Global Voices: Migrant Worker Rights in Canada

In this episode of the Global Voices Podcast, Migrant Worker Rights in Canada, we dive into the complexities and challenges faced by migrant workers in Canada. Host Bernice Mwaura is joined by two notable guests; Professor Ethel Tungohan and Gabriel Allahdua, to explore Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker program in all its facets, while exposing the systemic abuse and issues that require reform.Meet the Speakers: Gabriel Allahdua is a former migrant farm worker from St Lucia, an island in the Eastern Caribbean. He has been an organizer with the collective, Justicia for Migrant Workers (J4MW) for almost a decade. He is currently an Outreach Worker working with migrant workers across Ontario. He was Activist in Residence (AIR) at the University of Guelph, the first person to hold that position, which brought activists and researchers together. He is the author of the recently published award winning book 'Harvesting Freedom' published by Between the Lines.Ethel Tungohan is an Associate Professor of Politics and a Canada Research Chair in Canadian Migration Policy, Impacts and Activism at York University. Her research looks at social movements, immigration and labour policy, and Canadian/comparative politics. She recently published, 'Care Activism: Migrant Domestic Workers, Movement Building and Communities of Care,' which won the National Women’s Studies Association First Book Prize.Note: Since the recording of this episode, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced a new and enhanced pilot program for Caregivers set to grant permanent residence status on arrival. While this does seem to be a step in the right direction; a number of barriers still exist including meeting the language requirement for the program. It is yet to be seen whether the program will truly encompass all the recommendations migrant rights organizations have been calling for. About the Podcast:Through the third season of the Tapestry 2030 Podcast: Global Voices, a few members of the Ontario Council for International Cooperation (OCIC) Youth Policy-Makers Hub (YPH) are aiming to amplify key global issues from the perspective of voices often unheard or excluded from policy and international development conversations. Learn more about the work of OCIC. 

Indigenous Reconciliation and environmental sustainability are especially relevant to the Canadian landscape.  According to the 2021 Census, Indigenous Peoples make up about 5% of the nation’s population.  However, this demographic has faced systemic barriers and historical mistreatment for a long time – ranging from enforced water advisories, residential schools, degraded land quality in reserves, and so forth. In part two of this episode, The Intersection of Indigenous and Environmental Perspectives, host Shoffana Sundaramoorthy is joined by Alicia Richins to share her insights around Indigenous and environmental perspectives, including how amplifying localized and marginalized voices through digital media are critical steps towards transformational change.Meet the Speaker:Alicia Richins is a sustainable impact strategist and founder of The Climateverse.  She is a dual citizen of Canada and Trinidad and Tobago. Alicia studied at York University, in which she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Economics & Social Science and a master’s degree in environmental studies. She is based out of Toronto, Ontario. Alicia’s strong interest in environmental policy is visible through her time of supporting communities/organizations with social/ environmental impact measurement, alongside progressing the youth climate movement through advisory and mentorship practices.About the Podcast:Through the third season of the Tapestry 2030 Podcast: Global Voices, a few members of the Ontario Council for International Cooperation (OCIC) Youth Policy-Makers Hub (YPH) are aiming to amplify key global issues from the perspective of voices often unheard or excluded from policy and international development conversations. Learn more about the work of OCIC. 

