sudanese regime: Soldiers from the Dinka ethnic group, one of the two largest ethnic groups in South Sudan, aligned with President Kiir and those from the Nuer ethnic group, the other largest ethnic group, supported Machar, according to The Chronicle Herald. At the time, the country was only two years old, having finally liberated itself from rule by the Sudanese regime in Khartoum after decades of warfare. The violence immediately took on an ethnic character. Since then, well over 50,000 people have died in the conflict, more than two million have fled to neighbouring countries and almost two million more are internally displaced, despite the presence of 17,000 UN peacekeepers in the country. Under the threat of international sanctions and following several rounds of negotiations Kiir had signed a peace agreement with Machar in August 2015 and the latter returned to the capital, Juba, in April 2016 after spending more than two years outside of the country. Armed groups have targeted civilians along ethnic lines, committed rape and sexual violence, destroyed property and looted villages and recruited children into their ranks. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sociology student: The experience in 2012 led the sociology student who was studying at the University of British Columbia UBC at the time to analyze faces in four textbooks widely used in North American medical schools, according to Toronto Star. She concluded in an honours thesis that racial diversity was being ignored. She wondered if medical textbooks would also reflect what she considered to be a biased portrayal of Canada's diverse population. Most images in medical books are of legs, arms and chests, showing only skin tone, not ethnicity, so Louie broadened her research as a master's student at the University of Toronto and focused on skin tone in more than 4,000 images in later versions of the same textbooks. Imagery of six common cancers for people of colour or dark skin tone hardly exist in the textbooks, says the study, which suggests unequal health care could result. Read more Opinion Adam Kassam It's time for fresh new leadership in health care Article Continued Below Report says Indigenous people in Toronto are far more likely to be homeless, unemployed and hungry Province aims to hand back' health-care decisions to First Nations within years The study by Louie and co-author Rima Wilkes, a sociology professor at UBC, found the proportion of dark skin tones represented was very small in images featured in Atlas of Human Anatomy, Bates' Guide to Physical Examinations and History Taking, Clinically Oriented Anatomy and Gray's Anatomy for Students. react-empty 161 Atlas had fewer than 1 per cent of photos featuring dark skin, while the highest amount 5 per cent was included in Gray's, the researchers say in the study, published in the journal Social Science and Medicine. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

soroush hatami: Marathon runner stopped in his tracks by Trump travel banU.S. Supreme Court allows Trump travel ban on residents of 6 mostly Muslim countries The 37-year-old, who emigrated from Iran to Toronto in 2013 and is a permanent resident of Canada, received his Canadian citizenship Friday afternoon, according to CBC. He hopes it will help clear a major hurdle that has barred him from entering the United States. That's exciting news ... There's a high possibility I can get my passport right on time, and I hope I can make it to Boston, Hatami said. Soroush Hatami migrated from Iran to Toronto in 2013 and received his Canadian citizenship Friday afternoon. Despite qualifying for the Boston Marathon back in October 2017, Hatami was banned from entering the U.S., based on his Iranian citizenship; a decision he calls unfair and xenophobic. CBC Last January, an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump blocked citizens of several Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States including Hatami's birth country of Iran. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

time police: One day, an officer asked, Have you ever thought about being a police officer yourself It was the farthest thing from the mind of the Egyptian-born Bahgat, who arrived in Columbus as a teenager in 1980 speaking almost no English, according to Metro News. But he applied and has served as an officer in Ohio's largest city for 21 years. Often, he had the situation in hand by the time police showed up. Recently, police chief Kim Jacobs appointed Bahgat a liaison officer between the department and the city's growing immigrant populations, particularly people from Somalia and Bhutanese-Nepali refugees. There has definitely been some areas where law enforcement doesn't understand the culture, and likewise the culture doesn't understand why we do the things that we do, Bahgat told worshippers last month at Masjid Ibnu Taymiyah and Islamic Center, a mosque on Columbus' north side serving mainly Somali immigrants. Bahgat joins Columbus officers with outreach responsibilities to the black and gay communities. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trade policy: The issue pits Trump's populist promises to his voters against the party's free trade orthodoxy and the interests of business leaders, according to CTV. Unlike recent immigration and gun policy changes that require legislation, Trump can alter trade policy by executive action. But Trump's decision to seek steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports has provoked rarely seen urgency among Republicans, now scrambling to convince the president that he would spark a trade war that could stall the economy's recent gains if he doesn't reverse course. That intensifies the pressure on Republican lawmakers to change his mind before he gives his final approval for the penalties as early as this coming week. He also railed about very stupid trade deals by earlier administrations and said other countries laugh at what fools our leaders have been. Trump on Saturday showed no sign of backing away, threatening on Twitter to impose a tax on cars made in Europe if the European Union responds to the tariffs by taxing American goods. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

