1. Enhancing the ‘Welcoming Capacity’ of Windsor Essex

2. Partners/Community Support

3. Outline Welcoming communities project overview
Research objectives and methodology
Timeline
Outcome
Next steps

4. Welcoming Communities Project
Emerged from the activities and strategic goals of the Windsor-Essex Local Immigration Partnership (WELIP Action Plan )
Strategic Objective 3: Strengthen Local Awareness & Capacity to Integrate Immigrants
Welcoming Community Initiative
MCC and SECC were identified to provide leadership

5. Definition of Welcoming Community
“A welcoming community can be conceptualized as a collective effort to create a place where individuals feel valued and included.”
Esses, V. M., Hamilton L, Bennett-AbuAyyash, C & Burstein, M.;Characteristics of a Welcoming Community; March 2010
This is the definition by Esses; by the operational definition of LIPs tend to be quite varied—some more social justice focused than others.

6. Definition of Welcoming Community
A welcoming community moves beyond services to address issues of participation, representation, engagement, and connection.
A welcoming community promotes a broad and open vision of immigrant inclusion.

7. Overview Welcoming Communities Project
Collaborative model.
Encourage engagement and mobilize the resources that are available through Windsor Essex County.
Includes new and emerging immigrant communities, businesses, non-profit organizations and the broader community.

8. Research Objectives—A Holistic Approach
A sense of belonging is based on more than available language or settlement ‘services’.
Rather, belonging is based on inclusion into activities and events which represent the heart of a community.
Belonging includes substantive participation, representation, engagement, and connection.

9. Research Objectives—Action-oriented
Benchmark the ‘welcoming capacity’ of Windsor Essex.
2. Identify best practices in enhancing community belonging.
Recommend policies, activities, or initiatives to improve the welcoming.
Initiate activities and actions aimed at enhancing welcoming capacity.

10. Methodology Document Analysis
Interviews with organizations, immigrants and newcomers
Analysis of local media
Online survey of ‘mainstream’ organizations
Focus groups with immigrants and newcomers
A. Content analysis
In-depth interviews with ‘mainstream’, ethno-cultural, settlement sector organizations
In-depth interviews with immigrants and newcomers
Online survey aimed at assessing organization practices among mainstream organizations with respect to diversity and inclusion.
Focus groups
Systematic document analysis
Local media analysis
Participant observation of community events

11. Timeline
June-September
In-depth interviews with ‘mainstream’ organizations; document analysis; local media analysis; observations
October-January
In-depth immigrant interviews and focus groups; document analysis; local media analysis; observations
January-April
Data analysis and results
May
Community Forum May 13, 2014; Report
June
Community Action Projects
June – September: In-depth interviews with ‘mainstream’ organizations (60 interviews); document analysis (policies, WCI across municipalities)
October – January: In-depth immigrant interviews and focus groups; (50 new Canadian interviews and 5 focus groups with 44 participants)
January – April: Data analysis and results – early themes include new comer engagement and connection is limited; participation and representation minimal
May: Community forum
June: Community Action Projects

12. Outcome Plan and host community forum May 13, 2014
Develop a community strategy – initiatives led by stakeholders
Finalize New Canadian interviews and focus groups
Analyze data and develop recommendations

13. More Information
For more information about the Welcoming Communities Project contact: Lisa Kolody, Director of Programs and Operations The Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County ext. 217 Carolyn Warkentin, Executive Director South Essex Community Council (Leamington, ON)