Winter 2013 - Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area

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DECEMBER 2013
MAGMA’S CULTURAL CHORDS
HERE COMES MAGMA, RIGHT DOWN SANTA CLAUSE LANE
It was all aboard the MAGMA express as we once
again headed down Main St with flags flying for the
Greater Moncton Santa Clause Parade! We filled the
float with 25 people, with local Canadians being
joined by volunteers from Mexico, Korea, Iran, Spain,
India and Australia in a range of traditional clothing,
all proudly representing their home countries and
cultures.
The crowds could easily hear us coming as South
American fusion percussion group Kenefoly beat out
an infections rhythm on their djembe and djun djun
drums, drawing all eyes like magnets to our float.
A huge thanks not only to the MAGMA parade committee, but also to the many clients
and volunteers who braved the cold to appear on the float or simply cheer us on.
An even bigger thanks to Keltic Transport for supplying a truck and driver (who was our saviour in some very challenging, windy
moments), and to Trailer Wizards for the whopping 50’ trailer that we filled to the brim with decorations, plus our good friends at Toys
for Big Boys who lit up the scene with their generator. Let’s not forget Universal who provided shelter against the cold while our team
assembled the float. It was a wonderful moment of pride to see everyone putting the best of local multiculturalism on display, and we
look forward to doing it all again next year!
(Photo courtesy of Viktor Pivovarov, Times & Transcript)
A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT
MIKE TIMANI
As the year begins to draw to a close I can look back with sheer amazement at all we’ve accomplished. When
we gathered at the New Brunswick Multicultural Council annual conference in October I was pleased to see how
MAGMA was leading the way in many innovations and programs, from our youth education programs to the
portfolio-based learning approaches in our classrooms. My staff and the leadership team have worked incredibly
hard every day of the year to take MAGMA to a whole new level, and I can honestly report that they have
succeeded.
But there’s no time to rest on our laurels. The immigration landscape, and the rules and regulations that govern
it, are changing at an ever-increasing speed and we need to maintain the drive and flexibility needed to respond
accordingly.
Imagine a day when your first client of the day is a South Korean businessman looking to bring hundreds of thousands of dollars to
invest in business and job creation, the next is a refugee girl who’s being teased at school, and the next is a Cuban mechanic anxious
to have his A-grade certification recognized here and his language skills upgraded so he can start fixing cars and putting food on the
family table. This is life at MAGMA, and we need to be ready to respond to it morning, noon or night.
And we do. Simple as that. So board, leaders, staff and volunteers, stand up and take a bow for a year well done.
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MAGMA’S CULTURAL CHORDS
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
TYPHOON YOLANDA
Following the devastating typhoon that has struck the Philippines, leaving thousands dead in its
wake and millions displaced, this resilient country found not only its amazing strength, but also its
friends. Countries around the world have rallied to send financial aid, rescue teams and supplies to
where it is needed most, proving the old motto that “a friend in need is a friend indeed.”
So on behalf of the entire Filipino Association of New Brunswick, MAGMA would like to extend the
deepest possible thanks to everyone who has sent their support and best wishes. We get constant
stories of amazement at the positive attitude and family support that is the hallmark of Filipino culture, especially in times of crisis.
Our special thanks to the following organizations, who helped in the fundraising efforts:
 Padrones Eduardo, Manager at Teriyaki Experience at Champlain Mall’s food court and Nico’s Bakery in front of the Riverview
Mall, who had set up a donation points, and to;
 Menchies Yogurt (beside Swiss Chalet in Dieppe) who had several days where they donated 20% of every purchase.
If you’d still like to help, you can still drop off donations to Allan or Laylu Anovert from the Filipino Association at Apt. 2, 56 Lester St
in Moncton (ph. 204-3811). Anything you can do is of course greatly appreciated.
Our thoughts go out to all in the Philippines as they continue in their struggle to overcome this tragedy.
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MAGMA’S CULTURAL CHORDS
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
LOCAL PHILIPPINES RELIEF EFFORTS A SUCCESS
Around 10 million Filipinos work outside the Philippines, moving across the world to wherever they can find
work and then sending the money back to support the family members who remain behind. While this can be
heart-wrenching enough with mothers and fathers separated from their children for years at a time, when a
tragedy like the typhoon strikes the situation is infinitely worse.
