anti-racism: So why have they fumbled things so badly with their sub-committee on anti-Semitism Anti-racism is about giving voice to those who are outside the mainstream and ensuring broad representation in all public matters, according to NOW Magazine. The ARD's Strategic Plan, A Better Way Forward, states that its approach actively confronts the unequal power dynamic between groups and the structures that sustain it and involves consistently assessing structures, policies and programs. The province's Anti-Racism Directorate ARD has produced a clear and concise strategy to combat anti-Black racism. Yet, the directorate has set up a sub-committee on anti-Semitism that consists solely of representatives from the Jewish establishment, including from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs CIJA B'nai Brith Canada, and Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre FSWC . Independent Jewish Voices Canada IJV and the United Jewish People's Order UJPO have requested to be included on the committee. In a submission to the directorate last year, IJV campaigns coordinator Tyler Levitan expressed concern that the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement against Israel, also known as BDS, might also form part of the sub-committee's mandate. Underlying our desire to participate is deep concern, shared by a growing number of Jews, that accusations of anti-Semitism are being used to suppress criticism of Israel, says Rachel Epstein, executive director of UJPO's Winchevsky Centre. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

house numbers: But I didn't arrive in this city, I'm from it, according to NOW Magazine. My pronunciation is influenced by the history of my family's migration from the Caribbean to Canada, and that kind of migrant narrative is the real story of Toronto. The wheat are those truly from the city, the golden children who grew up with 416 house numbers, while the chaff are migrants from the far reaches of Etobicoke, I suppose. Annual festival Myseum Intersections, which runs until March 31, explores the intersectional story of the city through exhibits, events, workshops and tours. The launch party is on March 6 at The Atrium 134 Peter . Mix and mingle with the artists and curators behind all 23 projects, and then unpack the stories of this city we call home with these five must-attend events. This year's theme, Arrivals Departures, explores the city's many communities, cultures and characters to highlight how these diverse perspectives shape equally diverse visions of the city's past, present and future. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

acceptance: Best actress winner Frances McDormand finished her acceptance speech with two words that left many people baffled, according to Toronto Star. I have two words to leave with you tonight, ladies and gentlemen inclusion rider. Here's some of the answers Inclusion rider. Article Continued Below It's a legal term that requires allows an actor to require greater say in the production of a film, including the hiring of actors and crew that reflect diversity, including women, minorities, LGBTQ individuals and people with disabilities. Who was rewarded for brevity In an effort to keep the show within its four-hour time limit, emcee Jimmy Kimmel unveiled with game-show fanfare a prize for the shortest acceptance speech, a brand-new green Kawasaki Jet Ski worth 18,000 U.S. . react-empty 202 The happy winner was Mark Bridges, who won his second Oscar for Best Costume Design for his work on Phantom Thread. Time will tell if A-list stars decide to use their clout at a time when the entertainment industry is struggling to become less white male-dominated and more inclusive. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

campaign chairman: She faces criminal charges and deportation to Belarus after coming under suspicion of working in Thailand without a visa at a sex-training seminar in the city of Pattaya, according to Toronto Star. Vashukevich, who described herself as close to Russian aluminum tycoon Oleg Deripaska, said audio recordings she made in August 2016 included discussions he had about the United States presidential election with people she declined to identify. The escort, Anastasia Vashukevich, said she would hand over the recordings if the United States granted her asylum. Deripaska, a billionaire with close ties to Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, also has business ties to Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman. If America gives me protection, I will tell everything I know, Vashukevich said Monday. Manafort is under investigation by Robert Mueller, the special counsel looking into the campaign's connections to Russia. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

