About this Project
SCENE (Social and Civic Engagement for Newcomers) provides newcomers and immigrants with pathways to equitable social and civic engagement opportunities by providing trainings, mentorship, nomination support, access to open positions, and guidance post placements. The project is made possible through funding from the Government of Canada.
The goal of this project is to:
- Decrease barriers to social and civic engagement
- Increase access to open social and civic positions for newcomers’ and immigrants
- Create networks and a community of practice of other organizations working towards similar goals
- Increase diversity in social and civic positions (Boards, Tables, Committees, Councils).
Contact Information
For more information please call Mariam Bilgrami at 604 254 9626 ext. 1069 or send an email to scene@mosaicbc.org.
What We Offer
Current Situation
Immigrants are socially, politically and economically vital to Canada. Approximately 22% of Canadians are immigrants, the highest its been in almost a century. Almost 30% of British Columbians are immigrants, and those numbers continue to rise. It is imperative that we include the voices of immigrants in civic engagement.
Of the 2274 leaders studied in a recent research report led by the Diversity Institute and SPARC BC, only 12% come from a visible minority background. The lowest representation of visible minorities is in the elected officials sector: visible minorities comprise 26% of elected leaders. From the voluntary sector, only 13% of senior leaders come from a visible minority background.
As immigration growth continues, the need for inclusion of diverse voices will become more necessary to facilitate strong community attachment and overall equity in local politics, non-profits and businesses.
How to Apply
Commitment required: 4 full day trainings over a period of 6 months
Mentorships: Minimum 1 hour per month mentorship time (In-person, online or tele-conference accepted)
Pre, during, and post placement: Surveys, follow ups and quotes for reporting purposes.
Please submit your resume, along with a cover letter detailing your interest, work experience and availability to scene@mosaicbc.org.
Our SCENE project will help newcomers who want to give back and be involved within our communities. Thanks to the Government of Canada’s support, we will be able to increase the diversity of voices being heard, and increase participation in decision-making processes.
MOSAIC’s Engagement Activities
- Submitted “Improving Participation of Newcomers in Civic Engagement” as a strategic recommendation in the Settlement Sector Study to the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration in Ottawa
- Initiated surveys and focus groups to help identify interest and barriers to social and civic engagement for newcomers and immigrants (Report coming soon!)
- Participated in “Trampoline: Ideas into Action!”, a program from Simon Fraser University’s social innovation hub, Radius, through their Refugee Livelihoods Lab. Through this program, human-centred design methods were used to ideate MOSAIC’s Social and Civic Engagement project (click here for more information).
- Held an information session with the City of Vancouver for the purpose of seeking newcomer voices for participation in the city’s advisory groups (Details of placements coming soon!)
- Hosted a public forum about community leadership and migrant experiences to advance a conversation with MOSAIC stakeholders, clients and partners on how to improve access to more volunteer leadership opportunities for members of the immigrant and refugee communities (Report coming soon!)
- Held a public forum “Inspiring participation in Elections” with keynote speakers: former Canadian MP Libby Davies, and Former BC Premier Ujjal who captivated our participants by sharing how they became involved in activism, with Apathy is Boring’s Miley Leong presented the ‘What, Where, When and Why’ of elections