So when MAGMA board member and local immigration lawyer Nicole Druckman combined forces with the
Delta Beausejour and the Canadian Red Cross to quickly put together a brunch to raise funds and help, she
was hoping for perhaps $5,000, knowing that with government matching that we could really help out. Imagine her delight when the brunch succeeded in raising around $22,000 in a single morning.
Stories of courage and bravery were shared, and there was hardly a dry eye in the house as local Filipino Evelyn Asebias recounted
how she was desperately waiting for days for news of her two daughters who were still back in the Philippines, and were finally found
alive. So our thanks to all who turned out and helped, and especially to the Red Cross for everything they do in times of crisis.
PROGRESS CLUB CHILDREN’S FUNDRAISER HAS BEST YEAR EVER
The Greater Moncton Progress Club has a simple
goal—help kids be kids.
They work to complement the activities of other
charities that help kids out. For example, if one
organization is already working to make sure that
children’s hospitals wards have vital medical equipment, then the Progress Club understands that kids
also need to be nurtured in these times, and goes
on to ensure they have a kid’s ward stocked with
games and activities to take their minds off their
suffering.
From Christmas stockings to kids camps, they do
the little things that make a childhood a childhood,
including bringing kids down from the local hospitals to sit warmly in the pedestrian overpass and
watch the Santa Parade pass underneath.
Not everyone realizes how many newcomer children come through MAGMA’s doors each year, and how much we rely on the many
organizations that work with us to help them settle in and integrate into their new home. So it’s always a pleasure to be invited to the
annual Antler Breakfast, which is the Progress Club’s major fundraiser for the year, and help them help us.
The entire MAGMA crew turned up in support, and the Progress Club has recorded their best year ever with this event. The best thing
is, even though it feels like half of Greater Moncton turns out, nobody talks business there—it’s just impossible to take anybody
seriously when they’re sporting a pair of reindeer antlers!
MAGMA’S CULTURAL CHORDS
VOICE OF AGES
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GOLDEN AGE OF MULTICULTURALISM
If you were born and raised in Canada it can be difficult enough to imagine what
it’s like to move halfway across the world and immerse yourself in new cultures,
languages, religions, foods and styles. Similarly, if you’re young or even middleaged, then truly appreciating the challenges of mind and body that come with
advancing age. So wrapping your head around the lives of newcomer seniors
can be a leap that is hard to fully grasp.
Many come from societies where the aged are revered. They’re served first at
gatherings, speak first at celebrations, and have the last word in group decisions. Three generations living under one roof is common, and the grandparents are looked to by their children and grandchildren for their wisdom and insights. They have close networks of friends and relationships, and spend a
great deal of time visiting each other’s homes for social interaction.
Coming here, all that may be lost, and they can find themselves in a bewildering
new environment where they struggle with the basics of communication, functionality and friendship. Feelings of isolation are common, as is a growing disconnection from the rest of their family. The younger generations usually adapt
to the changes far more quickly—in fact, after a few years you would often mistake the grandchildren as having been born in Canada. Needing your grandchild to explain their school report card to you is a strong reversal of roles.
Not only is dealing across generations suddenly more difficult, but so is dealing
within their own generation as they attempt to connect to local seniors who have
a completely different sense of life, family and retirement. Most importantly,
realizing that this flows both ways is key to finding solutions. It’s not just newcomer seniors who can find it challenging—it’s local seniors as well. Both sides of the fence have to reach across gulfs of perception,
understanding and beliefs that have become narrower and narrower with each generation, but remain wide for them.
We often talk about how much progress has been made in recent decades in terms of tearing down the barriers of race, discrimination and isolation for newcomers. We can see in the youth a very different set of beliefs and attitudes about multiculturalism and the
world they’re living in, and that’s great to see. It’s therefore easy to overlook those members of our society who grew up in very different times, and were immersed in a very different set of beliefs. They grew up in an era where there was still racial segregation in
schools and public places in the south of the U.S., apartheid in South Africa and many still remember the fear and xenophobia that
was so prevalent following conflicts such as WWII, Korea and Vietnam.
That’s one of the things that makes our Seniors Program so vital, and so challenging. Having our senior clients take part in activities
with local seniors is at the heart of having them feel integrated, welcome and at home. So we realized when we started working with
the partner program such as at the Lions Centre, it wasn’t just our clients we needed to prepare—it was also our home-grown seniors. We were delighted therefore to have a conference room packed to the brim with Lions seniors who were fascinated with the opportunity to understand more about how to bridge the cultural divide. Our Public Education & Communications Coordinator delivered
a specially-tailored version of the Crossing Cultures workshop, and together we explored the challenges unique to integrating newcomer seniors into a new community.
