all of creation, and to help others realize their own abilities to tend to the relationships all around them. This is a first-hand oration of the stories of my own life, stories that have been told to me, and of the lessons and Natural Laws that exist in nature, which I have been able to observe, understand and articulate. I am here to share some of these lessons. I am here to share my story, to offer love and healing to anyone who wishes to pursue mino pimadiswin – the good life.” Dara Wawatie-Chabot 

Bio: Dara Wawatie-Chabot (they/them is an Algonquin Anishinabe parent of a two-and-a-half-year-old and a seven-month-old. They teach within their own communities about culture and reclaiming identity and spirituality, and also teach non-Indigenous people about their culture, respect, and the importance of positive relationship building. Dara loves working with children especially, believing that they are the leaders of today and tomorrow, central to the overall health of society. They also do research, activism, advocacy and outreach in many areas of interest, including climate justice. They are currently working towards finishing their Bachelor’s degree at the University of Ottawa in political science and they hope to continue working in the not-for-profit industry after graduating. 

Keywords: Land, Anishinaabe worldview, stories, teachings, Indigenous parenting, spiderweb teaching, capitalism, colonialism, healing, roles, healing, Stories 

Diana worked with the Harvard Project on Disability (HPOD) and Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong (MASS) on a participatory research project. Working with Tony Phillips, Diana sought to understand the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities living in group homes during the pandemic. 

Final Report: The Experiences of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities Living in Massachusetts Group Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Participatory Action Research Project

This research was created by Diana Mairose and Tony Philips, two self-advocates with intellectual disabilities who wanted to understand the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities living in group homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is little research or literature on people with intellectual disabilities living in group homes, and even less research conducted by researchers with intellectual disabilities. The researchers chose to interview and connect with this group because they believe their stories and experiences deserve to be heard. The researchers also believe that persons in group homes may have experienced greater social isolation or greater barriers to accessing the community during the COVID-19 pandemic than persons with intellectual disabilities either on their own or with family members. At the core, the research seeks to ensure that the voices of people with intellectual disabilities in group homes are heard. The research was supported by Anne Fracht and Hezzy Smith from the Harvard Project on Disability.

Read Diana’s blog: The Power of a Conversation in the Disability Community

Bio: Diana Mairose (she/her) is a valued member of the Advocacy Support Team with Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services where she has been employed as an advocate since 2008. Diana is a long-time, active, well-connected advocate for people with disabilities.  She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, but has a heart for people all over the nation, evidenced by her widely sought-after services as a speaker. Diana is known for her voting education in Cincinnati and her work educating people about their voting rights and how to vote. 

Keywords: Disability rights, Covid-19, Social Isolation, Social Connectedness, Relationships, Self-advocacy, Group Homes 

Emily worked with HelpAge Canada a national charitable organization that funds community-based initiatives that help older adults age with dignity. 

Community Engagement Initiative: Emily engaged in multi-stakeholder interviews across North America reaching older adults, academic experts and program managers to understand best practices for creating digital equity. Her CEI report “Older Adult Digital Literacy: Best Practices” outlines key barriers, such as finances and fear of the unknown, while offering practical tools for engaging older adults.

Final Report: Building Digital Literacy Among Older Adults: Best Practices

This research project, in partnership with HelpAge Canada, explored best practices for building digital literacy among older adults. HelpAge Canada’s Dig-IT program, short for digital information technology, is a national digital literacy program that provides devices, data, IT support, and training to low-income older adults who are 65 years and older. The aim of this research project was to explore and understand the barriers and facilitators experienced by older adults when learning digital literacy skills. Semi-structured, in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 stakeholders, including program participants and program delivery personnel in the Dig-IT program, researchers in the field of digital literacy, as well as individuals from leading organizations providing digital literacy training to older adults in North America. Findings from the interviews revealed barriers relating to affordability as well as fear and anxiety. Best practices were discerned in relation to program planning and delivery.