conspiracy theories: If you believe the Toronto Star, the former Progressive Conservative leader abandoned his political comeback on Monday, February 26, for less altruistic reasons not the least of which is that a police investigation into alleged fraud in a Hamilton nomination battle may soon be hitting close to home in the form of criminal charges against former PC party officials close to Brown, according to NOW Magazine. If you believe his supporters, the media killed Patrick Brown. If you believe Patrick Brown, he did it to protect his family. On that front, conspiracy theories abound, and they're hard to ignore now that one of the accusers who forced his resignation on sexual misconduct allegations in late January has changed her story. An ex-girlfriend of Brown has also come forward to cast doubt on the allegations made by a second accuser, a former staffer of Brown's who says he forced himself on her during a party at his house in 2013. Turns out she was not in high school and too young to drink when she says Brown tried to force her to perform oral sex on him at his home more than 10 years ago. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

asylum seekers: Australia has a policy of not allowing any refugees who try to arrive by boat to settle in the country, according to CBC. It pays neighboring Papua New Guinea and the tiny atoll nation of Nauru to hold around 2,000 asylum seekers from Africa, the Middle East and Asia who have attempted to reach Australian shores since 2013. More than a year after President Donald Trump reluctantly agreed to honor an Obama administration deal by resettling hundreds of refugees rejected by Australia, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters that around 200 had so far found new homes in the United States. Asylum seekers ordered to leave detention centre in Papua New Guinea as it's sealed off UN implores Australia to resume feeding 'starving' refugees at remote camp At a meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in Sydney on Friday, Turnbull again rejected a longstanding New Zealand offer to accept 150 refugees. We'll take that process through to its completion and then we can consider other options. We are focused on completing the much larger arrangements with the U.S., Turnbull said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

asylum seekers: According to the ACLU's lawsuit, the girl was taken away screaming and crying from her mother, according to Metro News. Immigrant advocates accuse the Trump administration of systematically separating parents and children who are requesting asylum. The woman is in a San Diego facility about 2,000 miles 3,200 kilometres from the Chicago shelter for unaccompanied immigrant minors holding the girl. Administration officials have said they believe many asylum seekers are taking advantage of a broken system. Authorities declined to comment on the lawsuit. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

company town: His father, sister and many of his cousins now live in St, according to The Chronicle Herald. John's. He loved growing up in Churchill Falls, the small company town of about 650 people that runs the Labrador hydroelectric plant on the upper Churchill River. Home is where your family is, said Hodder, 40. Hodder, a project co-ordinator who has worked in the B.C. mining sector and Alberta's oilsands, is part of the easternmost province's ever-growing diaspora of residents who leave for all kinds of reasons, most of them economic. If a job was there, it'd be no question we'd move back home. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

border: That is good planning, but it is not indicative of clairvoyance, according to The Chronicle Herald. So far in 2018, about 1,500 people have been stopped by the RCMP between official border points nearly five times the number stopped in January 2017, the slowest month for new arrivals in all of last year. The reality is, on a forward-looking basis, that we want to be as prepared as possible for whatever eventuality, said Mark Holland, the parliamentary secretary for public safety. By year's end, 20,000 would-be refugees arrived along the Canada-U.S. border, the height of it during a summer surge that saw hundreds showing up a day. How much the government spent on all those efforts has yet to revealed. The situation prompted a diplomatic and technical response that included tents at the border, dozens of government officials reassigned to manage claims, the fast-tracking of work permits and several trips to the U.S. by members of Parliament to explain the nuances of Canada's immigration system and discourage people from making the trek. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