It was a resounding success, and we’re looking forward to more and more joint projects with Lions to add a whole new rainbow of
colours to their golden years, and invite others who work with seniors to reach out to us as well.
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MAGMA’S CULTURAL CHORDS
SUCCESS STORIES
PEACE ON EARTH..
...and goodwill to all. That’s what the holiday season is all about, and so we gathered at the Université de
Moncton for the annual YMCA Peace Breakfast.
It can be hard to image how you can do much for international peace when you’re living in Greater Moncton,
but it’s actually easy—just welcome those here who have come from places of war, displacement and suffering. It’s a testament to how key MAGMA is in this role that for the second year running the Peace Medallion
was awarded to a MAGMA staff. Last year is was a tearful moment as we posthumously celebrated the life
and good works of our dear Penny Carruthers, but this year we could celebrate in a more festive spirit as we
cheered on the head of our Settlement team, Irina Raduly as she took to the podium to accept her award.
The simplest way we can tell her story is through the words of her nomination:
When refugees finally arrive in the safety of Canada, they have come from situations of unimaginable desperation. Some have been tortured, most have lost family members to brutality and genocide, and almost all have been on the
brink of absolute despair. None have known peace for a long, long time—if at all.
As leader of the Settlement Team at MAGMA, Irina’s door is the first that all new refugees in Moncton walk through upon arrival in
the safety of Canada. Hers is the face that greets them at the airport, hers is the voice that tells them that everything’s going to be
alright.
And then the real work starts. Finding accommodation, connecting them to medical treatment, arranging language support and life
skills training—all of them fall under her responsibilities. Day and night she’s there for every step of the way until they are fully
settled, integrated and self-sufficient, usually with hours volunteered far, far beyond her job requirements.
She is the reason these individuals and families have homes, coordinating their moves with landlords and the government. She is
the reason their vital government documents snake their way through the red tape, the way these refugees to doctors and bank
appointments, and the first and last word in ensuring the happiness and care of her clientele are always met.
What is most striking about Irina is, amazingly, not the dedication, skill or patience with which she unfailingly delivers her help, but
rather her humility. A simple, characteristic shrug says, “That’s just what you do for people.” And it is for this reason more than
anything that we gladly nominate someone who has finally given peace to thousands of our most desperate new arrivals.
Congratulations, Irina.
You’ve earned every honour
we can think to heap on you,
and more. You are our best
ambassador, and MAGMA’s
shining star.
Peace on Earth, and goodwill to all.
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MAGMA’S CULTURAL CHORDS
SCHOOL & YOUTH
HOMEWORK HOTSPOT
The newly revamped Homework Hotspot, a tutoring partnership with
Frontier College, has been underway for a month now with tremendous turnouts. Within three days of the registrations open we were
full and a waiting list was created. Fifteen tutors, assigned to us
from Frontier College, are being paired up with twenty newcomers
who are helping them with homework and literacy.
Looking around the room you wouldn’t believe that this was the
same program from last year. With the new location set at Beaverbrook School and a more structured schedule with two available
time slots, Homework Hotspot is hitting all the right notes and helping student’s better focus on their schoolwork in a relaxed and
structured environment.
With the younger group, the languages seem to be the greatest
focus, whereas with the older students everything from Advanced
Mathematics and Calculus to Law and Chemistry is being covered.
The goal this year was to build relationships between the
tutors and the students. With a type of buddy system in
place, the parents and students can look forward to the same
tutor for the entire year, knowing that this individual knows
their youth’s strengths and weaknesses as well as their personality and learning styles. For the tutors, they are able to
build rapport with a family and learn what it takes to work with
students across languages and cultures. For most of them
this is a learning curve, however they jumped in with tenacity.
So far the program has yielded great results with conversations and smiles flowing freely. A resounding “aaawww…”
can be heard when it is announced that time is up- something that makes organizers, tutors and parents alike smile
with pride.
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MAGMA’S CULTURAL CHORDS
SCHOOL & YOUTH
GHOSTS, WITCHES AND PUMPKINS! OH MY!
