mass rape: Across the Atlantic, the women typing were ordinary citizens, peace activists who were opposed to the violence in disintegrating Yugoslavia, according to Toronto Star. They wrote of the horrors they witnessed ethnic cleansing, systematic mass rape. They came every two or three days, when slow-moving communication networks were able to push them out. For Hutchinson recently appointed NATO's special representative for women, peace and security the stories from the grassroots movement made her realize how much women suffered in conflict, but also, how they as powerful and engaged women collectively can change things, change our lives. That was the start of the work that I currently do, says Hutchinson. She was so struck by the idea that a few years later, Hutchinson left her job in New Brunswick, where she had co-founded a company training people to use the Internet, and went to England to begin a master's at Newcastle University on international relations, with an emphasis on women and policy. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

panther: The Marvel and Disney phenomenon crossed the US 1 billion mark worldwide this weekend and became the 7th highest grossing domestic release with US 562 million, according to CTV. Not accounting for inflation, it's now passed The Dark Knight. Black Panther took the No. 1 spot at the North American box office with US 41.1 million according to studio estimates Sunday, leaving another newcomer in its wake. With a marketplace still dominated by Black Panther, Disney faced some stiff competition from its own studio in launching Ava DuVernay's adaption of A Wrinkle in Time, which opened in second place with US 33.3 million from 3,980 locations. In gauging A Wrinkle in Time's long-term prospects, a somewhat similar comparison could be Disney's Tomorrowland, a PG-rated sci-fi pic with middling reviews and a B Cinema Score which opened to 33 million in the early summer of 2015 and went on to gross 93 million domestically. The PG-rated film, which cost around US 103 million to produce and stars Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon, received mixed reviews from critics it's currently at a rotten 44 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes and audiences who gave it a B Cinema Score. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

santa maria: The organization is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding, according to Metro News. Since your community was born, the world has become global, the pope said while addressing Sant'Egidio volunteers in the ancient Santa Maria in Trastevere Basilica, where the community has sheltered the homeless on especially cold nights. The pontiff spent the afternoon with the Sant'Egidio Community, which has mediated peace accords in Africa and helped war refugees make it to Italy safely. But for many people, especially the poor, new walls have been lifted, Francis said. A globalization of solidarity and of the spirit still awaits to be built. Diversity is an occasion for animosity and conflict. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

school: Work hard and you can achieve your dreams, says Moulton, now in her late 30s, according to Toronto Star. But in reality, you can go to school and still work hard and still find yourself in a situation that is not what you dreamed, she says. Where I come from, we were always told a good education is the key to success. For too many people in this city it's a struggle every day to live a good quality of life. And I want to change that for others. I have seen that first-hand. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

zohra yusuf: Zohra Yusuf, a board member at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, called the ruling very dangerous, according to CBC. She said her group would issue a statement in the coming days. The Islamabad High Court ruling on Friday also requires that citizens take a religious oath upon joining the civil service, armed forces or judiciary. Religion is someone's personal affair, not a matter of public display, she said. Ahmadis face widespread discrimination The ruling appeared to be aimed at Ahmadis, who revere the 19th century founder of their faith as a prophet. The oath thing is nothing but discrimination, and would show the government has no belief that minorities, too, are patriotic. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

aid society: Among the papers was a nearly-expired permanent residency card and a Jamaican birth certificate no longer considered valid in that country, according to Toronto Star. Despite having lived here since he arrived with his parents at age 10, Jones was not a Canadian citizen. Kiwayne Jones was 21, when, after having spent about a decade moving around foster homes as a Crown ward, he was given some of his documentation by the Children's Aid Society. And he still isn't today. Article Continued Below The lawsuit alleges, among other things, that the government failed in its duties to take all reasonable steps to maintain permanent residency status and pursue and obtain Canadian citizenship for the non-citizen Crown wards in its care, according to a statement of claim filed in Superior Court. He's now the representative plaintiff of a proposed 200-million class-action lawsuit brought against the Ontario government by individuals, who, as non-citizen children, were taken into the care of CAS and made Crown wards. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

