Message From Executive Director
Update - Communities in Action Project
Update - Community Builders Project
Update - Poverty Reduction Project
Update - Access to Trades Taskforce Meeting
Update - Equity Council Meeting
Update - SAYAC Steering Committee Meeting
Upcoming Events
Special Announcements
Membership

Dear Colleagues and Friends:

Hope everyone is having a great summer so far. Firstly, I would like to welcome our new member, Continuing Education Students’ Association of Ryerson (CESAR), to CASSA. In the fall 2009, CASSA plans to continue its work in poverty reduction across Ontario with the support of its local and provincial partners. CASSA had convened a meeting between a number of South Asian community leaders from social services sector and Minister Deb Mathews (Minister responsible for poverty reduction strategy). The meeting was very productive and will lead to many action items in the coming months. We have also begun our work in Peterborough and Waterloo region for the welcoming communities’ initiative.

This fall, we will launch the report on Putting Equity on the Agenda campaign in York Region, the Access to Trades Task Force, the Equity Council for York Region and many other innovative and exciting initiatives. We ask your continued engagement in our projects as advisors, supporters, volunteers, members, partners and donors. We are looking forward to your continued support and guidance.

Sincerely,
Neethan Shan
Executive Director

Update – Communities in Action Project: The Communities in Action project is a collaborative effort between CASSA and TCHC with the goal to empower, engage and build capacity
among Bangladeshi and Tamil tenants living in TCHC by helping them conduct campaigns or advocating for issues they find relevant. On August 27th, CASSA launched the Tamil version of the Communities in Action project’s Resource booklet for the Tamil tenants at Toronto
Community Housing Corp. The booklet is intended to act as a resource guide for tenants and
outlines information such as tenants’ rights, workers’ rights, list of organizations etc. The booklet will also be released in Bengali in the upcoming month.

 For more information related to this project, please email cassa@cassa.on.ca

Update – Community Builders Project: On August 19, a community dialogue for the Pakistani community was held in Markham Village Community Centre to discuss issues related to racism and discrimination in the GTA. Special guests included Mohammed Nadeem, Editor-in-Chief of the Pakistan Times, Mubarka Alam, President of the Canadian Guild of Pakistani Women, and Samina Rafaqat, Newcomer Support Worker at Neighbourhood Link. The event was also attended by local Pakistanis who have faced racism and those who are interested in finding a solution. The community dialogue led to an understanding of what causes racism and how Pakistanis as a community can end discrimination. Participants shared their own stories where they had dealt with racism. Solutions were suggested and the need of such dialogue meetings to build a strong community was emphasized. The next meeting will be announced shortly.

For more information related to this project, please email cassa@cassa.on.ca

Update – Poverty Reduction Project: On August 20, 2009, Executive Directors and Senior staff members of seventeen organizations serving large South Asian populations met with the Hon. Minister Deborah Mathews to discuss the implementation of the recently passed Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy and inclusive methods to engage South Asian communities living in poverty. Many issues were addressed at this meeting including specific health needs of South Asian communities, intersectionalities of identities, and the importance of childcare to newcomers. To further the importance of a unified voice with strategies around the implementation of Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy, CASSA and the Coalition to Address Poverty within South Asian Communities has submitted a document to the Hon. Minister Deborah Mathews with recommendations on appropriately engaging South Asian communities in various aspects of the Poverty Reduction Strategy. To read the submission in detail, please click here.

If you or your organization would like to add your name to the list of supporters or for more information please e-mail loveleen@cassa.on.ca

Update: Access to Trades Taskforce Meeting: The Access to Trades Taskforce planning group met at the CASSA office August 19th. The representatives from Ontario Federation of Labour, Canadian Labour Congress, Skills for Change, Toronto Training Board and CASSA established a Terms of Reference for the Taskforce and a discussion of the Taskforce structure and potential membership took place in preparation for our next meeting to be held in late September.

