2nd Annual Ottawa Immigration Forum Introduction
On June 27th, the 2nd Annual Ottawa Immigration Forum convenes at the Delta Ottawa City Centre. The Forum, whose theme is The Building Blocks of a Welcoming Community, anchors a week of celebratory activities that include public lectures and workshops, music, film screenings, a soccer tournament, and team athletic challenges. This year’s Forum – an integral part of Welcoming Ottawa Week – is co-sponsored by OLIP (Ottawa Local Immigration Partnership) and the Réseau de soutien à l’immigration francophone de l’Est de l’Ontario (area Francophone network), signalling the importance of diversity to both Anglophone and Francophone communities.
In line with its theme and the overarching purpose of supporting a community-wide implementation of the Ottawa Immigration Strategy through fostering collaborative opportunities for learning, reflection and leadership, the 2013 Forum follows three key objectives:
First and foremost, the Forum is designed to focus attention on the relationship between the quality of the welcome that Ottawa extends to newcomers and the City’s projected future as an exciting, innovative, cosmopolitan, and prosperous metropolis. Offering ideas that Ottawa institutions – including the City, service providers, and educational bodies – might do to maintain Ottawa’s momentum as an important destination for international students, ensuring that the global talent settles, integrates and enriches the City, will be a particular focus of discussion.
The Forum’s second objective is to draw attention to the concrete steps that OLIP, working closely with the City of Ottawa, has taken to promote newcomer integration. OLIP’s Co-Chairs will discuss progress in engaging civic leaders and building partnerships with local institutions (including Francophone entities), resulting in numerous, promising initiatives.
The third and final objective is to convey a sense of optimism regarding Ottawa’s future as a diverse and prosperous society. The Forum, a key part of Welcoming Ottawa Week, seeks not only to report on Ottawa’s successes but also to celebrate them.