Keynote speaker and refugee newcomer from South Sudan, James Thuch Madhier, stood before the crowd at Together Project’s 2019 Fundraiser and spoke about resilience and freedom against all odds. At 15 years-old, Madhier lived in Kakuma Refugee Camp, which he described as one of the harshest places on earth. At the camp, he learned about the power of having a place called home. “I learned how important it is for each and every individual in this room to call himself or herself, Canadian and to actually understand what comes with that – the immense privilege,” he said. ” The term, ‘refugee’ refers to a temporary status but then how temporary is it for people who are refugees for 20, 30, or 40 years? How temporary is that?.” Read the full story in the Toronto Observer.

I have a much stronger connection to Syria than I did before and it’s more important to me now in a whole new way. I think of my Together Project match as my extended family, which is so lovely to have. I think it’s so important for everyone to have people in their life who are outside of their sphere of comfort or knowledge. This experience is very humbling and has been important for everyone involved.

New report from the Transatlantic Council on Migration finds that “the rapid rise in the numbers of arriving humanitarian migrants has been matched by an equally unprecedented outpouring of public support, with offers to volunteer or provide donations…. While volunteer efforts cannot replace specialized social service agencies or well-resourced social assistance programs, they offer unique resources that can be an invaluable complement to the services that professional agencies and case workers provide.”

It can feel very overwhelming when you hear negative news. It’s easy to think you can’t do anything about it. But you can do small things and small things can make big changes. Thinking globally and acting locally is, I think, the best way that people can make change. This is definitely the best thing that I’ve ever done.

If you love music and if building welcoming communities is a cause that you care about, please join us for an evening to remember in support of Together Project and our efforts to connect refugee newcomers and Canadians to build stronger more integrated communities.

Please be prepared to share some love – tickets are $250. A tax receipt will be issued for $200. You can buy your tickets and review the event details on Eventbrite.

Within my community and at work, I encourage people to volunteer to help newcomers’ settle and integrate. I talk about how rewarding my volunteer work has been and I try to inspire others to welcome newcomers to Canada. My advice is to see the whole experience as a learning opportunity. When people come from another part of the world, they have something to share with you. You can learn a lot from them. You will need to be patient, learn to be a good listener and a problem solver. There is nothing to lose by making this effort to welcome someone to Canada but there is a lot to gain.