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Intergration Learning Exchange

Congratulations: Ratna Omidvar, Nation Builder

Earlier this month, The Globe and Mail, Canada’s pre-eminent national newspaper, recognized the top 10 Nation Builders of the Decade.

Ratna Omidvar, the President of the Maytree Foundation (the lead foundation behind the Cities of Migration project) was honoured for her influence and impact in shaping the Canadian approach to and understanding of immigration.

Other Nation Builders included the inventors of the Blackberry and globally acclaimed writer Margaret Atwood.

From the national citation:

“One of the remarkable features of Canada’s last decade is the degree to which a widespread consensus on immigration has taken hold. Ratna Omidvar, a leading advocate for settlement and integration, has been particularly influential in nudging Canada toward this new consensus.” (The Globe&Mail)

Ratna’s success in building a consensus owes much to her focus on the economic argument: when systems and other barriers result in the underemployment of immigrants, Canada, and especially Canadian cities, loses billions from our economy. Her logic and practical solutions have resonated with the highest levels of Canadian government and business.

The Toronto Region Immigrant Council (TRIEC) was created by Maytree to break the cycle of immigrants being overlooked for jobs because they lack Canadian experience. The program resulted in over 5000 skilled immigrants finding jobs and the endorsement of the CEO’s of one of Canada’s largest national banks and insurance companies.

Similarly, Maytree’s practical public policy suggestions such as pre-immigration orientation on Canadian culture and labour markets are being implemented by Canadian offices overseas. The recent guarantee by the national government to evaluate the credentials of foreign-trained professionals within a year of their arrival also bear the influence of her work.

For more on recent Maytree work on immigration reform in Canada: see, Adjusting the Balance: Fixing Canada’s Ecomomic Immigration Policies and Fast, Fair and Final: Reforming Canada’s Refugee Sysytem.

More about The Maytree Foundation

Established in 1982, Maytree is a private foundation that promotes equity and prosperity. Its focus is on the reduction of poverty in Canada, with a particular focus on immigration, integration and diversity.

Maytree believes that immigration and integration must work both in the short term and in the long term. The short term is about basic settlement needs and participation in the labour market; the long term is about a broader sense of participation and inclusion in Canadian society. This is a matter not simply of individual effort by the immigrant, but must be accompanied by institutional change. In other words, inclusion is a two way street that leads to social cohesion, nation building and citizenship.

Maytree programs and funding areas include:

Major poverty reduction initiatives: The Caledon Institute of Social Policy and the Tamarack Institute.

Immigrant employment: The Toronto Region Immigrant Council (TRIEC) and ALLIES.

Leadership: DiverseCity onBoard, one of 8 urban leadership programs in the DiverseCity initiative.

Educational Opportunity: The Maytree Scholarship Program.

Diverse Voices: Diaspora Dialogues.

For more about the Maytree Foundation, visit the Maytree website.