Page 20 - pc_Issue7_Fall2018

FALL 2018
presbyterian.ca
Connection
PRESBYTERIAN
20
Follow Me Conference Brings Refugee Sponsors Together
By Rob Shropshire, PWS&D Refugee Program Coordinator
For two days in mid-June, the Fol- low Me conference brought together 19 people from across Canada, who are involved in or interested in refu- gee sponsorship, to the national of- fices of the denomination in Toronto. Drawing on Matthew 4:19, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people,” the gathering was named Follow Me—Our Journey as PCC Refugee Sponsors. The conference theme was prompted by the journey of millions in our world who travel to find safety from conflict and perse- cution, but also the journey we make when encountering them, as we too are challenged to move, to act, to reach out and to change.
Wonder ful resource people shared with those gathered. Dóra Kanizsai- Nagy of Kalunba Szociális Szolgáltató
Nonprofit of the Reformed Church in Hungary and Chen Brill Egri of Am- nesty International-Israel spoke of the severe challenges faced by asy- lum-seekers in their countries. Both have been involved in campaigns that have altered minds and hearts and called on their governments to respect migrants’ human rights. They shared their realities while offering encouragement and hope in difficult environments—allowing participants to reflect on their own experiences of racism and xenophobia, and of re- sistance to newcomers, sometimes in their churches, their communities or online.
Glynis Williams, associate sec- retary for International Ministries at The Presbyterian Church in Canada, shared about the world refugee situ- ation and the plight of asylum seek- ers hoping for safe haven in Canada. Their stories are those of people in
real need, which go beyond the im- ages we see in the media. She talked about ways that Presbyterians can engage with these newcomers, can walk with them and tell their stories. It is difficult for asylum seekers to speak up as they fear that it would jeopardize the possibility of being ac- cepted in Canada.
Staff from the Refugee Sponsor- ship Training Program made a detailed presentation on managing expecta- tions when sponsoring refugees, as well as on the power imbalance between sponsors and newcomers, and the rights of those we sponsor to self-determination, privacy and equity. Sponsors need to facilitate, empower and promote self-sufficiency.
Beyond excellent presentations, participants in the gathering stressed their appreciation of this opportunity to share sponsorship experiences, while being reminded of the delicacy
Dóra Kanizsai-Nagy of Kalunba Szociális Szolgáltató Nonprofit of the Reformed Church in Hungary and Chen Brill Egri of Amnesty International-Israel discussed challenges facing asylum seekers.
Follow Me conference participants from across Canada gathered to learn and share about refugee sponsorship.
PRESBYTERIAN WORLD SERVICE & DEVELOPMENT
of engaging with newcomers. Participants committed to fol- lowing up after the gathering: shar- ing information with their session or committee, reaching out to local immigrant and refugee settlement agencies, using resources from the
Refugee Sponsorship Training Pro- gram, promoting awareness of asy- lum seekers in Canada and getting more involved in supporting their settlement. And they left behind one request—that we repeat the experi- ence every two years.
Refugee Sponsorships Bring Joy to Congregation
By Terry Collins-Williams, Refugee Program Coordinator at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Ottawa
For the past four decades, St. An- drew’s Church in Ottawa has had the privilege of being involved in refugee sponsorship, ever since The Presby- terian Church in Canada entered into its first sponsorship agreement with the Government of Canada to bring refugees fleeing the chaos of Viet- nam. Since that time, St. Andrew’s has helped settle about 90 refugees in Ottawa.
Our more recent experience has involved three sponsorship under- takings over the past five years—all involving the settlement of refugees from the Middle East. A family of five from Iraq, who as members of a Christian minority sect had suffered persecution in their native country, had the added misfor tune of being trapped in the Syrian civil war after initially seeking refuge there. Due to the disruption of that violence, it took four years from the time we undertook their sponsorship to welcome them to their new home in Ottawa.
Next, we sponsored a family of three fleeing the conflict in Syria. Their
case was facilitated by the Canadian government’s initiative to fast track the processing of Syrian refugees in 2015 and 2016.
Most recently, we entered into a joint arrangement with Knox Presbyte- rian in Ottawa to sponsor an extended family of six. St. Andrew’s sponsored a single woman in 2017, and our par tnership with Knox allowed her to accompany her sister and brother-in- law, as well as their three children to come to Canada.
Refugee sponsorship has taught us the importance of: empathy, to understand the concerns and needs of those we sponsor; respect, to treat new arrivals as equals deserving eve- ry chance to re-establish their lives in a new and unfamiliar environment; and of communication, to establish trust with those we sponsor and coor- dinate the effor ts of our sponsorship team within the church. Each under- taking requires detailed preparation and we benefit from the guidance and advice of the sponsorship team at PWS&D. We have also learned to rely on the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program whose template for sponsor- ship planning proved to be an invalu- able tool for us.
A young girl, sponsored by St. Andrew’s, with her teacher.
In June, I had the good fortune to attend PWS&D’s Follow Me refugee sponsorship conference—another learning tool. It was a wonderful op- por tunity to both hear from exper ts and exchange experiences with rep- resentatives of other Presbyterian congregations dedicated to assisting refugees.
St. Andrew’s refugee program is dependent on the generosity of many church members who donate their time, goods and financial suppor t. We have received contributions from people outside our congregation who
Along with refugee sponsorship, PWS&D supports partners providing critical care for refugee and migrant families fleeing Syria, Iraq and other conflict zones. PHO- TO CREDIT: PAUL JEFFREY/ACT ALLIANCE
have heard of our work with refugees and want to assist. In addition, there are programs and organizations with- in St. Andrew’s working to promote refugee sponsorship, including the proceeds from our Fair Trade Table, open after services two Sundays a month, and regular contributions from the Women’s Guild and Mission and Outreach Committee.
At St. Andrew’s, we look forward to submitting a new refugee sponsorship application next year. In the meantime, we have initiated a program to provide tuition assistance to some refugees who recently arrived in Ottawa to help them pursue post-secondary educa-
tion oppor tunities.
Both the congregation and those
sponsored face many challenges in the combined effort to ensure a successful transition to a new life in Canada. Education and employment- related training, health care needs and adequate and affordable housing are all daunting priorities.
The reward comes in knowing that we have been able to help them find a place of refuge—in seeing the ten- tative smile of an eight-year-old girl as she takes her first skating strides on the ice, or in congratulating a teen who has graduated from high school in a new country with a new language.