The National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR), a non-profit that educates Canadians about social, economic, political and cultural issues of the Arab world and the Middle East, is delighted that Canada has reached its initial target of welcoming 25,000 Syrian refugees. “We truly appreciate the tremendous work by civil servants, volunteers and community organizers,” said Rula Odeh, NCCAR’s Executive Director. “While more work lies ahead to integrate the newest members of our Canadian family, Canadians can be proud of our ability to protect some of the most vulnerable members of our global community.”

As Canada builds on its recent successes and lessons learned, NCCAR looks forward to the next bold target for welcoming refugees. NCCAR is confident Canadians will rise to the challenge again with our time-tested values of generosity and openness.

The National Council on Canada Arab Relations (NCCAR) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to build knowledge and ties between Canadians and the people of the Arab world in order to develop stronger relations and cooperation between them as well as raise an appreciation of their common values. NCCAR’s goal is to advance education in Canada by a)  providing seminars, conferences and workshops and b) providing leadership training in relation to the social, economic, political and cultural history and current issues of the Arab world and Middle East. NCCAR is a member-driven organization supported by Canadians of diverse backgrounds across Canada.

For further information on the National Council on Canada Arab Relations (NCCAR) please visit our website at www.nccar.ca or write to us at 1 Rideau Street, Suite 700, Ottawa, ON, K1N 8S7.

Contact: nccar@nccar.ca |  NCCAR Office: 613-238-3795

Twitter: @NCCARCanada | Facebook: NCCAR | www.nccar.ca

Communiqué Le CNRCA se réjouit de l’accueil de 25 000 réfugiés syriens par les Canadiens et attend avec intérêt le prochain objectif ambitieux pour protéger les réfugiés syriens

  Le Conseil national des relations canado-arabes (CNRCA) – un organisme sans but lucratif visant à éduquer les Canadiens sur les enjeux sociaux, économiques, politiques ainsi que culturels dans le monde arabe et le Moyen-Orient – se réjouit de l’atteinte de l’objectif de 25 000 réfugiés syriens accueillis au Canada. “Nous apprécions réellement le travail considérable effectué par les agents publics, bénévoles et organisateurs communautaires”, a affirmé Rula Odeh, la Directrice exécutive du CNRCA. “Alors que davantage de travail se présente afin d’intégrer les nouveaux membres de notre famille canadienne, les Canadiens peuvent être fiers de notre capacité à protéger ceux parmi les plus vulnérables membres de la communauté mondiale”.

Alors que le Canada bâtit sur ses récents succès ainsi que les leçons tirées, le CNRCA attend avec impatience le prochain objectif audacieux pour accueillir les réfugiés. Le CNRCA a confiance en la capacité des Canadiens à relever le défi encore une fois, avec nos valeurs éprouvés de générosité et d’ouverture.

Le Conseil national des relations canado-arabes (CNRCA) est un organisme à but non lucratif dont la mission est de tisser des liens entre les Canadiens et les peuples du monde arabe pour créer des relations et une collaboration plus étroites entre eux, et pour mieux apprécier leurs valeurs communes. L’objectif du CNRCA est de promouvoir l’éducation au Canada en a) fournissant des séminaires, conférences et ateliers ainsi qu’en b) offrant des formations en lien avec les aspects sociaux, économiques, politiques et culturels du monde arabe et du Moyen Orient. Le CNRCA est un organisme dirigé par ses membres et appuyé par des Canadiens de divers horizons dans l’ensemble du Canada.

Pour plus de renseignements sur le Conseil national des relations canado-arabes, veuillez visitez notre site Web à l’adresse www.nccar.ca ou écrivez-nous au 1 Rue Rideau, Suite 700, Ottawa, ON, K1N 8S7.

Contact: nccar@nccar.ca  |  NCCAR Office: 613-238-3795

Twitter: @NCCARCanada | Facebook: NCCAR | www.nccar.ca

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Waging diplomacy

The situation in Syria continues to deteriorate, and those paying the price are the millions of civilians. Lloyd Axworthy and Allan Rock offer an insightful perspective on the conflict (Our Moment to ‘Wage Diplomacy,’ Feb. 17).

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to withdraw from the bombing campaign against the Islamic State, coupled with humanitarian assistance and an “open doors-open arms” policy toward Syrian refugees, have allowed Canada to brandish its strengths beyond our able military.