chmerkovskiy forces: I'll Never Change My Name takes readers on a journey in which Chmerkovskiy forces us to consider the inaccurate labels we stick on people and the drive it takes to succeed as someone who doesn't necessarily fit in, according to The Chronicle Herald. Chmerkovskiy and his family arrived in New York City in 1994. He's a brother, a son, a mentor, a partner, an immigrant and a proud American. He was an 8-year-old Ukrainian kid who found his new hometown completely magical, thanks to clean sidewalks, patches of grass and a playground within walking distance of the apartment. Chmerkovskiy and his older brother Maks were forced to adopt a tougher exterior in order to survive living in the neighbourhood. Unfortunately, bullies immediately entered the picture. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

del toro: It also won best original score and production design, according to The Chronicle Herald. Growing up in Mexico, I thought this could never happen, del Toro said. Del Toro's The Shape of Water, a sumptuous, sensual fairytale that is a Technicolor ode to outsiders, was the evening's top winner with four Academy Awards. It happens. Del Toro's friends and countrymen Alfonso Cuaron won for Gravity in 2014 and Alejandro Inarritu won back-to-back Oscars for Birdman in 2015 and The Revenant in 2016. Del Toro's win marks the fourth time in five years that a Mexican director has walked away with the best director awards. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

detroit suburb: Now, like an increasing number of people from Yemen who have come to the United States, he sees a long-term future outside the country he left and seeks to bring aspects of his native country into America, according to Metro News. Here you build; over there you have memories, said Alhasbani, owner of Qahwah House, a cafe that serves coffee made from beans harvested on his family's farm in Yemen's mountains. Ibrahim Alhasbani is like generations of Middle Eastern immigrants in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn he fled war, came with dreams and worked for others until he could strike out on his own. I live here, so this is the main thing. Yemenis have been coming to the U.S. for more than a century especially since the 1960s but in recent years they have been planting stronger roots, raising their profile and looking outward opening upscale restaurants and cafes and running for political office. This is what's going to help first build my career, build my business ... and help the people over there. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

dilemma: More than half the ballots cast Sunday went to two populist forces that knew how to read the angry mood in a country where the brightest youths must go abroad to find decent careers and where hundreds of thousands of migrants were essentially marooned when many European Union partners slammed the door on these asylum-seekers rescued at sea, according to CTV. The math added up to big dilemma, though. But whether these euroskeptics can put aside their distrust and rivalries to rule together was the big question Monday as the nation embarked on a new era following a quarter-century of largely predictable coalition-formula politics. Because no party or coalition captured enough seats to rule alone, and because the populists went into the election as sharp rivals despite their similar Italy, first, stances, it was unclear if a government with the potential to last could be forged to tackle Italy's pressing economic and social problems. The next government is an enigma, read the front-page headline of the daily Corriere della Sera. No one seemed to have the answer Monday. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

doctor: That's the kind of skilled immigrant the city is looking for as part of its population growth strategy aimed at making Saint John the most welcoming community in the province, according to CBC. Province to create 25 new doctor positions - despite unfilled vacancies Horizon Health facing geriatrician shortage in Saint John Retired doctor pitches new strategy to recruit more doctors But after nearly two years in the city, Islam has come up empty-handed in his search for a family doctor. Mirza Islam is an IT specialist and team lead at a tech company in Saint John. He realizes it is a problem he shares with many others. The ultimate challenge which I have been facing is the health service. It's not only about immigrants, it's about everyone, Islam said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

oscars: The Oscars have always been the toughest ticket in town, and, as the academy has promised to keep adding new members in an effort to double the number of women and minorities in its ranks by 2020, the seating inventory will be squeezed even tighter with each passing year, according to Toronto Star. Unfortunately, it's only going to get harder, says an academy spokesperson who was not authorized to speak on the record about ticketing. But the ever-increasing enrollment has created one small problem It's almost impossible to get a ticket to the Oscars these days unless you're willing to beg or engage in some serious wheeling and dealing. Article Continued Below The reason is simple math. Oscar nominees there are 200 this year each receive a pair of tickets and can request an additional pair. The Dolby Theatre, which has hosted the Oscars since 2002, seats 3,400 people on four levels and 20 opera boxes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

