Diversity has played an important role in Canada’s history – we are a society of mixed languages, cultures and beliefs. Statistics Canada estimates that by 2031, up to 28 percent of Canada’s population will be foreign-born and over 30 percent of the population will belong to a visible minority group. Visible minorities are expected to account for 63 percent of the population of Toronto, 59 percent of Vancouver and 31 percent of Montreal.

As populism and anti-immigrant sentiments continue to create divisions in communities around the world, how does Canada’s approach to diversity and multiculturalism compare? Can our politics and policies with respect to immigration, citizenship, and asylum be considered exceptional? How is Canada’s multicultural identity evolving? What is Canada’s trajectory for the future?

The panel discussion will feature Senator Ratna Omidvar, Hindia Mohamoud, and Andrew Griffith, and will be moderated by Jennifer Ditchburn.

Moderator:

Jennifer Ditchburn is the Editor-in-Chief of Policy Options magazine, an independent publication of the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP). Prior to joining the IRPP, she worked for almost two decades as a parliamentary correspondent with both the Canadian Press and CBC national television news. She is a recipient of the Charles Lynch Award for outstanding coverage of national issues, and a three-time National Newspaper Award winner.

Panelists:

Hindia Mohamoud is the current director of the Ottawa Local Immigration Partnership, where she is responsible for facilitating the establishment and implementation of a community-wide vision and strategy for improving the settlement and integration of immigrants in Ottawa. She has nearly twenty years of experience with building community solutions through research, partnership development, and program design. Previously, she worked as the director of research at the Social Planning Council and as a director of impact and investment at United Way/Centraide Ottawa.

Senator Ratna Omidvar is an internationally recognized voice on migration, diversity and inclusion, appointed as an independent Senator in 2016. Senator Omidvar is the founding Executive Director of Global Diversity Exchange at the Ted Rogers School of Management, a think-and-do tank focused on diversity, migration, and prosperity. Previously, Senator Omidvar was the President of Maytree, where she played a lead role in local, national and international efforts to promote the integration of immigrants. Senator Omidvar is the current Co-Chair of the Global Future Council on Migration hosted by the World Economic Forum.

Andrew Griffith is the author of ‘Multiculturalism in Canada: Evidence and Anecdote’ and ‘Policy Arrogance or Innocent Bias: Resetting Citizenship and Multiculturalism’ and writes about multiculturalism and diversity issues in his blog, Multiculturalism Meanderings. He was formerly the Director General, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Branch at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Date and Time:
Monday, September 25, 2017
5:30 – 6:00 pm: Doors open
6:00 – 7:30 pm: Panel discussion
7:30 – 8:30 pm: Post-event mingling

Registration and Tickets:
Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for non-members and include a glass of wine or a beer. Tickets are sold at the door or online.

To register online: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/politics-at-the-pub-future-of-diversity-in-canada-tickets-37763921907