In this episode, Building Inclusive Communities in Canada, host Charles Oulton explores the topic of building inclusive communities within Canada, with a focus on his home community of Kingston, Ontario. This episode features two guests who are making significant strides in fostering inclusivity and support for diverse populations in the Kingston community by breaking down barriers for marginalized youth and supporting newcomers to thrive and feel supported in Canada. Meet the Speakers:Yu Jier Kou, the program coordinator for the Kingston Immigration Partnership (KIP). Yu Jier brings a wealth of experience and insight into the challenges faced by newcomers to Canada. She will discuss the various barriers to inclusion that immigrants and refugees encounter, and how KIP is working to create a more welcoming and supportive environment for all. From language training and job placement to community engagement and cultural integration, Yu Jier’s work is pivotal in ensuring that newcomers can thrive and contribute to the richness of the community.Roger Romero, is the manager of youth services at Kingston Community Health Centres and the leader of the Pathways to Education Program. Roger’s work is instrumental in breaking down barriers that prevent marginalized youth from attending and graduating secondary school. Through innovative programs and dedicated support, Roger and the team at Pathways are creating opportunities and empowering young people to achieve their full potential, working to break the cycle of poverty.About the Podcast:Through the third season of the Tapestry 2030 Podcast: Global Voices, a few members of the Ontario Council for International Cooperation (OCIC) Youth Policy-Makers Hub (YPH) are aiming to amplify key global issues from the perspective of voices often unheard or excluded from policy and international development conversations. Learn more about the work of OCIC. 

Globally, people with disabilities make up approximately 15% of the world’s population, with 80% residing in low- and middle-income countries. In many of these contexts, disability and poverty are a consistent cycle, and people with disabilities face significant barriers in accessing their basic needs due to lack of inclusive services, inadequate accessibility standards, and pervasive societal discrimination. Despite the challenges that they face, roughly only 2.5 percent of international development aid targets people with disabilities.In this episode, Disability Inclusive Development, host Kendra Heney is joined by four incredible guests from Canada, Malawi, Uganda, and Kenya to highlight some of the adversities people with disabilities in East Africa face including traditional attitudes, stigma, lack of access, and lack of enforcement of global and national policy. The take-away message is that we cannot leave anyone behind in international development; people with disabilities must be included in all conversations and program areas.Meet the Speakers:Catherine Cameron is the Director of International Programs at Hope and Healing International. With over 15 years in international development, she has worked with notable organizations including the International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation at University of Toronto, where she supported education and research activities across nine country groups, many in Africa. James Chidzanja is a Library Assistant with Malawi Council for the Handicapped (MACOHA). He has also worked with the Federation of Disability Organizations in Malawi (FEDOMA) as a Voluntary District Coordinator. James also participated in a survey conducted by the Centre for Social Research in partnership with MACOHA, Hope and Healing International, University of Toronto and the International Centre for Disability Rehabilitation. Puwata Deogratias is currently pursuing a Masters of Disability Studies and Inclusive Development at Kyambogo University. Puwata is the Founder and Executive Director of Kalangala Home for Children with Special Needs, a demo home for children and advocacy centre on the island district of Kalangala and Entebbe. Living with a physical disability himself, he dreams of being an international advocate for the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities.  Livingstone Koech is the Patient Relations Officer at AIC Cure Kenya, an orthopedic children’s hospital located in Kijabe, Kenya. His commitment is finding children living with disabilities across Kenya and connecting them to life changing medical care. Livingstone holds a Bachelors of arts in community development from St Paul’s University, as well as a diploma in healthcare management from Kenya Institute of Management. About the Podcast:Through the third season of the Tapestry 2030 Podcast: Global Voices, a few members of the Ontario Council for International Cooperation (OCIC) Youth Policy-Makers Hub (YPH) are aiming to amplify key global issues from the perspective of voices often unheard or excluded from policy and international development conversations. Learn more about the work of OCIC. 