party: Including a fascist skinhead with a Nazi rune tatoo who drove around Macerata shooting Black people fortunately all have survived; good thing the P.O.S. was a poor shot . of my friends who voted at all supported Potere al popolo, a party similar to Podemos in the Spanish state some voted PD as a lesser evil or still smaller parties, according to Rabble. To say nothing of the filth in the other party. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pnp program: The figures provided to The Canadian Press through freedom-of-information laws show the self-reported travels of 88 immigrants in P.E.I.'s Provincial Nominee Program PNP who signed deals saying they'd run a firm for 12 months, according to CBC. P.E.I.'s PNP program leading to double standard for Canadian immigration, says lawyer The absence rates demonstrate the Island needs to move to match the higher standards of other provinces, a veteran observer of Canada's immigration programs says. Despite the days away, they were not disqualified from the program and have been granted permanent residency with the freedom to move anywhere in Canada. Prince Edward Island just has to up its game here, said Richard Kurland, a Vancouver-based immigration lawyer and policy analyst, in a telephone interview. One person deemed to be a successful participant in the Island's program was gone 182 days, a day short of the maximum allowed. Required to spend half the year in Canada The Island program requires immigrants to provide active and ongoing management of the business from within Prince Edward Island, but the contracts also say the newcomers are only required to show they spend half the year in Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

richard kurland: The figures provided to The Canadian Press through freedom-of-information laws show the self-reported travels of 88 immigrants in P.E.I's Provincial Nominee Program PNP who signed deals saying they'd run a firm for 12 months, according to CTV. The absence rates demonstrate the Island needs to move to match the higher standards of other provinces, a veteran observer of Canada's immigration programs says. Despite the days away, they were not disqualified from the program and have been granted permanent residency with the freedom to move anywhere in Canada. Prince Edward Island just has to up its game here, said Richard Kurland, a Vancouver-based immigration lawyer and policy analyst, in a telephone interview. One person deemed to be a successful participant in the Island's program was gone 182 days, a day short of the maximum allowed. The Island program requires immigrants to provide active and ongoing management of the business from within Prince Edward Island, but the contracts also say the newcomers are only required to show they spend half the year in Canada. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

show host: Things are changing for the better, according to CBC. They're making sure of that. Over the course of this evening, I hope you will listen to many brave and outspoken supporters of movements like Time's Up, Me Too and Never Again because what they're doing is important, he said during his show-opening monologue in Los Angeles. The comedian and late-night talk show host, Oscars emcee for a second straight year, mixed comedy with serious commentary. Oscars 2018 The Shape of Water crowned best picture Here are four times the 90th Academy Awards got political Tell the NRA they in God's way' Rapper Common and singer Andra Day performed the Oscar-nominated song Stand Up for Something, featured in Marshall, the biopic about Thurgood Marshall, the first black U.S. Supreme Court justice. And some performers, presenters and award recipients also used their moment on Hollywood's biggest night to speak out. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

stupa shrines: Giant water-powered prayer wheels spin from tumbling falls, according to Metro News. Farmers tend yaks. Buddhist temples, stupa shrines and majestic fortresses called zhongs dot the landscape. Never conquered, never colonized, tiny Bhutan retains much of its deep and ancient culture. It's also taken a unique approach to tourism, promoting itself as an exclusive destination through high value, low impact tourism. But it's attempting to chart a unique path in today's world Modernize and democratize without sacrificing independence, culture or its pristine mountains and forests. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

del toro: Everyone was sure Del Toro would win best director and he did but the film was deemed too weird, too odd, too different to make it all the way to the top prize, according to NOW Magazine. Well, nobody knows anything. Although the film was Oscar's front-runner, with a total of 13 nominations, few industry-watchers thought it would take the top prize; Martin McDonagh's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk and Jordan Peele's Get Out all had more buzz for a best picture win, with Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird positioned as a possible consensus winner. Del Toro's delicate, beautiful, strange little movie created its own wave, and brought a genuine thrill to the exhausting ceremony when Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway brought back for a do-over after last year's disastrous La La Land/Moonlight mix-up announced the winner. The Shape Of Water is a film about love and acceptance by a man who wears his heart on his sleeve in all of his films, and seeing it embraced by the Academy provided the best kind of surprise at the end of a very long night. Watch the playback, and you'll see Del Toro take a quick glance at the envelope to make sure his movie really won he did it as a gag, I'm sure, but you can see real joy flood his face the moment he reads the title and knows it's true. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