Canada’s additional strength is its diplomatic tool box; understanding and engaging a complicated and complex part of the world is not advanced with a simplistic retort of bombs, but requires the skilled use of Canada’s diplomatic and humanitarian tools.

The post Waging Diplomacy: Letter to the Globe and Mail appeared first on National Council on Canada-Arab Relations.

NCCAR’s Media and Policy Analysis team will be developing non-partisan, educational “Key Points and Backgrounders” accessible to the public on a series of topics such as Canadian policy on Syrian refugees, potential impact of “security” policies as well as foreign policy in the Middle East and the Arab Word. NCCAR will also provide its perspectives on these issues.

These “Key Points and Backgrounders” are featured as part of Your Voice voter education campaign which NCCAR is a partner in along with the Canadian-Arab Institute.

Issue:

Prime Minister Harper’s announcement on August 10^th to accept an additional 10,000 Syrian and Iraqi refugees.

Background:

On August 10^th, 2015, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Canada would accept an additional 10,000 refugees (on top of 10,000 announced in Jan. 2015) from Iraq and Syria over the next four years, if his Conservative government is re-elected. He also pledged $9 million over the next three years in support of persecuted religious minorities. According to Mr. Harper, in addition to refugee policy and humanitarian aid, a strong military presence is necessary in the region to fight ISIS. He said, “The scale of the humanitarian crisis in Iraq and Syria cannot be solved, cannot even come close to being solved, by refugee policy alone.”

Considerations:

What have politicians been saying?

The NDP has pointed out the Prime Minister’s inconsistent past with keeping promises made this January. The Liberal leader Mr Justin Trudeau has called for the expansion of the program to include 25,000 refugees directly sponsored and said that “The government’s plan to sponsor 4,000 Syrian refugees over three years was a good start, but it follows on a poor track record and does not go nearly far enough.”

What have commentators and experts been saying in the media?

The concerns expressed have been in the following areas:

1. Currently, the program places the burden (including financially) on private sponsors and weakens the government’s pledge.
2. The program could discriminate against refugees based on their faith by prioritizing claims from members of “religious minorities.
3. The conservatives have yet to fulfill their previous pledges.

NCCAR’s Perspective:

Canada must speed up and increase its programs to help bring vulnerable Syrian refugees, without regard to religious background, to the safety of Canada. A mix of programs is required, including fast-track and flexible programs as well as family reunification programs. The government should directly sponsor a larger number of refugees while encouraging and speedily facilitating private sponsorships. A long-term, multi-pronged, multilateral plan is required that alleviates the humanitarian symptoms while providing political solutions. It is important that Canada does its fair share on all fronts. This will enhance our relations with the peoples and countries in the region and is consistent with our proud Canadian tradition of welcoming refugees and facilitating family reunification.

To read the complete document with the Key points and Backgrounder, click here.

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Le samedi 4 avril 2015

Après 8 jours de négociations intenses, l’Iran et les pays du P5 +1 (États-Unis, Russie, Chine, France, Royaume-Uni, Allemagne) sont parvenus à un accord-cadre jetant ainsi les bases pour un futur règlement définitif de la crise nucléaire iranienne qui devra être conclu d’ici le 30 juin. L’ex-ambassadeur du Canada en Iran, Michel de Salaberry, nous aide à comprendre la teneur de ces négociations et l’impact de cette entente avec l’Iran.

The post Négociations sur le nucléaire en Iran – Michel de Salaberry, former Canadian Ambassador to Iran appeared first on National Council on Canada-Arab Relations.

Great news! The Canadian government announced today that they will welcome 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next three years! Thanks to all who signed our petition and shared with their friends. The National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR) will be keeping on top of this file to ensure that it is implemented rapidly, responsively and fairly. We also acknowledge the work to date by various media outlets, immigration groups and political parties and others who raised this issue consistently in parliament and in the media.

Report on Canada’s Announcement

Here’s a report on the announcement: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-to-resettle-10-000-more-syrian-refugees-over-3-years-1.2892652

Join Us!

We are planning to work on new campaigns and events in the future. For those who would like to keep in touch with NCCAR on a regular basis:
– Join our email list: http://oi.vresp.com/?fid=0fbb7fe616
– Like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Connecting.Canadians.Arabs?ref=bookmarks
– Follow us on Twitter here: @NCCARCanada
– Visit NCCAR’s website: nccar.ca

Once again, thank you for your support! Wishing you all the best in 2015! Please share this great news with your network!