counterintelligence officials: She was the point person on the 360-million Vancouver development, which opened in 2017 shortly after President Donald Trump took office, according to CTV. CNN, which cited two unnamed sources in its reporting, did not reveal why investigators would be looking into the Vancouver deal. According to CNN, counterintelligence officials are working to determine whether any deals struck by the U.S. First Daughter might have left her vulnerable to pressure from foreign entities. A spokesperson for Ivanka Trump's ethics counsel told the network nothing of concern has been uncovered. Trump or her clearance application, the spokesperson said. CNN is wrong that any hurdle, obstacle, concern, red flag or problem has been raised with respect to Ms. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

day iwd: International Women's Day IWD launched Sunday, March 8, 1914, according to Rabble. Historically, IWD celebrations have been used to advance women's rights and gender equity. March is also the time to celebrate women's accomplishments. However, while women around the world have made great strides, we know that even Canada has a long way to go before it can call itself truly gender equitable. Today Canada ranks 25th. In 1995, Canada was number 1 on the United Nations Gender Equality Index. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

election year: Talks have gone dormant that sought a bipartisan package A chance for citizenship for young immigrants brought to the country illegally and 25 billion for President Donald Trump to erect his treasured wall with Mexico, according to Metro News. Even a proposal dangling modest wins for both sides a three-year renewal of a program protecting hundreds of thousands of those young immigrants from deportation in exchange for a 7.6 billion down payment for the wall seems a longshot. Lawmakers now seem likely to do little or nothing this election year on an effort that's been eclipsed by Congress' new focus on guns, bloodied by Senate defeats and relegated to B-level urgency by a Supreme Court ruling. The prospects for immigration legislation, big or small, are very, very bleak, concedes Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice, an immigrants' rights group. There are tactical rifts between Democrats and the coalition of liberal and immigrants' rights organizations over how aggressively to force the issue, and differences between conservative organizations and some Republicans over the wisdom of even a narrow accord. Distrust between the two parties has intensified, with each suspecting the other of weaponizing the impasse to rouse loyal voters for November's contest for congressional control. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

nova: The industry generates an additional 1 billion in spinoffs, according to The Chronicle Herald. To foster and support the growth of Nova Scotia's digital economy, the non-profit's core areas of focus are advocacy, promotion, collaboration and capacity. As the industry association for Nova Scotia's fastest growing sector, Digital Nova Scotia provides advocacy, multi-sectorial industry intelligence, facilitates connections between industry and talent, and delivers high-level programming to ensure Nova Scotia's 1.5-billion-digital technologies industry continues to flourish. DNS' membership base consists of more than 100 multinational technology corporations, SMEs, startups, academic institutions, and a number of industry stakeholders. These young immigrants have a mindset and attitude that is open to change, innovation, new ideas, and creativity. The team of three at DNS are immigrants from Germany, the U.K and China. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

history month: The strongest students that I encountered in graduate school could effectively connect past and present and even, for extra credit, gesture toward the future, according to Rabble. When it comes to Black history in Canada, there's still a lot of work to be done; I'm going to recommend that the Canadian government visit me during my office hours. This meant not only examining past trends, but also -- quite significantly -- highlighting the uniqueness of a given moment and avoid broad sweeping statement. Many Canadians love the food, film, and music of Black History Month, but still adhere to the well-worn myth than Canada has no history of slavery and that this nation is, at its core, benevolent and hospitable. As Robyn Maynard observes in Policing Black Lives, By 1865, textbooks bore little allusion to any Black presence in Canada, erased two centuries of slavery, included no mention of segregated schools an ongoing practice at the time and alluded to this issue of racial discord only in the United States. This myth is the result of a failure to situate current events in their historical context and to critically engage with the past. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigrant communities: Defenders of so-called sanctuary practices say they improve public safety by promoting trust among law enforcement and immigrant communities and reserving scarce police resources for other, more urgent crime-fighting needs, according to Metro News. Mayor Libby Schaaf tweeted on Saturday that an immigration operation was imminent in the San Francisco area, including Oakland, possibly within 24 hours. The Trump administration has cracked down on so-called sanctuary policies, insisting that local law enforcement inform federal agents when they are about to release immigrants discovered to be living in the country illegally. It was unclear how many people would have eluded capture without the mayor's warning. Other times, agents have outdated addresses or targets are not home. Targets often elude authorities because agents don't have search warrants and advocacy groups have waged public awareness campaigns urging people not to open their doors. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