cbc news: Refugee youth group fights isolation, promotes community Waterloo startup Epoch to help newcomers to Canada use their skills Syrian refugee language program brings residents and newcomers together It's hard, team member Refaay Alsalem told CBC News, according to CBC. At first, each player contributed some money, but that still wasn't enough. KW Syria United was able to pay for its first season in 2017 with help from Reception House Waterloo Region and other community donors, but now the team needs to find enough money to pay its league fees and other expenses for 2018. Most of the members of KW Syria United are refugees who have recently arrived in Canada from Syria and other foreign countries. So, we needed more money, he said, hence the fundraiser planned for Sunday at Cameron Heights Secondary School. Alsalem said they don't have a lot of money to spare. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

tax: Many federal benefits for low-income people, including the revamped workers' benefit and the Canada Child Benefit, as well as provincial and municipal benefits, are calculated through income tax returns, according to Metro News. More returns filed means more benefits. The Liberals gave volunteer-driven clinics like this a boost in last week's budget, bringing annual spending on the community volunteer income tax program to 13 million, and allowing them to operate year-round. Susan Alcott, who oversees the tax clinic at the Shepherds of Good Hope, said many of the people using her clinic don't realize they can receive benefits for filing a return. Our clients don't pay taxes, she said. One of the misconceptions that our clients have is that they pay taxes. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ctv winnipeg: The urgency for this case is that their lives are in danger, the woman told CTV Winnipeg, according to CTV. They are at risk and could be persecuted anytime if they are found. The couple -- who did not want to be identified in order to protect the identities of their family -- are pleading for the government to grant the boy and his mother entry into Canada. The couple, who lived in Afghanistan until 2015, support education for women and girls in the country, as did their son. Their daughter-in-law and grandson were last in hiding in the city of Kabul but are constantly moving. They believe this support for women's rights is the reason their son was killed -- by the Taliban, they say -- and why their family could still be in danger. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

daughter-in-law: They believe the Taliban is responsible for his death, according to CTV. The couple says they've reached out to some Manitoba Members of Parliament in the hopes of bringing the Amena and the boy to Canada in the hopes of keeping them safe, but so far no one has taken up their case. A couple living in Winnipeg is trying to reunite with their daughter-in-law, who is being called Amena,' and their 2-year-old grandson, after their son was killed in September 2017. The urgency for this case is that their life is in danger. They could be persecuted anytime if they are found, said the grandfather. My daughter-in-law and grandson. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

money: They were actually talking about cheese a big circle of pressed milk curds and how much it would weigh, according to Metro News. It was early 2016, shortly after Letts and Lane had been charged with terrorism for trying to send money to their son Jack to help him escape from Raqqa, Syria. This wasn't code. Jack Letts, who has both British and Canadian citizenship, converted to Islam as a teenager and went to Syria in 2014. Scared that Daesh would kill him, he begged them to send money for smugglers so he could escape. By the following year, he told his parents he was desperate. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

pakistan people: Lawmakers in national and four provincial assemblies on Saturday elected half of the 104-member Senate to six-year terms, according to Toronto Star. Deposed premier Nawaz Sharif's party holds a plurality of 33 seats in the upper house of parliament after winning 15 in Saturday's elections. Krishna Kumari, a member of the Pakistan People's Party, hails from the so-called untouchables, the lowest rung of the caste system that still prevails in Pakistan and neighbouring India. Former President Asif Zardari's party came in second, followed by the party led by former cricket star Imran Khan. Extremist groups in Pakistan have mobilized mass rallies in recent years to protest U.S. policies and support tough anti-blasphemy laws, but have largely failed to translate their clout into electoral victories. Khan's party supported Maulana Samiul Haq, a mentor to a number of Taliban leaders, but he fell short. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