eu funds: I came to Europe as an observer and to learn, Bannon said, wearing his typical rugged attire before a cadre of party elites dressed in suits, according to Toronto Star. Read more French far-right leader Marine Le Pen charged over Daesh tweets Article Continued Below Populist parties continue to gain ground in European politics French far-right leader Marine Le Pen charged for alleged misuse of EU funds What I've learned is that you're part of a worldwide movement, that is bigger than France, bigger than Italy, bigger than Hungary bigger than all of it. Bannon's surprise visit to the party's conference in Lille announced via Twitter late Friday marked the most recent stop on a European tour that has already included Switzerland, along with Italy, where last week voters abandoned establishment parties and opted for a hung parliament dominated by right-wing, anti-immigrant populists. And history is on our side, he said. Some of it translated; some of it did not. The tide of history is with us, and it will compel us to victory after victory after victory. react-empty 161 His speech contained a familiar litany of attacks against global elites, Hillary Clinton and journalists. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

fraud: Wang, owner of New Can Consulting in British Columbia, was found guilty of immigration fraud in 2015 for filing fraudulent immigration applications for hundreds of clients, and was sentenced to seven years in prison, according to Toronto Star. Last year, three of his former staff were also convicted of immigration fraud and were sentenced to 18 months in jail. In a proposed class action application filed with the Federal Court last week, Chao Yuan Lin and Xiang Zhou two of Xun Sunny Wang's former clients said evidence at the man's criminal trial indicated Wang or his staff committed immigration fraud and not their clients. Wang's services included helping clients apply for citizenship and renew what's known as a permanent resident, or PR, card, a document required of non-citizen immigrants to enter Canada by commercial vehicle. Article Continued Below Despite the mountain of evidence of Mr. Wang falsified documents to make his clients appear to have met the residency requirement when they were physically out of the country in order to renew their PR card. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

garza: Employment requirements for Customs and Border Protection include providing proof of U.S. citizenship, according to Metro News. It's unclear how De la Garza was able to get his job despite not being an American citizen. Marco Antonio De la Garza Jr., an officer in southern Arizona, faces criminal charges for allegedly telling U.S. Customs and Border Protection and others in the government that he was born in Texas. An indictment filed Wednesday in Tucson said De la Garza lied about his citizenship in October during a background check update tied to his job. The agency hired him in April 2012, spokeswoman Teresa Small confirmed in an email Friday. The 37-year-old officer also is accused of making false statements about his birth country last year when he sought a U.S. passport. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hungarian minority: Participants shouted Autonomy! and presented a petition calling for territorial autonomy for their group, according to Metro News. They said the request would not affect the territorial autonomy and sovereignty of Romania. They gathered in Targu Mures, a city that is home to many ethnic Hungarians, on Saturday carrying a giant Szekler flag, a symbol of the Hungarian minority seeking greater self-determination in Romania. There are some 1.2 million ethnic Hungarians living in Romania, a country of 19 million. Ethnic Hungarians are allowed to be educated in Hungarian and can speak the language in court in some areas of Romania. Transylvania was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918, when it was given to Romania. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rohingya refugee: While nearly every other Rohingya refugee who crossed the border has sought protection in the immense camps a few miles deeper into Bangladesh, these people say they will go no farther, according to CTV. My ancestors' graves are there, said Abdul Naser, gesturing toward his village, less than 100 metres yards away. They arrived in a no man's land, one of the small, ill-defined areas that exist at the cloudiest edges of the borderlands, places that seem to be neither Myanmar nor Bangladesh. Sometimes, I walk close to the barbed wire fence and touch my land, and I cry in the dark. Myanmar deployed more soldiers to the border, some of whom began coming to within 10 metres yards of the refugees' homes. But a few weeks ago things changed. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