The post NCCAR’s petition contributes to Canada’s welcoming of 10,000 Syrian refugees appeared first on National Council on Canada-Arab Relations.

We’re asking our Prime Minister, Stephen Harper to commit Canada to welcoming at least 10,000 vulnerable Syrian refugees in 2015-2016 that are prioritized by the UNHCR for resettlement or humanitarian admission. In addition, that Canada specifically welcomes Palestinian refugees from Syria, as they are particularly vulnerable and are not offered the same protection or assistance offered to other Syrians.

Canada should also introduce flexible provisions to allow Syrian family members of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and accepted refugees to come to Canada, at least on a temporary basis, as recommended by the Canadian Council for Refugees.

We ask that Canada facilitates these programs rapidly and without delay by providing the required resources and coordination.

These efforts will enhance our relations with the peoples and countries in the region and is consistent with our proud Canadian tradition of welcoming refugees and facilitating family reunification.

Help us have our message heard!

SIGN our online petition here.

SHARE it with your friends and family.

GET MORE INFORMATION below, and from our Backgrounder.

____________________________________________________

How serious is the Syrian refugee crisis?
Security conditions, rights and protections for more than three million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq are rapidly deteriorating. An additional 6.5 million are believed to have been forced to move within Syria’s borders.

All of Syria’s neighbors have either closed their borders or imposed limits on how many refugees can enter their countries, exposing refugees to violence but leaving them with nowhere to flee. The World Food Program recently announced  a cut back on food rations that are the only barrier to starvation for almost six million refugees and displaced people. Syrian refugee children face serious health threats and lack of education.

What’s the situation in the current host countries?
The majority of the three million refugees live in host communities. Many of these refugee families live in makeshift settlements and are exposed to harsh elements, putting them at increased risk of disease. There has been a massive impact on local services, natural resources and systems.

What about the Palestinian refugees in Syria?
Palestinian refugees from Syria are particularly vulnerable as they are not being offered the same protection and humanitarian assistance as other Syrian refugees. Human Rights Watch has documented that while fleeing violence in Syria, they are denied entry or forced back. The 18,000 Palestinian refugees who are trapped inside the Yarmouk refugee camp currently face starvation, malnutrition, disease and lack of water.

What has the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) requested of countries like Canada in terms of resettlement?
Recently, the UNHCR has assessed that “the number of Syrian refugees who are in need of resettlement or other admission will grow. There are many who are very vulnerable and need an urgent response. There may be others who will be unable to return home in safety and dignity in the foreseeable future.” So, in Feb. 2014, the UNHCR asked countries to commit to admitting 100,000 Syrian refugees over 2015-2016 (on top of the 30,000 requested for 2014).

How has Canada responded to these UNHCR requests?According to Chris Alexander, Canada’s Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, “We welcome 1 out of every 10 of all resettled refugees globally.” Based on this existing policy, Canada should have admitted 3,000 Syrian refugees by 2014 and would be expected to welcome another 10,000 by 2016.

Unfortunately, to date, Canada has struggled to process even the shockingly small number it has committed to:  200 Syrian refugees and another 1,100 refugees privately sponsored by community organizations and churches. Surprisingly, no commitment has yet been made to the UNHCR request made nine months ago for resettling Syrian refugees in 2015-2016.

How does Canada’s performance on resettling Syrian refugees compare to its past responses to similar crises?
This very slow and low-level response stands in stark contrast to Canada’s historical and recent responses to similar crises.  The Globe and Mail noted that “in the past, Canada has been much more generous. In 1999, Canada resettled more than 5,000 Kosovo refugees. In 1992, Canada resettled 5,000 Bosnian refugees. In 1979, Ottawa sponsored 4,000 Vietnamese boat people. The response to Syria seems paltry by comparison.”

No fast-track or flexible programs for admission and family reunification have been introduced for Syrians as was done for victims of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake or the Philippines 2013 typhoon.

How is Canada’s performance compared to other leading Western countries on the Syrian refugee crisis?
To date, Germany has resettled 6,000, welcomed another 11,800 Syrian asylum seekers and promised to offer protection — in the form of renewable, two-year residence visas — to another 20,000 of Syria’s most vulnerable victims. Family reunification programs have also been implemented.