CASSA representatives also visited Peterborough's New Canadians Centre to discuss possible directions for the Welcoming Communities Initiative's work there and met with representatives from the Local Social Planning Council, Sir Sanford Fleming College, New Canadians Centre, the Ministry of Citizenship & Immigration as well as the Community and Race Relations Committee. More details about CASSA’s work in Peterborough will be shared once our focus in the area is finalized.

Please contact Anita at anita@cassa.on.ca or at 416 932 1359 x13 with any inquiries.

Update – Equity Council Meeting – Aug 26: The Equity Council of York Region Development Group met to discuss the group's decision making structures and guiding principles. A core group of 16 organizations and individuals has been established over the last three meetings who will continue to work on the structure of the council with the goal of launching it by November.  Upcoming goals for the WCI project involve meeting with Fairness Commissioner Hon. Jean Augustine as well as officially convening the Access to Trades Taskforce in September.

For more information and to get involved, please contact Anita at anita@cassa.on.ca or 416 932 1359 x13

Update – SAYAC Steering Committee Meeting - Aug 26: the SAYAC Steering Committee meeting took place in CASSA Board Room on August 26th. Discussions took place to review this year’s conference held in May, suggestions were made to start a SAYAC blog which would be a source of information about the work being done by SAYAC and to organize an event before 2009 is over which will lead up to other small events in future.

If you are interested in joining SAYAC, please contact Loveleen Kang at loveleen@cassa.on.ca

UPCOMING EVENTS

Annual General Meeting of SAWC – Sept 12: The AGM of SAWC (South Asian Women’s Centre) is being held on Sept 12 at 800 Lansdowne Avenue, Unit 1, Toronto from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For more information, please call 416-537-2276.

HIV and Men’s Health – Sept 17: Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP) is organizing this workshop on Sept 17. Click here to view the flyer.

Community Safety Audit Training - Sept 23: METRAC (Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children) invites you to participate in its free training session on Community Safety Audit to strengthen your neighbourhood and build safer communities. Click here to view the flyer and the registration form.

Annual General Meeting of WHIWH – Sept 24: Women’s Health in Women’s Hands invites you to its AGM on Sept 24 at 2 Carlton Street, Toronto. Click here to view the flyer.

Voyage of Awakening – Sept 25-26: Menaka Thakkar dance Company is organizing an evening of contemporary dance at the Fleck Dance Theatre, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto. For more information, contact 416-972-4000 or admin@manekathakkardance.org.

Call for participation of in a Survey of ITPs in the Settlement sector: The Research Resource Division for Refugees (RRDR) at Carleton University and the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) are conducting a research on the extent and experience of immigrant and refugee employment in the Ontario settlement sector. To read more about this study and eligibility to participate in their survey, please click here.

Launch of DiverCity- the Greater Toronto Leadership Project - Sept 25:  Maytree and the Toronto City Summit Alliance are proud to announce the York Region launch of DiverseCity: the Greater

Toronto Leadership Project which willhighlight the social and economic benefits of diverse leadership and will expand our networks, strengthen our institutions, increase awareness, and track the progress that diversity is making throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Foe more information, please call Danielle Griffin at 416-944-2627 x362 or visit www.diversecitytoronto.ca.

Join the CASSA Speakers Bureau! – The Speakers Bureau is a CASSA initiative to make our community’s voice heard by involving community members who are willing to speak up about daily issues they face. Issues could range from affordable housing, child care, social assistance, temporary work or any other issue that has negatively affected your well-being and standard of living. Training will be provided to all those who are interested.

More information, contact Loveleen Kang at 416 932 1359 extn.14 or loveleen@cassa.on.ca

You or your organization can also become a member of CASSA, if you wish to support our mission/mandate. Please visit our website www.cassa.on.ca for details on our mission, vision, values and strategic priorities. The members will receive a regular   update on various happenings in the social services/social justice field in Ontario's South Asian communities.

Annual Membership fee is only $10 for individuals and $20 for organizations. Joining as a member will also keep you informed of opportunities about jobs, volunteering and community events. Click here for more information about becoming a member of CASSA and its benefits.

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