Read Emily’s blog: Canada’s Digital Divide and the Path to Digital Equity for All Ages

Bio: Emily Mullins (she/her) is a graduate from the Master of Public Health program at Queen’s University. Emily also studied psychology at Trent University where she became interested in the field of gerontology. She is passionate about advancing the health and well-being of older adults through research and advocacy. In her future career, Emily aspires to apply her research skills to the community sector to improve social inclusion and belonging in the aging population. 

Keywords: Older adults, Digital Literacy, Tablets, Digital Equity, Information Communication Technology, Digital Inclusion, Qualitative, Digital divide, Aging, Canada 

Esther worked with Human Rights Watch, Disability Rights Division, to advance research and advocacy on climate change. She specifically sought to understand how climate change impacts older people and people with disabilities.  

Community Engagement Initiative: “Crossing Borders Bridging Lives” was co-created by Esther Kim and Waghma Ahmadzay. Through the exchange of 12 handwritten letters, they connected individuals from around the world to share their stories of migration. Some participants were voluntary migrants while others were forced migrants but each letter and encompassing reflection centers a key point: people have the right to move and people’s stories connect us.

Final Report: Forced to Wait: How Climate Change Response Excludes People with Disabilities, Older People

Human-induced climate change has accelerated global warming, causing adverse impacts on not only the environment but the human population as well. People with disabilities and older people have been disproportionately affected, and governments have failed to protect these populations. By placing responsibility on individuals, climate change response has forced people with disabilities and older people into a system of waiting. This report details how people with disabilities and older people have been adversely impacted during storms, hurricanes, and floods caused by coastal erosion and sea level rise in Louisiana and Alaska over the past 20 years and during heatwaves and wildfires across Europe in July 2022. With climate events becoming more extreme and even leading to displacement, much more needs to be done to ensure people with disabilities and older people are protected before, during, and after climate events, and especially during disasters.

Read Esther’s blog: “Vulnerable Doesn’t Mean Less Than: Giving Vulnerable Populations the Same Human Standard”

Bio: Esther Kim (she/her) holds a BA in English Literature and minors in Education and in Disability Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Oxford, where she conducted research on the lived experience and social identity of people with disabilities in Uganda. From her lived experience, Esther has developed a passion for using storytelling as a way of not only sharing the often-hidden realities of people with disabilities but also drawing attention to and garnering support for people with disabilities in a manner that is person-first and led by those with disabilities themselves. Esther is currently pursuing a career in research with a focus on people with disabilities, especially in the Global South. 

Keywords: disability, older people, climate change, displacement, erosion, storms, hurricanes, floods, heatwaves, wildfires, Alaska, Louisiana, Europe, Bangladesh 

Fairuz worked with Meal Exchange Canada, a nationally registered charity that has inspired and empowered students across the country to create healthy, just, and sustainable food systems for over 25 years. Meal Exchange Canada closed  in the Fall of 2022 but their legacy and reports remain available on their website.  

Community Engagement Initiative: Through interviews with students, food advocates, community professionals and people with lived experience, Fairuz took an intersectional approach to understanding food insecurity and mental health. Read her report “Interviews with Community” to hear her recommendations for better supporting students experiencing food insecurity.

Final Report: Exploring the Intersection of Post-Secondary Student Food Insecurity and Mental Health Implications for Current and Future Post-Secondary Student Programming and Services

In the past several years, increased household and adult food insecurity levels have been associated with poor self-reported mental health outcomes such as anxiety and depression. However, the intersection between both challenges among post-secondary students in a Canadian context has not been well-studied. A qualitative study was conducted to fill this gap by interviewing post-secondary students, student leaders, campus staff, and researchers. Findings demonstrate that food insecurity among post-secondary students can impact their mental health by impacting a student’s sense of agency, impacting their personal identity, creating social isolation and community exclusion, and having serious implications on student success.

Read Fairuz’s blog: International Post-Secondary Student Food Insecurity Cannot be Overlooked 

Bio: Fairuz Karim (she/her) is an MHSc Translational Research graduate student at the University of Toronto. Fairuz immigrated to Canada from Bangladesh and grew up near Toronto, Ontario. Growing up as an immigrant and settler in Canada, she is passionate about the intersecting inequalities that newcomer communities face. She passionately advocates for health equity, mental health, and sustainability. 