year: Yet when the motion's summary report was issued last month -- almost a year later -- the most striking upshot was the general apathy, according to Rabble. The media and public ignored the fact that the report recommended that January 29 -- the anniversary of the horrific 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting -- be designated as a national day of remembrance and action on islamophobia. The motion itself repeatedly topped the news last year after initial Parliamentary debates in mid-February. This, just weeks after Liberal Quebec premier Philippe Couillard made headlines after siding with Quebec's sovereigntist and conservative parties in opposing such a move. After dominating headlines for weeks, the motion sparked protests and counter-protests across the country. For those who might have forgotten, after M-103 was introduced last year, its parliamentary sponsor Iqra Khalid received death threats among thousands of hate emails. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

time germany: Parliament is expected to meet March 14 to re-elect Merkel as chancellor, ending the longest time Germany has been without a new government after elections in its postwar history, according to CTV. Merkel has drawn flak from both left and right for maintaining an unabashedly centrist course since taking office in 2005. The centre-left Social Democrats voted overwhelmingly to remain in a coalition with Merkel's conservative bloc, after difficult and drawn-out negotiations triggered by September's elections, which saw the rise of a new right-wing force in German politics and raised questions about Merkel's future. With the coalition approved, she can now turn her attention to tackling rising anti-immigrant sentiment in Germany while pushing forward efforts to reform the stumbling European Union. Merkel's survival drew cheers from her allies at home and abroad, with French President Emmanuel Macron declaring it good news for Europe. I congratulate the SPD on this clear result and look forward to continuing to work together for the good of our country, she said on Twitter. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

aviation careers: But while the 34-year-old is thriving in a job that's regularly described as one of the world's most stressful, she remains a minority in a field that's largely still dominated by men, according to Toronto Star. According to Nav Canada, the private company that manages Canadian civil air navigation, less than 25 per cent of the workforce at the Montreal control centre are women. As an air traffic controller for Nav Canada, it's her responsibility to ensure the planes swooping in and out of some of Canada's busiest airports have a safe path to take off and land without crossing paths. It's something they're trying to change, in part by teaming up with Elevate, a volunteer-run network that promotes aviation careers for women. It's a matter of educating women to the fact that it's a job out there that is available to them, about the possibility of all these great jobs that are out there, she said. Article Continued Below Bedewi says she doesn't know why more women aren't flocking to a job that often pays six figures and requires only a high school education, other than to assume they don't know about it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hong kong: In a speech at the opening of a largely ceremonial political advisory conference, Yu said the advisory body has meticulously worked to enhance patriotism among young people in Hong Kong and Macau as well as those farther abroad with invitations to visit China and outbound delegations, according to Metro News. He said he was seeking to mobilize all the sons and daughters of ethnic Chinese to work together for the greater national interests and the realization of the Chinese Dream, referring to Xi's nationalist vision of China as the pre-eminent global power. The comments from Yu Zhengsheng come amid heightened Western scrutiny of the Communist Party's attempts to exert control and influence abroad, including over the Chinese diaspora in countries like Australia and the United States. China's Communist Party has long claimed sovereignty over the self-governing island of Taiwan and a degree of authority over all ethnic Chinese, regardless of nationality but its attitude toward the Chinese diaspora has been a source of growing friction with foreign governments over the past year. In another instance, European officials were deeply alarmed after Chinese police detained and denied consular visits to a naturalized Swedish bookseller in a diplomatic standoff, with Chinese state media editorial deriding his Swedish passport as effectively meaningless. In Australia and the United States, law enforcement officials have warned about Chinese government attempts to influence national politics and public opinion, as well as monitor the activities and speech of Chinese students studying abroad. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.