I attended a lecture once about foreign credentials. The lecture was informative, and gave information about all that our government is doing to ensure that the international academic and employment credentials obtained by immigrants and refugees obtained abroad are recognized in Canada. Then it came time for the question and answer period. There was a [...]
Although each year Canada grants sanctuary to many refugees, some refugee claimants to Canada are forced to turn to other sources of asylum. One such individual was Mohamed Cherfi. You may remember him as an Algerian refugee claimant. Entering Canada via the US in 1999, he resided in Montreal. Cherfi sought refugee status on humanitarian [...]
Every January Catholics commemorate the World Day of Migrants and Refugees. This day is about both justice and celebration. It “celebrates the human drive to belong, to protect, to grow and to share in family, and the immeasurable importance of family in the lives of migrants and refugees in all corners of the world” (International [...]
Did you ever realize that Jesus was a refugee? In his early childhood, Jesus and his parents had to flee to Egypt because of death threats against him, and lack of safety in his homeland. Ahmed is also a refugee. He and his family are living in Canada now, but Ahmed still has flashbacks to [...]
Throughout history, people have always moved to new countries / provinces / lands to escape a bad life or to hope for a better one. And throughout history, migrants have been taken advantage of along the way and in their chosen destination.
Fast away the old year passes. 2012 is almost here. And the coming of the New Year is often an occasion for resolutions, for lifestyles altered, for changes made. Perhaps you’ve resolved to join the gym and exercise regularly each week. Perhaps you’ve resolved to control your spending and reduce your debt. Or perhaps you’ve [...]
Celebration is a wonderful part of life. And Christmas is a Christian feast! We all need to feast now and then; we all need to celebrate God’s blessings in our lives. But, I must admit, there’s a fine line between recognizing how blessed I am and feeling the guilt that comes with affluence. It’s hard to [...]
These days food ethics is mushrooming. A quick visit to your local bookstore’s Lifestyle section will yield numerous and varied volumes on the subject. I can just imagine going through all the helpful guides to eating well that litter those shelves… Let’s see. First I find out that I should eat in-season and locally produced [...]
This month the Ethics Centre asks you to consider your role in God’s creation. Bill McKibben’s The Comforting Whirlwind is a fascinating read that links environmental concern with the book of Job. McKibben discerns that conventional wisdom doesn’t always hold true, both in Job’s time and in our own. Job’s friends — those well-meaning men [...]
Imagine working full-time (including overtime) and not being able to make enough money to give all of your children food for dinner. Imagine working from morning until night but never making enough money for “extras” like dessert or Christmas presents. Currently, 2 billion people live on less than $2US/day, and this is a severe threat [...]
