Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Spoke to the Somali Community.

(Edmonton Alberta, December 13  2008 Ceegaag Online) 

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Hon. Jason Kenney, P.C., M.P. Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism at the Alberta Somali Community Center's "Youth For Change" assembly

Edmonton, Alberta

Thank you for that kind introduction.

Galab wanagsan (Good afternoon).

I am pleased to greet you on behalf of the Government of Canada and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

As Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, I am honoured to be here in Edmonton for the official opening of the "Youth For Change" assembly.

Canada's Somali Community is growing in centres across Canada, so I applaud your continuing efforts to raise awareness of issues that affect your community.

Last June, I was equally honoured to join the Canadian Somali Congress to celebrate the relationship the Canadian Somali community shares with our Government.

And last December, Prime Minister Harper, other government officials and I met with representatives of the Somali Community to discuss immigration and the integration of Somali newcomers into Canadian society.

As we recognize the ties that many Somali people have to their homeland, we also discussed humanitarian aid to Somalia.

Canada continues to play a role in this. Through a government-wide effort involving a few departments and agencies we have increased our humanitarian efforts in Somalia.

Since December 2006, Canada has been helping to feed more than two million people by contributing $31 million in humanitarian assistance to Somalia, including $21 million through the World Food Program.

To support these humanitarian operations, the Canadian patrol frigate HMCS Ville de Québec was deployed to the waters off Somalia, between August and October this year, at the request of the World Food Program. Just listen to what the vessel's Commander, Chris Dickinson wrote about the experience.

"We were, in fact, not only protecting our own sea lanes of communications for Canadian foreign aid," he said, "but also playing an important role in supporting the exportation of Canadian values abroad through our support to the United Nations."

Apart from this much-needed food aid, Canada's support to such partners as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Oxfam Canada, and World Vision has provided emergency medical care, water and sanitation, and basic shelter for people displaced or otherwise affected by conflict and drought.

Here in Canada, our focus has been on programs that reach out and help newcomers to make informed decisions, learn one of our official languages, and settle into their adopted communities.

I know that the Canadian Somali community in Alberta is fairly new to the province, many of you having moved here from other parts of Canada to take advantage of job opportunities in the Alberta economy.

I know that many in your community have benefited from this prosperity, which our Government has worked to support by managing our economy and reducing taxes to help all small businesses.

But I also realize that a minority have struggled at settling here and integrating into Canadian society.

One result of this is that some youth in the Canadian Somali community have turned to criminal activity and violence. The latest victim of such violence in Edmonton was Abas Abukar, a young man who was found shot to death on Halloween morning this year. As witnesses to such violence, other youths also end up being victims of such acts.

The problems with these youth have to be addressed. And this needs to happen today, not tomorrow.

They need innovative services to help them integrate, not only into Canadian society, but into becoming responsible adults who can bridge between the culture of their parents and mainstream Canadian culture. 
But we are talking about criminal actions, so when such actions do take place, we all need a law-enforcement system that has the support of government to combat such crimes.

One way we have addressed such concerns, since 2006, has been to invest significant funding in settlement programs to help newcomers integrate in Canada and achieve self-sufficiency. 

Through outreach and recreation projects, settlement service providers are working hard to develop innovative programs to help meet the needs of young people in your community and many others.

These challenges not only affect newcomers, they also have an impact on the long-term integration of ethno-cultural communities in Canadian society.

Through settlement funding, we are working with community groups to facilitate programs that provide mentorship, volunteerism, leadership skills and civic education among youth at risk.

Let me give you an example of how one such project is working right here in Edmonton.

The "Youth Action for Fostering Multiculturalism, Leadership and Community Growth" project, in just three short years, has already changed the lives of some 200 Somali youth, as well as 40 other youth at risk.

These young people are taking charge of their future in positive ways, attending life skills classes, career-planning and leadership courses.  So far, 10 young people have returned to school and are now planning for some post-secondary education, while four others have found jobs.

We are committed to helping all newcomers integrate into Canadian society—so that they become a vital force in building a stronger Canada.  We want them to contribute to every dimension of Canadian life:  cultural, economic, social and political.

As I have said, whenever I travel abroad or receive foreign visitors here in Canada, I see how enthusiastically the rest of the world sees our model of pluralism and immigration.

That success is no accident.

Our Government's vision of multiculturalism is that it can build bridges between communities. That vision is key to my new position as Minister, addressing both multiculturalism and our efforts to help immigrants and refugees.

This way, we can improve intercultural understanding and engagement, foster interaction between different communities, and support intercultural and interfaith dialogue.

And your own community is demonstrating a similar commitment through its work with the Jewish community in Canada. I would like to offer you my strongest congratulations on your recent announcement of a joint mentorship program, which could serve as a model of ethnic co-operation for other Canadians.

This project, which will match Jewish professionals with young Somalis who are new to the workforce, shows how Muslim and Jewish communities in Canada can move beyond differences of faith and politics to forge a path that helps to build this country.

Also key to building this country is Government policy that supports immigration. While other countries such as Australia and the United Kingdom are considering scaling back their immigration levels, we recognize that immigration is vital to Canada.

This is why, last month, I told Parliament that this government remains committed to reuniting families, protecting refugees and supporting Canada's economy.

I announced that we plan to welcome between 240,000-265,000 new permanent residents in 2009, demonstrating our commitment to a strong immigration program.

And I also announced measures to help us to better align immigration with our labour market needs, reduce wait times for new applicants and control the size of the application backlog. 
But at the same time, our Government is upholding its commitment to reunite families and maintain our humanitarian obligations to refugees.

To support these actions, we want to support programs that help newcomers integrate into Canadian society.

Diversity is one of our greatest assets, and this government is committed to strengthening Canada's pluralism and national cohesion. And with this increased diversity comes the responsibility to promote a well-functioning pluralistic society while respecting the differences that make each and everyone unique.

Canada is rightly respected around the world for both reaching out to newcomers and embracing diversity. As the 2006 Census demonstrated, one in five people is born outside the country. We attract people from all over the globe – a total of 216 countries last year.

Ours is an open and tolerant society which respects three fundamental values of Canadians: democracy, the rule of law, and the freedoms enshrined in our Charter.

Prime Stephen Minister Harper has summed it up this way: "Generations of immigrants from all over the world have found peace and prosperity here. They have found equality of opportunity, appreciation for differences, and openness to change."

Ladies and gentlemen, immigrants have helped build our country.  They will continue to be a source of growth and strength.

That is especially the case in the Canadian Somali Congress, an organization which exemplifies the hope and leadership that drives our multicultural communities. Just look around at the people who are the leaders of the CSC—people who are second-generation newcomers from Somalia who inspire us all with their drive and attitude.

We are all proud to live in a country that includes such leaders and which embraces so many diverse communities.

Thank you again for inviting me today. I look forward to working with the Somali community throughout Canada in the future, in order to help build both it and this great country.

Thank you.

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