The following resources provide additional information about multiculturalism and diversity in Abbotsford and across B.C. and Canada:

Live Diversely:
Abbotsford Community Services Programs List
The Reach Gallery & Museum
The Centre for Indo Canadian Studies
Multicultural Healthy Living
Access Abbotsford
Abbyfest
Ten by Ten challenge
UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity
Assembly of First Nations
UN World Day for Cultural Diversity
South Fraser Women’s Services

Language Resources:
English Languages Services for Adults
FVRL Languages
JobOptions BC Program
Welcome Packages for Newcomers in English, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Punjabi, Spanish and Vietnamese

Diversity History:
MSA Museum
Canadian Sikh Heritage

LGBT Specific:
Qmunity
Egale LGBT Human Rights
Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition
Dancing to Eagle Spirit Society

Magazines / Articles:
Culture West Magazine
Canadian Immigrant Magazine

For Children:
The Reach Gallery & Museum Children’s Events

For the Workplace:
Safe Harbour

Media:
WelcomeBC Youtube Channel
Tourism Abbotsford Youtube Channel

Check this out at www.abcdiversity.ca.

The Canadian government is in the process of passing new legislation amending refugee acceptance laws in Canada.

Bill C-31, sponsored by the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, aims to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, the Marine Transportation Security Act and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act.

Under this proposed law the Immigration Minister would have the power to choose which countries are “safe” without a committee including human rights experts. Critics say this gives the Minister too much power and puts refugee lives at risk. Other changes include:

□  Rejected refugee claims can no longer appeal the decision to the Immigration and Refugee Board

□  Refugees would have to wait a year before applying for permanent residence, and could be deported during this wait

□  People applying for visas to Canada will need biometric identification – fingerprints and photos

There are many criticisms of this bill. Amnesty International, the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and the Canadian Council for Refugees have called for the withdrawal of the bill, claiming that it has provisions that would “arbitrarily detain groups of refugees; keep parents, children and spouses apart for years; undermine the fairness of the refugee claim and protection process; introduce the use of biometrics; and authorize the stripping of permanent residence from refugees”, and “gives Ministers broad, unfettered and unprecedented powers.”

For further reading:

http://www.parl.gc.ca/LegisInfo/BillDetails.aspx?Mode=1&billId=5383493&Language=E

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/02/15/pol-bogus-refugees.html

http://www.globalnews.ca/closing+doors/6442604369/story.html?utm_source=mailoutinteractive&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Maytree+Newsletter+-+March+2012

http://ccla.org/2012/03/15/media-advisory-human-rights-groups-protest-draconian-refugee-bill/