For many of us, fall represents a time of renewal and growth on a personal and professional level. After a brief summer break, PNSG staff are re-energized and re-invigorated as we build on our previous accomplishments and look toward implementing the next phase of our work—presenting a community plan for the successful settlement of newcomers. Our dedicated team is gearing up for what promises to be a busy season, with ample opportunities for the community to provide input into this significant community planning process.
After nearly three months of community consultations with more than 100 stakeholders from all parts of the settlement sectors (including funders, agencies, informal service providers and the private sector), our team concluded a critical phase of our community engagement process. A major focus of the consultations was to engage newcomers in the process. It is important that the voices of newcomers be included in our community plan for settlement and integration.
This past summer PNSG presented its findings from the consultations to more than 175 community members, including elected officials and settlement sector administrators. We have listened to your feedback and are committed to capturing the innovative ideas/perspectives shared by many of you as well as by our expert panel on immigrant settlement.
With less than a year to present the settlement and integration plan for Peel, our staff and volunteer steering committee members are gearing up for the next important tasks which include: conducting a SWOT analysis to gather more information on opportunities and challenges in the sector, a more detailed mapping of neighbourhoods and with service distribution data. A key focus will be on implementation issues associated with the community plan that is scheduled to be presented to the community this winter.
PNSG capacity building work is building momentum in the region as an increasing number of settlement and related groups and agencies continue to access our strategic and technical assistance to help improve their services to the community.
As we embark on the next phase of our work, we look forward to increased collaboration and partnerships with all stakeholders.
Evelyn Myrie Director
Community collaboration vital for social impact
Mississauga, ON (Feb. 24, 2010):More than 100 community leaders representing newcomer serving agencies and mainstream community organizations participated today in a workshop to learn about challenges and opportunities of collaborative leadership and its social impact.
Organized by Peel Newcomer Strategy Group (PNSG) in partnership with Peel Leadership Centre at Living Arts Centre, Mississauga, the objective of the workshop was to advance collaborative endeavours to address the complex and changing social needs of our communities.
Mississauga, ON (Nov. 19, 2009):Strengthening the organizational capacity of agencies serving newcomers is vital to deliver effective and sustainable services for our newcomers, says Evelyn Myrie, director of the Peel Newcomer Strategy Group (PNSG). While speaking at a funders’ forum at the Living Arts Centre, Myrie said, “Our ability to make Peel Region a centre of excellence for the settlement and integration of newcomers depends a lot on the capacity of the agencies.”
Advancing social innovation and out-of-the-box approaches to the settlement and integration of newcomers was the emphasis of the event’s keynote speaker, Stephen Huddart, Vice-President of the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation.
