The Immigration Task Force was appointed by Premier Christy Clark on Dec.
8, 2011, to review key government programs to increase the number of
skilled immigrants and investors in British Columbia. The report was
compiled after the ITF conducted eight regional consultations involving a
broad range of stakeholders and industry experts. The task force also
reviewed and included comments and suggestions submitted by the public
through the ITF website.

Through the consultation process, the task force members heard loud and
clear from employers that if more skilled immigrants are not immediately
attracted to our province, businesses may have to close or relocate,
resulting in fewer jobs and opportunities for British Columbians. The
report was presented to Premier Christy Clark for government review on
March 31, 2012.

The report contains 10 key recommendations for the Province of B.C. and
the Government of Canada, including:
* Immediately increase immigration levels to B.C.
* Grow and expand the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) as the most
effective way of supporting regional economic development.
* Ensure economic immigration program application processes and
requirements are as straightforward and efficient as possible and reflect
business realities for employers.
* Capitalize on B.C. as a destination of choice for entrepreneurs and
investors.
* Provide timely, effective information and support to newcomers and
employers.

The Province has already taken immediate action to fill job vacancies
from Fort Nelson to Mackenzie by introducing the Northeast Pilot Project
which will expand the scope of the BC PNP in this fast-growing region to
include more eligible occupations. This pilot project responded to ITF
consultations in Fort St. John where employers confirmed the critical
need to recruit and retain more temporary workers to fill existing job
openings.

The Province will engage with the federal government to expedite higher
PNP levels for British Columbia and ensure ongoing reforms to national
immigration programs that respond to British Columbia’s regional economic
development needs.

Attracting more skilled immigrants is one of a series of commitments in
the BC Jobs Plan to help fill the more than one million job openings
expected over the next decade.

To view the final report, please visit:

http://www.jti.gov.bc.ca/immigration_task_force/

The Interfaith Bridging Project

The Hindu event, which included the cooking class, the meal that followed, and an orientation to Hindu spiritual practices, is all part of an Interfaith Bridging Project. The Project is being coordinated by the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA), in partnership with the Victoria Multifaith Society (MFS)  and the South Island Dispute Resolution Centre (SIDRC).   This week I met with the very smart and generous Kathleen Bellamano, Executive Director of SIDRC, to learn more about the project.

Click here to watch a short video (on YouTube) of Kathleen talking about the essence of the project.

In the video, Kathleen provides insights into:

• the diverse activities incorporated into the inter-faith project
• the nature of the community partnership
• the evolving role of the SIDRC in the project
• why the partnerships worked on a collaborative level
• her own, personal takeaways from the project

The Interfaith Bridging Project is a super example of connecting diverse peoples, their gifts, stories… all to build a stronger, healthier place to live. 

The Project:

• brings together 8 different faith communities
  
• builds on the ‘sustained dialogue’ model
• “emerged” from stage to stage
• provides opportunity for outreach, meeting people “where they’re at”
• was structured to give each faith community autonomy in how they shared their gifts and celebrated their cultural traditions, with the broader community
• fostered new connections (beyond the project activities)
• builds community collaboration, empathy and compassion

The beauty and power of diversity

“It’s frequently at the edges of things that we learn most about the middle… ice and steam can reveal more about the nature of water than water alone ever could.” (Walter Murch, film editor) When we gather with those who are different, share our stories and experiences, we give ourselves the opportunity to discover our common bonds. And, we gain confidence for converging on a future that works for all of us. This is why I think the Interfaith Bridging Project is so important.

Learn more

Check out the ICA website for upcoming events associated with the Interfaith Bridging Project. Read my interview with ICA’s Steven Baileys, community connector, and ICA lead for the Bridging Project. ICA are doing some impressive, creative, connective work in my community.

And what can we learn from you? What’s your experience with building bridges, in your community? Leave a comment.

Photos courtesy of Kat Bellamano and Jodi Williams (SIDRC), Steven Baileys (ICA).

[Note: this post is also published on Collaborative Journeys]

cooking class @ Hindu temple - Feb 2012

Ben Ziegler & Kat Bellamano

Ingredients

3 strawberries

2 oz (30 mL) pomegranate juice

5 mint leaves

3/4 oz (20 mL) fresh lime juice

3/4 oz (20 mL) agave syrup (1:1 ratio with water)

1 slice fresh ginger

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1-2 tbsp (5-10 mL) almond butter

Directions

Add each ingredient to a blender or food processor and mix until well blended. Serve in a glass, with or without ice, and garnish with a mint sprig. For a slushy texture, blend ingredients with ice or substitute with frozen strawberries.

Makes 1 smoothie

Nutritional Analysis per 1 smoothie: per 1 smoothie

Calories: 158, Fibre: 2.4 g, Fat: 9.8 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sat Fat: 1.7 g, Sodium: 79.8 mg, Mono Fat: 14.3 g, Calcium: 51.9 mg, Poly Fat: 2 g, Magnesium: 54.9 mg, Protein: 8.9 g, Potassium: 243.8 mg, Carb: 18 g, Vitamin E: 4.3 mg*

* total alpha-tocopherol equivalents

-NC