![](../images/intro.gif)
![](../images/goal.gif)
![](../images/brain.gif)
![](../images/time.gif)
![](../images/res.gif)
![](../images/creat.gif) ![](../images/final.gif)
![](../images/link.gif) |
Walk a
Mile in My Sandals
- Following are a
number of scenarios. Have students complete one
of the scenarios, writing it as a story but
including as much factual information as
possible. Students should refer to newspaper
reports, articles, stories and other documents
that may be available.
1. Your name is Erica and
you are 12 years old. You come from a family of
Muslims living in Sarajevo. As a result of armed
conflict, you have been separated from your
parents, brothers and sisters. You were cut off
from your home during an attack. A United Nations
peacekeeping patrol found you and brought you to
shelter...
2. Your name is
Liban and you are 15 years old. You come from a
small village in Ethiopia. Lately, you've been
wandering from village to village in search of
water and food. There has been a terrible drought
and the crops have failed. Your parents stayed
behind to look after your younger brothers and
sisters. Everybody is hungry and thirsty. Many
have died. You promised to help your family and
come back with something for them...
3. Your name is
Huang and you are 11 years old. You and your
parents left Vietnam in a leaky boat with 25
other families. The boat ran out of fuel and
drifted for days. There was little water to drink
and barely any food to eat. The sun was very hot.
After awhile, a patrol boat came by and towed the
refugees to shore. The families were put in an
internment camp with thousands of others. Huang's
father talks of the day when they can be free to
live a better life in North America. Meanwhile,
Huang's mother is seriously ill and there is no
medicine to give her...
Who Decides Who Can Stay?
- How do refugees get
into Canada? Who decides whether they can stay or
if they must go? The legal terms and definitions
are contained within the Immigration Act and the
Immigration Regulations, 1978. The United Nations
has defined the term, "Convention
refugee" which relates to the UN Convention
dealing with the Status of Refugees and the
Protocol and has been incorporated into the
Immigration Act: "Convention refugee means
any person who, by reason of a well-founded fear
of persecution for reasons of race, religion,
nationality, membership in a particular social
group or political opinion, a) is outside the
country of his nationality and is unable, or by
reason of that fear is unwilling to avail himself
of the protection of that country or, b) not
having a country of nationality, is outside the
country of his former habitual residence and is
unable or, by reason of that fear is unwilling to
return to that country." The system that has
been set up to determine who fits the criteria is
known as The Refugee Status Determination System
and is handled by the Immigration and Refugee
Board. This system has been designed to meet
Canada's obligations under the Geneva Convention
and conforms to the requirements of The Charter
of Rights and Freedoms. Thus, any person so
recognized has their rights protected under
Canadian law.
On April 4, 1985, the
Supreme Court of Canada handed down a ruling in a
landmark refugee case that has become known as
the Singh Decision. In that case, seven
Sikhs from India claimed refugee status that was
subsequently denied. They appealed the decision
and in 1984, the Canadian Council of Churches
intervened and argued on the refugees' behalf
before the Supreme Court. The Court ruled that
the section 7 of the Charter ("security of
person" clause) applied to all persons
physically present in Canada as opposed to legal
residents only as claimed by the Immigration
Department.
Have students
research this remarkable case and write a one-act
play based on their findings. This will require
some knowledge of the Supreme Court, legal
protocols and the Immigration Act to start. But
students should concentrate on the human elements
and the drama inherent in the decision and the
impact of the Court's ruling. Have students
divide up the roles and responsibilities:
playwright, actors, directors, props, lighting,
sets, etc. Have students rehearse the play, then
perform it for the class. Invite other classes
and members of the community to attend.
Timeline
- Essentially, Canada
is a country made up of refugees who fled their
homelands for any number of reasons with
exception of native peoples. For some, it was to
escape religious or ethnic persecution. For
others, it was a flight from poverty or violence.
For a number, it was simply the desire for a
better life. Over time there have been waves of
refugees coming to this country for reasons
usually related to global events such as war or
famine.
- Starting from the
year 1750, create a timeline that clearly marks
the significant waves of refugee flight to
Canada.
- Write a brief
description of each period, who the refugees were
and their reasons for leaving their homelands and
coming to Canada.
- What did Canada
represent to them? What does Canada represent to
refugees seeking solace and asylum here today? Is
it the same or something different?
|