minority studies: People are falling between the cracks, according to CBC. An administration report going to the community and public services committee next week draws on research from the council, as well as from the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services and the Women's Advocacy Voice of Edmonton. The needs are there, the gaps are there, said Susan Morrissey, the executive director of Edmonton Social Planning Council, one group that has researched what it's like to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or two-spirited person in Edmonton. In some cases there's a lot of tension, Morrissey said Friday of the response from LGBTQ2 community. Susan Morrissey, executive director of Edmonton Social Planning Council, said the non-profit has identified several gaps in policies and services. We heard loud and clear from people it was really unacceptable and that changes should be made. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

navid sharifi: The two hail from Hamadan, Iran, according to CBC. They both got their PhDs from Concordia University Sharifi's PhD is in mechanical engineering while Goodarzi's doctorate is in computer science. Maybe we're singled out said Navid Sharifi, who moved to Montreal with his wife, Bahareh Goodarzi, in 2011. It's frustrating, a lot, because we do our best to integrate into society, said Goodarzi. Surprisingly, we love winter here because we love to ski, Goodarzi said. They work, they own homes, they pay taxes, but permanent residents can't vote for city council 21.9% of Canadians are immigrants, the highest share in 85 years Stats Can The two say they love everything about Montreal and want to solidify their future in Quebec. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

russian citizenship: Maybe they are not even Russians, but Ukrainians, Tatars or Jews, but with Russian citizenship, which should also be checked, he said, according to CTV. Putin responded brusquely when interviewer Megyn Kelly asked if he condoned the interference that was alleged in last month's U.S. indictment by special counsel Robert Mueller. In an interview with American broadcaster NBC News that aired Saturday, Putin also suggested that some of the 13 Russian nationals indicted by the United States may not be ethnically Russian. It's all the same to me. Putin said Russia has neither the tools nor the will to meddle in elections. To me it absolutely makes no difference because they do not represent the government, Putin answered, according to the Russian-language interview transcript posted Saturday by the Kremlin. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian: With the help of instructional videos and a translator, Kevin Perry has started teaching the group of Syrian tradesmen roofing skills, according to CTV. The Syrian volunteers already have experience in a variety of trades and construction jobs in their native country, but since coming to the Maritimes, they've had to learn other techniques. As part of the pilot project, Habitat for Humanity is offering newcomers courses in Canadian building techniques, materials and even helping with language skills. The difference is that in Syria the work is mainly of concrete and cement, but here the buildings are made of wood, so that is a huge difference, says Syrian carpenter Mohamed Amzohbi. So we're actually getting free labour, so we're actually solving a problem for us at Habitat, and solving a challenge for them here to get better integrated in our community, says Perry. With a need for more affordable housing in Saint John, Habitat for Humanity plans to build housing units in the city with help from the volunteers. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tension breaks: Um Omar's light green eyes are intense with concentration, according to National Observer. The moment of tension breaks when Raghda sees a camera pointed at her work station. The slap of thin rubber gloves echoes through the room as she and her co-worker Hasne Sheikh who goes by the name Um Omar sprinkle the dough evenly, making sure not to miss any spots. It gives me pride, Raghda said. She quickly whisks the metal bowls on the table out of view for the photo. Before, my kids never used to ask me for anything because I always had to ask my husband for money... But these days, my kids ask me for things, too. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

case i: But in this case I lucked out, according to Vancouver Courier. It was there I discovered the HSBC Canada Sevens at B.C. Place is a festival of fandom filled with colourful costumes and friendly supporters, all set to the soundtrack of one epic weekend of on-field action.article continues below Trending Stories Pubs cheer new B.C. liquor laws Vancouver police search for parolee convicted of hostage-taking, and a sex offender Downtown Eastside Free dental clinic offers help with a smile Motor vehicle accident sends seven to hospital, closes Grandview Highwayrelated Drone video catches rugby sevens stars at Capilano Suspension Bridge So here are five things newcomers to the HSBC Canada Sevens should know What is Sevens rugby The game is a shorter, faster version of traditional rugby. And no, Captain Obvious, just because a website is dedicated to a subject doesn't always means it's a great source. Instead of 15 players playing 40-minute halves, this fast-paced game includes seven players playing seven-minute halves. There will be blood. The result is non-stop action. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

