The Refuge

Welcome to the tenth and final episode of The Refuge . In this episode, we discuss an issue that we’ve come to view as essential to the integration of children and youth with refugee experience in Canada - the meaningful involvement of those youth in the program and policy decisions that affect them. Our guests include Ani Gurtsishvili - a first-generation immigrant committed to advancing equity a...

Welcome to Policy Matters , a special mini-series of The Refuge podcast that focuses on policy issues and connects policy makers with academics, community partners, and people with lived experience.  This episode features Ali Duale – MLA for Halifax Armdale and former refugee from Somalia, Dr. Nicole Ives – Associate Professor of Social Work at McGill University, and Sherman Chan – Director o...

Welcome to Policy Matters , a special mini-series of The Refuge podcast that focuses on policy issues and connects policy makers with academics, community partners, and people with lived experience.   Our guests in this episode include Dr. Andrea MacLeod - professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Alberta; Kathleen Vyrauen - co-chair of the Newcomer Education...

Welcome to Policy Matters , a special mini-series of The Refuge podcast that focuses on policy issues and connects policy makers with academics, community partners, and people with lived experience.  This episode features a conversation between Dr. Howard Ramos - political sociologist and Chair of Sociology Department at Western University; David Cashaback - senior director for Settlement and...

Welcome to the ninth episode of The Refuge in which we discuss experiences of youth who arrive in Canada with interrupted schooling. What are the challenges of re-entering the school system? What supports are needed for youth? Our guests include Anyieth Maduk Manyuon – who came to Canada from Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya in January 2022. She was in her final year of Pharmacy in Medical College whe...

Welcome to the eighth episode of The Refuge in which we discuss the importance of involving youth in research and community programs. This episode speaks to researchers, community organizations, and service providers - anyone concerned with the settlement and wellbeing of youth with refugee experience. Our guests for this episode include Fawziah Alkmaki - a PhD Candidate at Western University; Faw...

For Mental Health Week, we’re bringing greater awareness to the mental health challenges often faced by refugee youth. Pre-migration experiences—including separation from or loss of family—often result in PTSD, depression and anxiety; stigma and discrimination can compound these issues. Our guests on this episode are Redab Al-Janaideh – postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychology at the Un...

The arrival of a large number of Syrian refugees between 2015-2017 was transformative for Canada. In this episode of the Refuge, we reflect on what we have collectively learned from the experience of Syrian refugees settling in Canada, and how we can apply this knowledge to support future groups of refugees, including 40,000 Afghan refugees who are currently being resettled. Joining us for this di...

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged all of us; however, for many refugee families, social isolation, online learning, and stay-at-home orders compounded the challenges they were already facing. At the same time, the resilience of refugee women and youth was apparent as they created opportunities to contribute to their communities. In this episode of the Refuge, we are joined by Anwar Alhjooj - Progra...

Welcome to the fourth episode of The Refuge! Coinciding with the start of the new academic year, we continue our discussion of refugee children’s wellbeing and language learning; focusing on supports available in schools and communities. We also cast an eye on the differences and similarities between refugee experiences in Canada and Germany.  Joining us to share their perspectives are Katrin...

Welcome to The Refuge , the newest podcast from the Child and Youth Refugee Research Coalition (CYRRC). In this introductory episode, we are joined by Michael Ungar, CYRRC’s  Scientific Director, Simone Chia-Kangata, CYRRC’s Project Manager,, and Nabiha Atallah, Advisor of Strategic Initiatives at Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS). Our guests talk about what CYRRC does to...

Welcome to the second episode of The Refuge in which we are joined by Praise Mugisho, a former refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo now living in Nova Scotia, Dr. Ifeyinwa Mbakogu, a social worker and Professor of Social Work at Dalhousie University, and Dr. Erika Goble, Associate Dean of Research at NorQuest College. In this episode, we talk about the experiences of refugee youth as...

The Child and Youth Refugee Research Coalition (CYRRC) is a Canadian network of researchers and community partners working together to better understand what helps young refugees settle in Canada.  The Refuge is our podcast through which we hope to share what we have learned with a greater number of service providers and the public. We discuss subjects like how refugee youth are settling into...