Indigenous Reconciliation and environmental sustainability are especially relevant to the Canadian landscape.  According to the 2021 Census, Indigenous Peoples make up about 5% of the nation’s population.  However, this demographic has faced systemic barriers and historical mistreatment for a long time – ranging from enforced water advisories, residential schools, degraded land quality in reserves, and so forth. In part one of this episode, The Intersection of Indigenous and Environmental Perspectives, host Shoffana Sundaramoorthy is joined by Hayley Roulstone to share her insights around Indigenous and environmental perspectives. She also reflects on the role of governments, not-for-profit organizations, and businesses, in reference to how they can aid and advance reconciliation efforts in different ways.Meet the Speaker:Hayley Roulstone is a Caymanian consultant at Rise Consulting, working under the area of Research and Reconciliation.  Hayley studied at the University of Sussex in which she obtained a bachelor's degree in Geography and International Development, and a master's in Environment, Development, and Policy.  She is based out of Vancouver, British Columbia.  Hayley is passionate about environmental policy and through her experience in researching/ reporting, she strives to address challenges posed by climate change adaptation and mitigation processes, alongside bringing attention to environmental concerns that affect people of Caymanian and First Nations cultures.About the Podcast:Through the third season of the Tapestry 2030 Podcast: Global Voices, a few members of the Ontario Council for International Cooperation (OCIC) Youth Policy-Makers Hub (YPH) are aiming to amplify key global issues from the perspective of voices often unheard or excluded from policy and international development conversations. Learn more about the work of OCIC. 

500 million people worldwide lack access to menstrual products and hygiene facilities, impacting different facets of their well-being and their economic, social and political life. In this episode, Working in Community to Address Period Poverty, hosted by Hudson Biko Mwalagho, guests will consider the issue of period poverty. Featuring two young leaders in Kenya, Fayne Soida and Mumbi Mwangi, the episode will provide an overview of the issue, its connection to other issues such as food security and child marriage, the impact of stigma around menstruation, highlight locally led solutions and share recommendations to promote menstrual equity. This episode was launched on Menstrual Health Day 2024. Meet the Speakers:Fayne Soida is the founder and CEO of the Soida Foundation, a youth led non-profit organisation aiming to liberate and empower women through education, fighting against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage, eradicating period poverty, as well as elevating menstrual hygiene through provision of sanitary towels and necessities.Mumbi Mwangi has a passion in destigmatizing and demystifying mental illness and healthcare in Kenya and aims to foster coherence among leaders in various organizations within Africa's healthcare sector. Mumbi firmly believes in the power of people and embracing humanity as a profound strength. About the Podcast:Through the third season of the Tapestry 2030 Podcast: Global Voices, a few members of the Ontario Council for International Cooperation (OCIC) Youth Policy-Makers Hub (YPH) are aiming to amplify key global issues from the perspective of voices often unheard or excluded from policy and international development conversations. Learn more about the work of OCIC. 

In this episode we sit down with Vitalina Flores and Ana Mio, from Heart-Links’ partner organization Centro Esperanza, and with Savina Vargas and María Suclupe, members of the San Isidro Community Venture for the Development of Sustainable Agriculture (ECODAE). We’ll hear how a localized approach to development helped this rural community through severe flooding in 2017 and food shortages caused by the pandemic and has made them an example other communities want to follow.  

En este episodio nos sentamos con Vitalina Flores y Ana Mio, de la organización aliada de Heart-Links, Centro Esperanza, y con Savina Vargas y María Suclupe, integrantes del Emprendimiento Comunitario para el Desarrollo de una Agricultura Ecológica (ECODAE) de San Isidro. Escucharemos cómo un enfoque localizado del desarrollo ayudó a esta comunidad rural a superar las graves inundaciones de 2017 y la escasez de alimentos provocada por la pandemia y los ha convertido en un ejemplo que otras comunidades quieren seguir.

In this episode we hear from Farida, Rabiul and Ajmira from UBINIG, an NGO based in Bangladesh and long-time partner of The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund. With members of the PWRDF Youth Council, they share their experience with climate mitigation and adaptation and how their responses and projects are being led by Indigenous peoples and local knowledge.

In this episode we hear from Celeste Smith, Urban Indigenous Farmer, Educator and Founder of Cultural Seeds and Ga Gitigemi Gamik (We Will Plant Lodge). Celeste speaks about the concepts of Land, Food, Culture and Justice through Indigenous eyes and how these intersecting relationships affect her and her community everyday.