From: Rebecca Temmer (ratemmer.lists@gmail.com)
Date: Thu Nov 10 2005 - 16:41:00 GMT
Khaled,
You make an interesting and salient point:
> Look I am not saying that they are innocent in terms of integrating into
> the french society. And that is no different in this country. The Indian
> or Pakistani doctor who makes it into this country, will join the country
> club and sends his kids to Harvard or Yale and all is peachy. It's those
> that don't make that tend to the problem.
>
Rebecca:
I had a conversation with a Canadian member of Parlaiment the other day
about this very issue. We welcome some 250,000 immigrants into Canada each
year. Many of them are professionals whose skills are sorely needed in this
country - doctors, nurses, engineers etc. The tragedy is that they arrive
looking to start a new life and come to find out that their accreditation is
not acceptable to the independent provincial regulating bodies. They end up
being taxi drivers and store clerks with 20 years of professional
experience. It's degrading and frustrating but many feel that this is the
only way they will find opportunity, if not for themselves then for their
children. Canada has a very strong social system that aides immigrants in
integrating into our society. This helps to minimize tensions, however there
have been problems with violence, in Toronto especially, among certain
ethnic groups. There is no cause to deport these people because we have
invited them here; they have gone through all the official channels of
immigration.
Sometimes it's politics that plays a part in this unrest but many times it's
that countries are complacent, unable or unwilling to see their own faults.
Canadians are lucky to live in such a prosperous and diverse country, but we
also like to ignore the fact that there are tens of thousands of indigenous
people living in destitution on reservations. Nothing is perfect but surely
there is a better way of supporting people who come to a new place, are
uncertain of their role in society and their future - especially when the
promise of opportunity that they emigrated for is denied them.
Welfare is not the answer - it is a safety net and should not be used for
anything other than that. Period. That being said, creative, community-based
solutions need to be found and Canadians - citizens and politicians alike -
must work together to make our country stronger. Every country has their own
unique strengths and weaknesses. Integration should be a matter of utilizing
strengths to overcome those weaknesses.
Still fighting...
Rebecca
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