india strategy: How ironic that his son Justin the current prime minister of Canada stands accused of fomenting separatist sentiments in a vibrant democracy far, far away, according to Toronto Star. Now that the PM has returned to Ottawa, with memories of exotic India receding into the past, it's time to assess the damage and devise an India strategy based on realism and practicality. He fought to preserve the integrity of Canada. The prime minister should start with a clear, unqualified statement condemning separatists and others who pose a threat to India's integrity. Quite the opposite. This does not mean disregarding the sentiments of the Sikh constituency here at home. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

limits co-operation: It renewed threats of a bigger street presence in California, where state law sharply limits co-operation with immigration authorities at local jails, according to CTV. The agency's acting director, Thomas Homan, said Wednesday that Mayor Libby Schaaf's warning that an operation was imminent caused about 800 people to avoid arrest, an extraordinarily high number of missed targets. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said officers made 232 arrests from Sunday to Wednesday. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday that the mayor's warning was outrageous and under review by the Justice Department. The mayor has defended her actions. She wasn't more specific. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

matteo salvini: Immediately after, Matteo Salvini, the head of the far-right Lega, or League Party, went on national television blaming both crimes on what he called Italy's out-of-control immigration policy, according to CBC. Italy heads to the polls Sunday to elect its 65th government in seven decades. Luca Traini, a fascist-sympathizing gunman, went on a drive-by shooting rampage, wounding the migrants, supposedly in revenge for the killing of an 18-year-old Italian woman for which a Nigerian was arrested. And far-right parties such as the League have pushed immigration to the forefront of the debate. But those issues got overshadowed by immigration. At the start the campaign, it looked like the debate would focus on the two most urgent issues facing Italy, namely its relationship with the European Union and employment, says Italian political historian Vera Capperucci. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sociology student: The experience in 2012 led the sociology student who was studying at the University of British Columbia at the time to analyze faces in four textbooks widely used in North American medical schools, according to CTV. She concluded in an honours thesis that racial diversity was being ignored. She wondered if medical textbooks would also reflect what she considered to be a biased portrayal of Canada's diverse population. Most images in medical books are of legs, arms and chests, showing only skin tone, not race, so Louie broadened her research as a master's student at the University of Toronto and focused on skin tone in over 4,000 images in later versions of the same textbooks. Atlas had fewer than one per cent of photos featuring dark skin, while the highest amount -- five per cent -- was included in Gray's, the researchers say in the study, published in the journal Social Science and Medicine. The study by Louie and co-author Rima Wilkes, a sociology professor at the University of British Columbia, found the proportion of dark skin tones represented was very small in images featured in Atlas of Human Anatomy, Bates' Guide to Physical Examinations and History Taking, Clinically Oriented Anatomy and Gray's Anatomy for Students. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

manhattan skyline: But way-downtown can feel sleepy once the sun goes down, so here are two more appealing newcomers the Whitby, on a relatively quiet block in Midtown, and the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, in Brooklyn's Dumbo neighbourhood, which boasts a cinematic view of the Manhattan skyline, according to Toronto Star. Both have excellent personal service, easy access to the city's greatest hits, and a lot of soul. Visiting finance types looking to base themselves in lower Manhattan may be tempted to book into the retro-inspired Beekman hotel or the minimalist Four Seasons Downtown, which looks straight onto Calatrava's stark-white Oculus and both would be wise choices. The Design The Whitby If you've ever stayed at a Firmdale hotel such as the Crosby Street in New York or Ham Yard in London you'll recognize owner-designer Kit Kemp's signature style of colour, texture, and whimsy. They're also flooded with natural light, thanks to enormous casement windows that run nearly from wall to wall and floor to ceiling, with generous sitting areas and walk-in closets. The rooms have quirky British art and upholstered headboards that stretch almost to the 9 -foot-tall ceilings. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

