1. Enhancing the ‘Welcoming Capacity’ of Windsor Essex – Community Forum

2. Partners/Community Support

3. Outline Definition of Welcoming Community Research Objectives Limitations Benchmarks and avenues for action Research conclusions Next steps

4. Definition of Welcoming Community “A welcoming community can be conceptualized as a collective effort to create a place where individuals feel valued and included.” Esses, V. M., Hamilton L, Bennett-AbuAyyash, C & Burstein, M.;Characteristics of a Welcoming Community; March 2010

5. Research Objectives Benchmark aspects of the ‘welcoming capacity’ of Windsor Essex How welcoming is Windsor Essex? What are you or your organization doing to cultivate a more welcoming region?

6. Benchmarks 1. Positive attitudes2. Links between main actors (community stakeholders) 3. Presence of religious/cultural organizations 4. Social engagement Opportunities 5. Opportunities to use public space and recreation facilities 6. Media coverage and representation

7. Limitations of Study Not an evaluation of settlement services/individual agencies In-depth study of all service delivery organizations and across all sectors not possible – More research on sector-specific ‘welcoming’ capacity – More research on county Report does reveal problem associated with marginalizing immigrant integration to settlement sector

8. Benchmark 1: Positive Attitudes Windsor Essex as multicultural and diverse – Mainstream and Newcomer Positive feature of Canada and Windsor Essex Multicultural ‘lite’? Racism and discrimination Is Windsor Essex welcoming? Is Windsor a hard town to break into? – Yes and Yes! Immigrants, Immigration, and integration – Mainstream knowledge uneven Perceived as high need clients Skilled immigrant, jobs, and revitalization

9. Somebody told me he was not giving me a job because I have an accent. I passed the first round, went to the second interview and you know what the company told me: “You have an accent. I’m sorry.” I was shocked. I’m beginning to feel I am being discriminated against... They say Windsor is a multicultural city but I am going through all these experiences... I know it’s multicultural, but you are not acting like it. -Natalia, Nigeria

10. Avenues for Action Build positive perceptions through: – Targeted initiatives: systemic racism, invisibility of immigrants – Expanded recognition of newcomer/immigrant contributions – A communication plan (see also media plan)

11. Benchmark 2: Links between main actors Mainstream Participants – Support inclusive community – Lack sense of responsibility – One-to-one partnerships with settlement agencies Newcomers/immigrants – Positive of settlement sector – Lack links to employment or volunteering

12. Avenues for Action Enhance involvement of municipalities Strengthen the City of Windsor Diversity Committee – Encourage the development of similar committees in Essex County municipalities Develop strategic community-based social planning Foster deeper connections for ‘welcoming’ through community-wide and cross-sector efforts – Led by municipal leaders and vehicles such as WELIP

13. Benchmark 3: Religious and cultural organizations Presence of religious and cultural organizations – Visibility sign of diversity and tolerance – Hyper-sensitivity to presence of Muslims Religious institutions significant to many newcomers – social connections – support – maintain identity/faith – access to social services Ethno-cultural organizations – Inconsistent in their engagement with newcomers – Not well connected to settlement or mainstream sectors

14.  Foster and increase knowledge of the importance of religious organizations – Supporting respective communities – Enhancing integration and citizenship  Create more robust linkages between newcomers, ethno-cultural associations, religious organizations, settlement organizations and mainstream organizations. Avenues for Acti on

15. Benchmark 4: Social engagement opportunities Social engagement opportunities limited for all but particularly significant to newcomers – Employment/work as key site for engagement/ building networks – Networks important for employment opportunities and information Network drawn from services sector / religious organizations Separate ‘spheres of engagement’

16. “Even here people are so busy with their own... You do your thing and they are not harassing you... [I]t’s not like you’re not welcome or something like that. It’s just individual doing your own thing. I mean it takes time for me to really understand whether we are welcome or not welcome... They say something like ‘inner circle outer’, so when it comes to just accepting as friends and all, there is a different issue all together. When you have to be part of their distinct group an inner group then it becomes tough. You know that acceptance is not there. So there are different levels. It’s not a simple question and an answer, it goes into many aspects.” Jessica, Indi a

17. Avenues for Action Create targeted initiatives where newcomers connect with ‘Canadians’ and/or long-time Windsor Essex residents – Promote better understanding of newcomers as citizens in all aspects of life Profile established immigrants – map out how they made connections  illustrate the opportunities and challenges

18. Benchmark 5: Public space and leisure Site of intercultural encounter Affordability and accessibility – transportation/proximity determine public space and program usage Public space utilization makes up the bulk of newcomer leisure activities Some ‘public’ spaces more public than others

19. Avenues for Action More research: use of public spaces and immigrant concentrations Engage immigrants in planning and decision-making Promote inclusion through use of public spaces and activities Greater financial support for low income residents – Transportation, public spaces, and community programs Encouraging self-initiated cultural & social festivals/celebrations

20. Benchmark 6: Media coverage Star and local TV programs viewed as significant tool of representation – Some expressed frustration with representations – Others thought representations were balanced Exploratory analyses of Windsor Star – Positive and negative portrayals – Negative portrayals appear more common – More systematic analyses needed Windsor Star open to immigrant input – Lack connections and relationships with immigrant groups

21. Avenues for Action Campaign to highlight the social, economic and cultural benefits of immigrants to Windsor Essex – Making a business case for diverse programming – Promote human angle of immigrant stories Sector-wide committee and outreach strategy to bridge gaps between media representation and immigrant communities Promote immigrant media talk-backs and letters to editors

22. Research Conclusions There is some capacity for fostering belonging Each benchmark involves multiple actor involvement, commitment & understanding – Collective, cross-sector efforts important Newcomers share with local residents many of the same difficulties – their experiences circumscribed by lack of networks, ties, knowledge, establishment, and sense of belonging Mutually sustaining relationship between employment and social engagement opportunities

23. Questions?

24. Next Steps Individual and organizational actions Implement community plan – initiatives from May 13, 2014 Community Forum Seek additional support and funding

25. More Information For more information about the Welcoming Communities Project contact: Lisa Kolody, Director of Programs and Operations The Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County 519.255.1127 ext. 217 lkolody@themcc.com Carolyn Warkentin, Executive Director South Essex Community Council (Leamington, ON) 519-326-8629 CWarkentin@secc.on.ca