Deepening PAD presence in BC

Increase the recruitment of PADs

Recommendation 93: The Ministry of Municipal Affairs should unequivocally establish programs to attract more Peoples of African Descent to British Columbia as part of the Provincial Nominee Program. Here, attention needs to also be paid to the French-speaking Black countries and, more generally, countries that are not adequately represented in BC.

Deepening PAD presence in BC

Deepend equity in service delivery by and to PADs

Recommendation 94: The Ministry of Municipal Affairs in collaboration with the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Division at the Ministry of Attorney General should support and fund translations of the BC Newcomer’s Guide into the most predominantly spoken languages amongst People of African Descent – Swahili, Amharic, Somali, Igbo, Twi, Zulu, Arabic, and Spanish. This will deepen the needed sense of connection and community for a broad segment of newcomers of African descent and constitute an effective model to expedite their integration into the mainstream. and easing transfer for beneficial information to those experiencing language barriers. It is further recommended that this work be delegated to People of African Descent community organizations to ensure adequate volumes of production and broader reach for each sub-group.

Increase access to resettlement services for PADs

Support PAD-led models and community collaboration

Recommendation 95: The Ministry of Municipal Affairs in collaboration with the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Division at the Ministry of Attorney General should fund advisory services to help grow the capacity of People of African Descent-serving settlement services organizations, so that they can effectively deliver on services including, but not restricted to, employment transition support, language training, mental health services, financial literacy, and youth mentoring programs etc.

Increase access to resettlement services for PADs

Support PAD-led models and community collaboration

Recommendation 96: The Ministry of Municipal Affairs in collaboration with the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Division at the Ministry of Attorney General should fund shared or dedicated cultural spaces for Peoples of African Descent in partnership with People of African Descent-led organizations. These spaces will be used as avenues for building solidarity amongst People of African Descent communities, deepening culture and language exchanges, and offering wellness resources.