Keywords: Food insecurity, post-secondary, students, community, mental health, well-being, student services, Canada   

Laura worked with Data-Driven Envirolab, an interdisciplinary research group that seeks to create solutions to environmental challenges using cutting edge data analytics. Her work added to DDL’s “Urban Environment and Social Inclusion Index (UESI)”.  

Community Engagement Initiative: Play is a critical component of healthy childhood development and key to developing resiliency. Laura’s Nature Based Play Survey connected with 18 professionals from across Hudson Valley and New York City. Her survey sought to understand how kids connected with nature-based play and how we can support children’s, especially in urban areas, connection to nature.

Final Report: Urban Resilience Through Play: Broadening Access to Urban Green Play Spaces

Play is an integral activity that supports healthy child development and promotes resilience. This report sought to understand how cities have incorporated play into urban design, and specifically, how broadening our understanding of what it means to play in nature can allow children to experience the benefits of nature-based play regardless of how much urban green space is available to them in their neighbourhoods. Through a play survey, educators and directors at nature-based organizations across the Hudson Valley and New York City Area described the variety of nature-based learning and play opportunities they offered for children and the challenges their communities face for integrating play into everyday life. Nature-based play locations were identified and mapped across different New York City neighbourhoods in an effort to better understand the distribution of opportunities children and families have for interacting with nature in their communities.

Read Laura’s blog: Nature-Based Play Therapy as a Path to Healing for Childhood Trauma

Bio: Laura Murphy (she/her) graduated from SUNY New Paltz’s School of Science and Engineering with a Masters in Computer Science and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from SUNY Purchase. She is passionate about the intersection of data science, mental health and well-being, and sustainability. She aspires to work using data analytics in the nonprofit sector.

Keywords: nature-based play, child development, urban resilience, inclusive cities, sustainability, mental health, families, community building, geospatial analysis, urban design

Muhammad worked with the Tamarack Institute to support their ongoing “Cities Deepening Community” work, which centres asset–based community development, loneliness, and community resilience.

Community Engagement Initiative: Muhammad traveled to London ON, to attend Tamaracks “Celebrating Neighbours – Measuring the Impact of ABCD” conference and connect with leaders in the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) sphere to understand how they foster community. He then interviewed 15+ international students and academic experts seeking to hear their community building experiences. Read his report “Asset-Based Community Development as Perceived by Community Members” to learn more.

Final Report: Making Community Essential: Seven Areas of Impacts for Communities and the Policy Shifts to Get There

This report details the workings of Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) from the lens of impact areas such as Community Health, Community Safety, and a sense of belonging. A particular focus is placed on making Community Development equitable through the inclusion of newcomers to Canada in the conversation surrounding ABCD. The report uses language to democratize academia in the effort to make this an accessible community resource. The main findings of the report look at increasing participation of vulnerable communities in the process of social connectedness as well as increasing outreach. The key goal of this report is to analyze best practices for ABCD. This discourse is explored through the lens of lived experiences as well as interviews with experts and other community members. This report also serves as a lens to view community development and social connectedness practices in the Canadian status quo.

Read Muhammad’s blog: Crossroads of Culture: Understanding an Integrated Approach to Building Community with & led by Newcomers to Canada

Bio: Muhammad Bilal Raza (he/him) is a final year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto. He is majoring in Economics and Public Policy with a focus on data analytics. He is passionate about intersectional and representative policy change that is rooted in equity, fairness and sustainability. His interests include South Asian poetry, Sufi music and hiking. In the future he hopes to work in the field of policy change. 

Keywords: Community, Immigrant, Newcomer to Canada, Asset-Based Community Development, Social Connectedness, Belonging, Democratize Academia, Policy, Equity, Inclusion 

Paarth worked with Books, Arts, Music (BAM) Collective to address the gaps between Indigenous Peoples and Newcomers/Refugees, and foster conversations around Indigenous cultures, lives, and histories. BAM Collective is Ontario’s first youth-led collective that empowers equity-seeking young people through art and community engagement.  