Sweden, a country with only about a quarter of Canada’s population, has given permanent resident status to more than 30,000 Syrians. Since Sept. 2013, Syrians arriving in Sweden are given permanent residence and are allowed to bring their immediate family members to live with them.

What could Canada do?

Commit to welcoming at least 10,000 Syrian refugees in 2015-2016 that are prioritized by the UNHCR for resettlement or humanitarian admission. The most vulnerable include: women and girls at risk, survivors of violence or torture, refugees with medical needs or disabilities, refugees at risk due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, vulnerable older refugees, and refugees in need of family reunification.

In addition, welcome Palestinian refugees from Syria, as they are particularly vulnerable and are not offered the same protection or assistance offered to other Syrians. This should not affect their right of return as per UNGA resolution 194.

Ensure there is an appropriate mix of programs for admission including a high level of government sponsorship supplemented by private sponsorship for resettlement as permanent residents.

Introduce flexible provisions to allow Syrian family members of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and accepted refugees to come to Canada, at least on a temporary basis, as recommended by the Canadian Council for Refugees.

Facilitate these programs rapidly and without delay by providing the required resources and coordination.

It is important that Canada does its fair share on all fronts to assist and protect vulnerable people fleeing violence in Syria. This will enhance our relations with the peoples and countries in the region and is consistent with our proud Canadian tradition of welcoming refugees and facilitating family reunification.

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Thank you to all who attended the Dialogue for Democracy (D4D) session on Tuesday April 16. We had a full house!

The topic of discussion was “Seeking a Solution in Syria”, hosted by Dr. Qais Ghanem with guest speaker Mr. Brian Davis , Former Canadian Ambassador to Syria. For those who were unable to attend, we have a recording of Mr. Davis’ introduction which you can access by clicking here. It is definitely worth a listen!

Mr. Davis provided a contextual framework by which to understand the unresolved situation in Syria as well as the role that Canada should be pursuing. He also provided us with insights on his personal experience with members of the Syrian regime including President Bashar al-Assad.

This was followed by a round-table discussion in which various perspectives were contributed. There was a consensus around the room that the key priority was to stop the bloodshed, the debate was about how this should go about. Briefly, some argued that only those inside Syria can stop the bloodshed, while some argued it can only happen by involving external actors who have already involved themselves in the conflict.

Stay tuned for the next Dialogue for Democracy session! We hope to see you there!

Guest Biography: Mr. Brian Davis, former Canadian Ambassador to Syria

Mr. Davis was born in Quebec City in 1947. University degrees from Ottawa and Carleton. Joined the Canadian Foreign Service in 1971 and served in the diplomatic corps of Canada until 2007, with assignments in Lebanon, Kenya, Poland, India, Hong Kong, France and Syria.

During assignments in Ottawa, he was an Executive in the departments of Citizenship and Immigration and in External Affairs, with positions in policy development, program delivery and human resources.

His last assignment before retirement was as Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic.

Since retirement, he has worked as a private policy consultant on the ME, specific emphasis on the peace process between Israel and Arab countries.

About Dialogue for Democracy

The post Contrasting and insightful perspectives at the D4D session: Seeking a Solution in Syria appeared first on National Council on Canada-Arab Relations.

NCCAR invites you to the next Dialogue for Democracy session, “Seeking a Solution in Syria”, hosted by Dr. Qais Ghanem with guest speaker Mr. Brian Davis , Former Canadian Ambassador to Syria.

Date: Tuesday, April 16

Time: 7:30pm – 10pm

Location: Ottawa City Hall, Honeywell Room, 110 Laurier Ave W, Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1

Guest Biography: Mr. Brian Davis, former Canadian Ambassador to Syria

Mr. Davis was born in Quebec City in 1947. University degrees from Ottawa and Carleton. Joined the Canadian Foreign Service in 1971 and served in the diplomatic corps of Canada until 2007, with assignments in Lebanon, Kenya, Poland, India, Hong Kong, France and Syria.

During assignments in Ottawa, he was an Executive in the departments of Citizenship and Immigration and in External Affairs, with positions in policy development, program delivery and human resources.

His last assignment before retirement was as Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic.

Since retirement, he has worked as a private policy consultant on the ME, specific emphasis on the peace process between Israel and Arab countries.

