Multilingual Orientation Services Association

for Immigrant Communities

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2013 MOSAIC

Promoting Newcomer Engagement and

Participation

MOSAIC- Overview
close to 4 decades of service in Metro
Vancouver
60-72,000 client contacts annually (2012)
Over 21 million budget (2013/14)
Over 350 employees, over 40 languages
400 volunteers
150 free-lance interpreters and interpreters,
50-65 languages

2013 MOSAIC

Context
Early 70s, mid 70s- the emergence of
services and orgs
Coincides- liberalization of the immigration
policy= the introduction of the point system
Development of other policies: Charter of Rights
and the Multiculturalism Acts, e.g
Social discourse and dialogue on:
removing barriers for vulnerable population
Accessibility issues heightened
Debate inclusion and diversity
Participation as a right and responsibility for all
Politicization of immigration/immigrantsattraction to policy makers
Immigration one of the pillars of nation building
(aging population, labour shortage)

2013 MOSAIC

Vision
MOSAICs of a Canada that welcomes
and .

Mission
MOSAIC empowers.

How?
Innovation in service delivery,
Community building & engagement
Advocacy for systemic change and
inclusion
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Settlement Services
Information & referrals; Life skills & education
Capacity building / community engagement

Family Services
Parenting skills, health, prevention
Violence prevention
Families, youth, children, mothers & fathers

Employment Services
Labour market attachment
Funding for skills training
Emphasis on soft skills

English Language Classes

And Child Care Services
Language acquisition with settlement
& integration lens

Interpretations & Translations

up to 65 languages

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2013 MOSAIC

MOSAIC promotes civic engagement among

newcomers based on three premises:
1. Awareness
Facilitate an understanding of public institution
processes and structure

2. Accessibility
Emphasize accessibility of public institutions
through site-visits and opportunities to interact
with community representatives

3. Participation
Create opportunities to debate/discuss - get
engaged at all levels (neighborhood houses,
schools, volunteer for local services etc., VOTE)
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MOSAIC workshops and classes forms of engagement:

Citizenship Preparation e.g.
Structure of Canadian Political System
Information on Political Parties coupled with resources
to further encourage research / investigation / learning
The following slides are samples of w/shops and
engagement checklist:
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MOSAIC ELSA (English Language Services for Adults) Curriculum

reflects rights and responsibilities of citizenship:

2013 MOSAIC

MOSAIC holds
workshops and
invite community
representatives to
engage newcomers
directly.

For example, MOSAIC

Seniors Club organized
workshop on Three
Levels of Government
with local MLA as
Guest Speaker to
introduce
Governments
roles/functions as well
as civic rights and
responsibilities.
2013 MOSAIC

Newcomers further engage

through:
Field trips to public institutions
such as Law Courts and CBC
Newsroom
MOSAIC Media Club offers
documentaries and discussions
on current affairs
MOSAIC Facebook page with
updates on community
events/news/current affairs
Many MOSAIC activities involve
volunteers, many of whom are
newcomers looking to give back
and stay engaged

2013 MOSAIC

In 2012, MOSAIC hosted a community forum on:

2013 MOSAIC

MOSAIC Youth Programming:

Moving Ahead - a programme targeting vulnerable
populations (refugees)
Specific support for activities for multi-barriered
newcomer youth - activities on social interaction
and employment
Nu Yu Theatre - a popular theatre methodology of
engagement (interactive)
Engaging Youth to Prevent Violence against Women
on Post-Secondary Campuses

2013 MOSAIC

What do All these have to do with

Civic Participation?
We know our programs make an impact on people
We know English language is a huge barrier to
participation at all levels, so is poverty, unemployment
and underemployment
We know the interactive programming enforces
participation
Employment coupled with a level of English/language
proficiency is a confidence booster = participation

Could citizenship be a measure for participation?- big

demand and participation

2013 MOSAIC

What do All these have to do with

Civic Participation?
We also know:
Immigrants/refugees move along the settlement /
integration continuum (estimate 10-15 years)
the initial years: basic needs, survival (first 5 to 10
years)
devaluing of professions/professionals (lack of
recognition) impact participation, sense of no control
Hard reality- we have no evidence on the relationship of
best practices to civic participation
Relevancy of issues- hits home to participate
Role of media/ethnic media / and relevancy? Can there
be a relationship?
2013 MOSAIC

THANK YOU
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2013 MOSAIC