Untold Stories of Disablement and Displacement: Syrian refugees in Canada

Description

Untold Stories of Disablement and Displacement: Syrian refugees in Canada
by Sukaina Dada

What Canadians can Learn from Refugees

Olaf Kraus de Camargo

 “Untold Stories of Displacement and Disablement – Syrian refugees in Canada” is a book based on the doctoral thesis work of Dr. Sukaina Dada which identifies 11 themes extracted from conversations with 10 Syrian families with diverse trajectories and experiences. These families come from the experience of being a minority in their home country due to disability (often relying on a strong informal support system of relatives and neighbours) to becoming an intersectional minority due to disability, language, ethnicity, customs and religion without any of those informal supports they had at home. They are expected to navigate a siloed public system of services (health, education and social services) that even Canadian families struggle with on a day-to-day basis, often waiting years to be attended. Reading these stories is an eye-opener. It is a reminder about the importance of being curious, taking time to listen and having the courage to ask questions about our processes and policies. Why are they that way? What are the changes that could benefit all of us? Who do we need to engage to effect change? Refugees and Immigrants often report “enforced gratitude” – reading this book, we Canadians can reflect on their shared experience and in turn become the welcoming people we want to be.