privilege manifests: And whether your skin colour translates into danger or innocence, according to Toronto Star. Notice, the opposite of racial innocence is not guilt, but danger. All things being equal it shows up in whether you are deemed authoritative or arrogant, whether you are judged for your record or your potential, whether your hair is considered quirky or unkempt, whether your accent is taken as classy or backward. Threat. Exhibit A is what is now labelled the hijab hoax story from January in which an 11-year-old girl alleged that a man ran up behind her, when she was on her way to school with her little brother, and cut her hijab. Among children, privilege manifests itself chiefly in this ominous measure of innocence. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

support organization: Now she is one of seven founders of a new association catering to the needs of immigrant investors, according to CBC. The New Brunswick Business Immigrants Association, launching Thursday night at the Fredericton Convention Centre, will be a support organization for newcomers who want to start a business here but don't know where to begin, she said. Rahmeh fled Syria six years ago and previously made news because of her support for more recent Syrian newcomers. For the time being, Rahmeh said, the association will be helping establish business plans, connecting new immigrants with the right people and supporting them if they need guidance or translation and interpretation. The association will be launched Thursday evening at the Fredericton Convention Centre. Rahmeh says and other immigrants want to share their knowledge of the business landscape in New Brunswick. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

increase affordability: Anne McMullin, the CEO of the Urban Development Institute, was left to sing that same old song we need more supply to increase affordability, according to Vancouver Courier. She also predicted that adding or increasing taxes such as the foreign buyers' tax will only drive prices up. So I find it amusing to watch while people set their hair on fire over the provincial government's modest attempts to cool down the real estate market.article continues below Trending Stories Pregnant woman's split-second heroics prevented suicide attempt on Granville bridge Province extends ability to get non-photo BC Services card Man kicks librarian in stomach at homeless housing meeting Greater Vancouver home prices to drop 21 per cent by 2019 analysisrelatedNDP taking housing affordability seriously with budget, says business prof Four in five British Columbians support new real estate taxes Robin Hood budget designed to take from rich and give to poor The influx of Chinese excuse me foreign capital has been at the heart of escalating real estate values here and many places around the globe. But the simple fact is, as a number of academics have concluded, and the Globe and Mail's Kerry Gold has reported, the problem is not supply it is a matter of the right kind of supply. But it is the kind of supply that appeals to wealthy foreign and domestic speculators not your average working stiff. We produce more new units of housing per person coming into Metro Vancouver than Toronto or Calgary. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tours february: ARRIVALS DEPARTURES. A festival that explores intersectional perspectives of Toronto through collaborative exhibitions, events, workshops and tours, according to NOW Magazine. February 25-March 31, launch party 7-9 pm on March 6 RSVP . Most events are free. Images courtesy of the artist. More info here. The theme of this year's festival is arrivals and departures, and a number of the city's creative artists and organizations have interpreted it in unique and surprising ways. The 2018 Myseum Intersections festival has arrived with a lineup of projects and events that showcase how Toronto is delving deeper into discussions around issues of identity, community and gentrification. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

abortion access: The American Civil Liberties Union, which released Lloyd's deposition, has sued the government alleging that it is unlawfully restricting minors from having abortions, according to Metro News. Lloyd said in the deposition that he had not approved any abortions since becoming ORR director in March 2017. Scott Lloyd, the director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement, gave a deposition in December as part of an ongoing lawsuit over abortion access for immigrant minors. That has led to several instances where the ACLU has gone to court on behalf of pregnant teens. In December, a federal judge allowed two other teens to have abortions, and a fourth minor who wanted an abortion was released in January and became free to obtain one on her own. An immigrant teen in Texas obtained an abortion in October after a federal appeals court overruled ORR's objections. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.