chicago facility: While the woman was released Tuesday from a San Diego detention centre the girl remains in the facility 2,000 miles 3,200 kilometres away, according to Metro News. Immigrant advocates say the mother and daughter's case is emblematic of the approach taken by President Donald Trump's administration. The lawsuit follows action the ACLU took in the case of a Congolese woman and her 7-year-old daughter, who the group said was taken from her mother screaming and crying and placed in a Chicago facility. The lawsuit, filed in federal district court in San Diego, asks a judge to declare family separation unlawful and says hundreds of families have been split by immigration authorities. The ACLU says the woman was given a roughly 25-day sentence jail sentence for illegally entering the country and then placed in immigration detention facilities in West Texas, while her son was taken to a Chicago facility. The lawsuit also raises the case of a Brazilian woman who the ACLU says was separated from her 14-year-old son after they sought asylum in August. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

commission: Peters said the government-ordered Motherisk Commission made unilateral decisions and selective omissions and ignored Indigenous communities and families, contrary to its mandate, according to Toronto Star. Read more Motherisk Commission calls for sweeping changes to child protection system Article Continued Below Opinion Edward Keenan Motherisk reforms show struggling families don't need to be split up, they need our help The Commission, in our view, conducted its work in a manner that retrenched colonial policies and systems which serve little purpose but to remove First Nations children from First Nation families and communities, he wrote. In a letter to Attorney General Yasir Naqvi this week, the Alliance's deputy grand chief Gordon Peters blasted the recently concluded review as a secretive process that looked at only a fraction of the thousands of known child protection cases involving faulty drug and alcohol hair-testing from the Hospital for Sick Children's Motherisk lab. It is harsh criticism of the independent review which was supposed to ensure meaningful participation of Indigenous people from an organization that represents 20,000 First Nations citizens from seven communities in Ontario. react-empty 174 A lawyer for the commission said on Thursday that many efforts were made to meet with and inform Indigenous communities of the review and that those communities were invited to suggest cases for the commission to investigate. In an email, a spokesperson for the ministry of the attorney general said the province is confident that Commissioner Judith Beaman has fulfilled her mandate and done everything in her power to ensure public confidence in the child protection and criminal justice systems. Because of these consultations, the commission sought out cases where children were placed with family members, which is more common in Indigenous communities. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

county government: But if you want to know what country life is like, I can definitely help, according to Toronto Star. On a gorgeous balmy winter day, the county government along with the Newcomer Centre of Peel, a settlement agency was busing in new immigrants from Brampton, Mississauga and Toronto for a field trip and the region's annual job fair in Owen Sound, more than two hours' drive northwest of Toronto. How much does an average detached home cost What's the wait time for daycare Is there public transit Do you need a car to live in Grey And most important for the 30 passengers, what jobs are available and do they pay well I'm not a tour guide, said Rudolph, the county's outreach co-ordinator. Honestly, I never heard of Grey County, said Huntly Xiao, 32, who came to Canada from China in 2012 as a foreign student and became a permanent resident two years ago, when he graduated with a master's degree in environmental engineering from Concordia University. There are a lot of new graduates, a lot of new immigrants like me here. Article Continued Below I have worked at Tim Hortons for the past two years to survive. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dave williams: Dave Williams and other state lawmakers met Thursday with advisers from the White House Domestic Policy Council, according to Metro News. The meeting came a day after the Trump administration announced it had filed a lawsuit challenging California laws that it says protect immigrants in the country illegally. Republican state Rep. Williams says he advocated for similar action against cities and officials for policies that protect such immigrants. President Donald Trump says his government is looking into Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf after she warned the public about an impending immigration raid. The Colorado Springs lawmaker wants to make public officials liable for civil damages when immigrants here illegally commit crimes in sanctuary jurisdictions. 11 55 a.m. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