About Dialogue for Democracy

The post Tomorrow – Dialogue for Democracy Session (April 16): Seeking a Solution in Syria appeared first on National Council on Canada-Arab Relations.

Speakers’ Bios Mr. Omar AlghabraOmar Alghabra was the Liberal Member of Parliament for Mississauga-Erindale from 2006 to 2008 and during that time served as critic for Citizenship & Immigration and Natural Resources. During his term he championed several causes and tabled 2 private member bills.

The National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR) is a charitable organization whose mission is to build ties between Canadians and people of the Arab World in order to develop stronger relations and cooperation between them as well as an appreciation of their common values. NCCAR is a member-driven organization supported by Canadians of diverse backgrounds across Canada. www.nccar.caLe conseil national des relations canado-arabes est une organisation charitable dont l’objet est de tisser des liens entre les Canadiennes et Canadiens et les gens dans le monde arabe, de manière à développer des relations plus fortes et reconnaître les valeurs qu’ils tiennent en commun. Le Conseil vit du dynamisme de ses membres et jouit de l’appui de Canadiens de diverses origines à travers le pays. www.nccar.ca

The post The Future of Syria: An Analysis and Debate of the Political and Socio-Economical Implications in the Region appeared first on National Council on Canada-Arab Relations.

In light of the ongoing military attacks in Homs, Syria, that have killed hundreds of innocent civilians, NCCAR calls for immediate measures to be taken by the Syrian government and all parties and powers involved to immediately end the deplorable armed violence and killings. NCCAR further calls for the international community to take measures that will protect Syrian civilians and allow for humanitarian relief and assistance, while quickly enabling the Syrian people to proceed with their own legitimate pursuit of a rights-based democracy.

NCCAR calls on the Canadian government to support the Syrian people, along with all the peoples in the Arab World, in their pursuit of human rights, freedom, democracy and the rule of law, without exception.

Communiqué

Le Conseil national des relations canado-arabes (CNRCA) soutient fermement tous les peuples du monde arabe dans leur quête légitime pour le respect des droits humains, la liberté, la démocratie et l’État de droit. Malheureusement, comme Human Rights Watch a récemment fait remarquer, plusieurs gouvernements de la communauté internationale n’ont pas insisté sur l’application de ces principes à tous les peuples du Moyen-Orient et Afrique du Nord, sans exception.

En ce qui concerne la Syrie, la primauté des intérêts géopolitiques et la quête du pouvoir chez les acteurs locaux, régionaux et mondiaux, au détriment de la protection et le respect des droits humains des civils, ont mené à une augmentation de victimes des violations inacceptables des droits humains et de conflit militaire qui peuvent rapidement s’étendre à toute la région.

À la lumière de la poursuite des attaques militaires à Homs, en Syrie, qui ont tué des centaines de civils innocents, CNRCA appelle pour la prise de mesures immédiates par le gouvernement syrien et toutes les parties et les pouvoirs concernés, pour mettre une fin immédiate à la violence armée et les meurtres déplorables.

Le CNRCA appelle également à la communauté internationale de prendre des mesures qui protègent les civils syriens et qui permettent l’aide humanitaire et l’assistance, tout en concédant rapidement au peuple syrien le droit de procéder dans leurpropre quête légitime d’une démocratie fondée sur les droits humains.
CNRCA appelle le gouvernement canadien à appuyer le peuple syrien, ainsi que tous les peuples dans le monde arabe, dans leur quête pour le respect des droits humains, la liberté, la démocratie et l’État de droit, sans exception.

The National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR) is a charitable organization whose mission is to build ties between Canadians and people of the Arab World in order to develop stronger relations and cooperation between them as well as an appreciation of their common values. NCCAR is a member-driven organization supported by Canadians of diverse backgrounds across Canada.www.nccar.caLe conseil national des relations canado-arabes est une organisation charitable dont l’objet est de tisser des liens entre les Canadiennes et Canadiens et les gens dans le monde arabe, de manière à développer des relations plus fortes et reconnaître les valeurs qu’ils tiennent en commun. Le Conseil vit du dynamisme de ses membres et jouit de l’appui de Canadiens de diverses origines à travers le pays. www.nccar.ca

The post NCCAR Communiqué – Syria appeared first on National Council on Canada-Arab Relations.