Community Engagement Initiative: Paarth brought together newcomers and Indigenous peoples to bridge gaps between the two communities. His virtual event titled “Bridging Gaps Between Newcomers & Indigenous Peoples: A Virtual Roundtable” had three Indigenous speakers share their views on three key themes: Indigenous-Newcomer solidarity, ‘Decolonizing’ vs. ‘Indigenizing’ Education, and Face-to-Face Connections. He also interviewed both communities to better understand how we can foster solidarity.

Final Report: Social Connectedness as Fostering Relationships between Indigenous Peoples & Newcomers to Canada: Gaps, Facilitations, & Future Directions

Canada can, and must, do more to ensure that Newcomers (including refugees) are aware of Indigenous presence and the colonial context of Canada, through community-based interactive avenues and educational resources. Although there is a growth in public awareness surrounding Canadian settler-colonial legacies, many Newcomers still lack the tools and understanding necessary to reconcile and build relationships with Indigenous Peoples and lands. Stereotypes and Indigenous erasure (perpetuated by the media, education, governments, and the settlement sector) serve to disconnect Newcomers and Indigenous Peoples. Conversely, face-to-face interactions and community programming (centering Indigenous histories, cultures, etc.) can foster cross-group relationships and solidarity, necessary both for Reconciliation and creating a decolonizing society. This study relied on gathering and analyzing data from 14 virtual interviews, one survey, one panel discussion, and academic/grey literature. It also used a decolonial methodology, through centering non-Western worldviews and engaging critically with colonialism in current-day thinking and institutions.

Read Paarth’s blog: Reconciliation Means Engaging All, Even Newcomers

Bio: Paarth Mittal (he/him) is passionate about Indigenous Rights and creating a more just society. As a settler and immigrant currently located on the unceded lands of the W̱SÁNEĆ, Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations (Victoria, BC), Paarth has always been curious about how we can decolonize our thoughts and power structures, and how we can honour Indigenous relations (to land, water, human and non-human living beings) in the actions that we undertake. In 2021, Paarth graduated from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science (Honours) and Environmental Studies.

Keywords: Newcomers, Refugees, Indigenous Peoples, Reconciliation, Colonialism, Canada, Social Connectedness, Community, Solidarity, Education, Land, Stereotypes

Tony worked with the Harvard Project on Disability (HPOD) and Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong (MASS) on a participatory research project. Working with Diana Mairose, Tony sought to understand the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities living in group homes during the pandemic. 

Final Report: The Experiences of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities Living in Massachusetts Group Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Participatory Action Research Project

This research was created by Diana Mairose and Tony Philips, two self-advocates with intellectual disabilities who wanted to understand the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities living in group homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is little research or literature on people with intellectual disabilities living in group homes, and even less research conducted by researchers with intellectual disabilities. The researchers chose to interview and connect with this group because they believe their stories and experiences deserve to be heard. The researchers also believe that persons in group homes may have experienced greater social isolation or greater barriers to accessing the community during the COVID-19 pandemic than persons with intellectual disabilities either on their own or with family members. At the core, the research seeks to ensure that the voices of people with intellectual disabilities in group homes are heard. The research was supported by Anne Fracht and Hezzy Smith from the Harvard Project on Disability.

Read Tony’s blog: The COVID-19 Pandemic Put My Life in the Community at Risk & How I’m Fighting for My Rights. 

Bio: Tony Phillips (he/him) is the current president of the Self-Advocacy Association Board of Directors, elected by his peers and representing people with I/DD (Intellectual Developmental Disabilities) in self-advocacy groups across New York State. He is also an activist with the National Action Network, based in Harlem. Tony currently works for OPWDD (Office for People with Developmental Disabilities), lives in his own apartment, and has done work as a Gospel Music concert promoter. 