For many newcomers the concept of Halloween is foreign and frightening. The
very idea of dressing up and begging for treats, purposely trying to scare the
living daylights out of someone, or sticking your hand into a smelly, sticky vegetable to clean out the insides and use it as décor is just plain ridiculous.
On October 26th, Canada World Youth representative Rebecca Ankumah, who
is completing a placement at MAGMA for three months, took on a pumpkin
carving challenge with School & Youth Coordinator Katelyn Manning to help
raise money for the SPCA of Moncton. The duo stood outside for 2 hours on a
chilly Saturday morning to carve a pumpkin that would be auctioned off, with
proceeds going directly towards our local furry friends.
This was a culture shock to Rebecca who wasn’t expecting it to be 0° outside
and couldn’t believe the tenacity with which people attacked their pumpkins in
the cold. The pair attracted attention, with people asking Rebecca about her
first Halloween in Canada and what she thought about the entire process. She
replied with smiles and laughter, explaining that she found it all entertaining
and a great experience.
The true highlight came when it was time to have the pumpkins auctioned off.
It had taken an hour for the team to carve and create their pumpkin and only
seconds for it to be sold to the highest bidder. A very excited Rebecca jumped
for joy when the MAGMA pumpkin was the second highest selling entry at $12
(having been auctioned off in $1 increments). The very idea that the pumpkin
had been carved by someone from Ghana, experiencing Halloween for the first
time, seemed to be the nudge that the crowd needed to hurtle the bids forward.
A toast of hot chocolate concluded the day and the experience of her first Canadian Halloween was embedded in her memory forever.
MAGMA’S CULTURAL CHORDS
CELEBRATIONS
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THANKFUL FOR THANKSGIVING
Thanksgiving is one of the longest-standing traditional celebrations in
North America, so stepping back and remembering to give thanks is
something we can forget we’re supposed to do before getting down to
some serious turkey eating.
Fortunately that’s not a problem around here. One of the great things
about working at MAGMA is we’re constantly reminded of how good we’ve
got it here in Canada, so we take a moment to share what we’re grateful
for as we gather around for a staff meal. Family, a new life and limitless
opportunities top the list (although there’s usually one of us expecting a
child, so that speech gets some tears).
Then it’s time to change to a bigger venue and share the celebration with
our clients. Ten turkeys later, along with fields of potatoes, oceans of gravy and pans stuffed with stuffing, we’ve got the Highfield Baptist Church
auditorium filled to overflowing with guests from around the world.
For many it’s their first Thanksgiving, and often their first time eating turkey. Lots of nodding in appreciation goes on, along with the advice from
the seasoned hands to save room for dessert!
We couple the event with a graduation ceremony for the clients moving up in
their language levels. This is a huge step for many as they strive to gain the
communication skills so much a part of feeling at home, and it becomes a true
day of celebration of thanks.
Which reminds us—thanks to all the volunteers who help out!
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MAGMA’S CULTURAL CHORDS
CELEBRATIONS
NINJA ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE
Sure, you might think of it as Halloween, but if it’s your first time ever experiencing an
evening of goblins, ghouls and witches it’s easy to imagine that you’ve run smackdab into the middle of a ninja zombie apocalypse.
We at MAGMA therefore take the responsibility of integrating our clients into local
culture and festivals seriously, and if dressing up for Halloween is what it takes, well,
then, that’s just what we’ll do. As mature adults we are, of course, long past doing all
this just for childish fun. It’s all for the kids. Oh, and so’s the chocolate!
MAGMA’S CULTURAL CHORDS
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
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VOLUNTEER CORNER
This has been a very busy month for the Community Connections program as we revamp, remodel, and push forward.
Tuesday, November 5th was our Community Connections Revamp Kick off Meeting, and what an evening it was. It started with an
overview of the program and its accomplishments over the years. In a view to modernize, and make the program more effective, several changes were announced.
The high point of the evening was a panel made up of several long time MAGMA volunteers and clients. They took the time to share
their experiences as givers and receivers of Community Connections.
Hossein Barar, owner of Dolma market, spoke of his early days, when MAGMA occupied a small office, and offered a few settlement
services, along with tea, cookies, and sympathy. He still remembers fondly his volunteer from all those years ago, who helped him to
adjust to life in Moncton, leading to his establishment as an innovative and successful businessman who employs 30 people.
