The EFCL and Edmonton Multicultural Coalition have joined forces to promote community league membership to newcomers and other ethno-cultural communities.
In a joint meeting hosted by the EFCL on July 11, 2011, the two organizations agreed to sign a formal Memorandum of Understanding to support the federation’s Cultural Inclusion project. The meeting was attended by the EFCL and Multicultural Coalition Boards
EFCL President, David Dodge thanked the coalition for its support and said that the project is a milestone in bridging cultural and social gaps between ethno-cultural communities and mainstream community leagues.
Coalition President Tessie Olva congratulated the EFCL for launching the project and helping newcomers join the mainstream society. She noted her agency’s strong ties with different multicultural groups and communities and offered their full support to the EFCL on this initiative.
Olva pointed out that immigrants face numerous challenges when arrive, including cultural, language and financial barriers. These barriers often force them to remain close to their ‘ethnic group’ for help and support, instead of joining a community league. She said this is not a healthy trend, as community leagues are places that can help newcomers end their ‘isolation’ in their new country.
Olva noted the need for immigrant serving agencies to share community league information with newcomers upon their arrival. She suggested EFCL brochures be translated into different ethnic languages to help newcomers understand the philosophy of community leagues and the value of volunteering. She also suggested holding cultural competency workshops for league executives so that they can make leagues a welcoming place for newcomers.
In addition to Dodge and Olva, the meeting was attended by EFCL Vice President David Gibbens, Vice President (External) Christine Bremner, Director Lindsay Smith, Executive Director, Allan Bolstad, Community Development Officer Shahriyar Khan and Coalition Board members Guled Hussein, Amandla Ngwenya, Kim Manalili, and Pauline Mukashema.
The Memorandum of Understanding is set to be signed at the EFCL’s Regular General Meeting on October 4.
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