 Keywords: Disability rights, Covid-19, Social Isolation, Social Connectedness, Relationships, Self-advocacy, Group Homes 

Unathi worked with Motheo Training Institute Trust. Motheo Training Institute Trust is a South African based public benefit trust that operates as a multi-training centre, offering quality early childhood developmental services and other developmental studies throughout South Africa. 

Community Engagement Initiative: Unathi’s work centered on intergenerational trauma and creating space for community to come together to share their stories of resilience. The Storytelling Session brought together seven community members at the Philippi Arts Centre in Philippi, Western Cape South Africa to discuss community, connectedness and tackling intergenerational trauma. Unathi also conducted interviews with community members to include their recommendations in her report.

Final Report: “It takes a village to raise one child”: The Role of Social Connectedness in Overcoming Intergenerational Trauma During Early Childhood Development

Children are a highly marginalized group within society, which amplifies their risk of exposure to trauma. As early childhood development is a period of rapid development where children have limited coping capabilities and are dependent on their primary caregivers for physical and emotional support, children are especially vulnerable to experiences of adverse outcomes. The following participatory research study aims to find the link between intergenerational trauma and social connectedness in early childhood development, particularly focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on low-resource communities in South Africa. The findings demonstrated that intergenerational trauma does have an impact on children’s social connectedness. It was also found that social connectedness increased children’s coping resources, as well as their access to said resources. Connection was also found to be the golden thread found in the resources required to help children cope and face challenges in their lives.

Read Unathi’s blog: Enhancing the Wellbeing of Children in South Africa Includes Investing in Education Institutions 

Bio: Unathi Mabena (she/her) is a recent graduate from North-West University with an Honours degree in Psychology. Growing up in Pretoria, South Africa, and working as a life coach for learners at her high school, ignited her love for psychology, and particularly, working with children and adolescents. It takes a village to raise a child and Unathi believes in working collaboratively to build healthy environments where children can flourish and thrive. She became activated to empower and support such communities in an effort to make mental health services accessible resources which can contribute towards holistic health and wellbeing. Unathi is passionate about psychology and the development of children and aspires to pursue a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology. 

 Keywords: Intergenerational trauma, social connectedness, resilience, children, early childhood development, South Africa, coping resources, participatory research, COVID-19 pandemic. 

W.A worked with Human Rights Watch supporting their  #WelcomeToCanada campaign, which calls on Canadian authorities to stop incarcerating immigration detainees in provincial jails – a practice that is a violation of Canada’s international human rights obligations.  

Community Engagement Initiative: “Crossing Borders Bridging Lives” was co-created by W.A and Esther Kim. Through the exchange of 12 letters handwritten letters, they connected individuals from around the world to share their stories of migration. Some participants were voluntary migrants while others were forced migrants but each letter and encompassing reflection centers a key point: people have the right to move and people’s stories connect us.

Final Report: Considering Alternatives to Immigration Detention: Implementing Community-Based Case Management Through Newcomer Support Services and Organizations in Ontario

In Canada, Immigration detention has been identified as one of the fastest growing forms of incarceration in the country. Although immigration detention is a common practice used for attempting to address and deter illegal migration, there is no empirical evidence to suggest that this practice is effective at deterrence. The Immigration detention process is harmful and in violation of international human rights laws as it socially isolates individuals and detains some of the most vulnerable groups of migrants and asylum seekers. The current alternatives to detention outlined by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) are not effective programs as they are based on a criminal justice model which continue to isolate and criminalize migrants and asylum seekers. Considering alternatives to detention that are humane, compassionate and tailored such as community-based case management programs are what the researcher believes should be used as a replacement for these current alternative programs. These alternative programs do not have to be created from scratch but can rather originate from pre-existing newcomer support services for migrants such those found throughout the province of Ontario.

Read W.A.’s blog: It’s Time We Address Canada’s Double Sided Refugee Policies  

Bio: W.A (she/her) is passionate about human rights and refugee policy. She is interested in finding more ways to include newcomers in all aspects of social discourse. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto. 

Keywords: Immigration Detention, Canada, Alternatives, Case-management, Community, Asylum Seeker, Human Rights, Ontario