rohingya people: There was the warning this week from the United Nations human rights chief, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, that Burma's military appears to have committed acts of genocide against the Rohingya people, according to Toronto Star. There was the warning last weekend in The New York Times from journalist Nicholas Kristof, who has just visited the country. But like the endless Syrian civil war, this is a deepening crisis of historic proportions to which much of the world now seems largely indifferent in spite of the warnings. I saw a genocide in slow motion, was the headline, as the military continues to kill its Rohingya by denying them health care and food. Article Continued Below In the past six months, more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Buddhist-majority Burma also known as Myanmar for Bangladesh to avoid what the UN describes as a classic case of ethnic cleansing by the Burmese military including the burning of villages and raping of women. And there was the warning last month from Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2003, that Aung San Suu Kyi, also a Nobel laureate and Burma's discredited de facto leader, must be held personally responsible for genocide of Rohingyas under her watch. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

enforcement work: He said he agrees with much of the criticism from the left even though it caught him off guard and had expected most of the backlash to come from the right, according to The Chronicle Herald. Cantu told his detractors on Twitter To be clear during my years as a BP agent, I was complicit in perpetuating institutional violence and flawed, deadly policy. Now 32, he says he didn't expect his new memoir examining some of the agency's uglier aspects would spark protests by far-left groups denouncing him for the enforcement work and forcing him to cancel some talks promoting The Line Becomes a River Dispatches from the Border. My book is about acknowledging that, it's about thinking through the ways we normalize violence and dehumanize migrants as individuals and as a society. Writing the book was a way to come to terms with what I had participated in, a job that made me normalize a certain amount of violence, Cantu said. Cantu said he wrote the book to make sense of his time with the patrol. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

perla morales-luna: Attorney Andres Moreno II said Friday that his client, Perla Morales-Luna, was walking down a street in National City with her three daughters last week when agents dramatically pulled her away and drove her off, according to Metro News. Moreno says the single mother emphatically denies the Border Patrol's allegation that she was an organizer of a transnational smuggling network. The Latest on the Border Patrol's arrest of a woman near San Diego that was recorded on video all times local 12 46 p.m.A lawyer for a woman arrested on immigration violations in the San Diego area says he's shocked by video of Border Patrol agents tearing his client away from her crying children. Morales-Luna has not been charged with any smuggling crimes and the Border Patrol has offered no evidence of that. Her children, ages 17, 15 and 12, are staying with family in the San Diego area. 8 15 a.m. The attorney says Morales-Luna came to the U.S. from Mexico at age 15 and he will fight her deportation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

state rep: Dave Williams said he advocated for holding individual cities and their policymakers personally liable during a meeting with the White House Domestic Policy Council, according to The Chronicle Herald. The Colorado Springs Republican says he hopes U.S. Attorney Jeff Sessions follows up on the California lawsuit this week with similar legal actions against municipalities. State Rep. These sanctuary communities and politicians are wilfully endangering the public, Williams said ahead of the meeting. Williams said he also called for more immigration agents in Colorado and that White House advisers were receptive to his suggestions. Cities like Denver and states like California are allowing criminal aliens to run loose, to kill, murder, maim or hurt our fellow Americans. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

syrian authorities: An era of flagrant contradictions, according to Rabble. An era of erosion of principles of justice. An era of deep polarization of views. My husband, Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen born and raised in Syria, faced a public trial in 2002 while he was the victim of extraordinary rendition initiated by U.S. authorities with the complicity of Canadian law enforcement as well as Jordanian and Syrian authorities, official and de facto allies of the U.S. war on terror. He was transported in the middle of the night to an airport where a private jet, known as a ghost plane, flew him to Amman, Jordan. When my husband was given a paper in his U.S. cell stating that he had been arrested because of his alleged association with Al-Qaeda, he didn't get a lawyer or day in court. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.