Irina Raduly, who has worked with MAGMA as a settlement officer since the tea and cookie days, spoke about
the many challenges that newcomers face. She talked about how the community connections volunteer program
meshes well with other MAGMA services, filling in needs that we cannot. She also spoke about how the face of
immigration in Moncton has changed over the years, and how MAGMA has adapted to meet the needs of new
refugees from different countries.
Marie-Claire Muirhead was involved with helping volunteers in Montreal, long
before she moved to Moncton. She has helped many families over the years as a
Community Connections volunteer. She spoke among other things, about the
benefits and satisfaction she received from knowing that her volunteering was
having a direct visible impact on the quality of newcomer lives.
Lida Curry, who has helped several families over the years, has not allowed diminished eyesight to
slow down her volunteering work with community connections. In fact, she is using her contacts with
CNIB to help a blind newcomer to adjust to life in Canada, by helping him access services that enrich
his life. The smile on her face as she told her experiences, spoke volumes about her passion for volunteering, and the happiness she derives from helping others.
Everyone lingered after the presentations were done, to chat with the panel, and forge new friendships. The kick off meeting accomplished everything I hoped it would, by providing energy and momentum for the work ahead.
Lastly, some of you will no doubt remember Chantal Laviolette, my colleague who previously did
such a great job as the Community Connections Coordinator, and then Seniors Coordinator.
Chantal has moved on, to become the managing director of the Wee College, here in
the Peace Center. If any of you know Chantal well, you will understand that she is in
heaven, surrounded like she now is by cute little babies all day!
Best wishes Chantal, from all your grateful volunteers. Thanks for all your help with
Community Connections and Seniors in the past.
MAGMA’S CULTURAL CHORDS
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
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NEW VOLUNTEERS WELCOME!
We’re always looking for more helpers. The amount of help you commit to is entirely up to you,
and we have no end of activities, projects and ways to help that will suit your lifestyle, interests
and experience.
Whether it’s tutoring, being a long-term support for a family, teaching an instrument or hobby,
or something as simple as selling tickets and handing out flyers at an event, we can’t do it all
alone.
As a MAGMA volunteer you’re needed, welcomed and appreciated more than you know.
Just go to magma-amgm.org and find out more in the Volunteer and Community section
under Settlement. You’ll find the volunteer application in the section on the right.
Contact me directly at [email protected] if you’d like more information or are having any challenges getting enrolled.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S CORNER
TRADINA MEADOWS-FORGERON
Another year will soon come to an end and a new year will begin. As I look back at all the successes
MAGMA has had this year, I am thankful again for the great team and board I have had the privilege to
work with.
Your passion and dedication to this organization is truly a gift to the people
you help and serve.
I would like to wish you all a very joyous holiday season and I look forward to
working with you all in 2014.
MAGMA’S CULTURAL CHORDS
MUSICAL CONNECTIONS
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BRINGING THE WORLD TO GREATER MONCTON
For over 30 years, MAGMA has existed for just one reason: to
welcome newcomers. Here, in their new home, they can strive to
achieve their dreams of success, freedom and security.
At no cost, MAGMA aids in all aspects of settlement, including
assisting with:
 locating and settling into their new homes and schools;
 securing a job, learning a trade or practising a profession;
 learning English or French; and
22
 connecting with support agencies and health care
professionals.
MAGMA is there with the advice, training and support needed to
bring their skills and culture to add to the rich fabric of our society.
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INSTRUMENT OF THE MONTH—CAJÓN
Peru certainly knows how to keep things simple and complex at the same time,
and the cajón is a classic example.
It is, quite simply, a box. You can beat it with your hands, a stick, mallets,
brushes—you name it. It’s the ultimate in simple and versatile percussion.
Any complexity comes from the vast range in construction quality. African slaves
in Peru had been forbidden to play music, and so they made an instrument that
was easily disguisable as a crate, stool or storage box. True to these origins,
even today most cajón are simple rectangular shapes
and made from anything handy.
However, true aficionados have taken it to whole new
levels, such as this beautifully-crafted octagonal
Congolese version.
Today it is becoming common not just in Latin musical
styles but also spilling into rock or pop. However, the
most likely place you’ll see one is a street-side performer who has made it themselves, or in its most basic
form your two-year-old going to town on the box that
used to contain their very expensive and yet-to-be-used
toy. After all, that’s what drumming’s all about.
Peace Centre
22 Church St
Suite C170
Moncton, NB
E1C 07P
(506) 858-9659
www.magma-amgm.org
Email: [email protected]