Prologue: December 4 & 5 Desmond Cole says to me, “these people underestimate us.” We are organizing to help Abdoul Abdi, who was brought to Canada from Somalia as a young boy, was taken into the care of the province and bounced between 31 different home placements, including three years of abuse. Through it all, […]
Examineradio, episode #142: The Auditor General
In November, Auditor General Michael Pickup was accused of overstepping his authority. His report chastised the province for doing a “poor” job of communicating its strategies on doctor recruitment and primary health care. In turn, the premier chastised the auditor general, saying Pickup should run for elected office if he wanted to criticize policy matters. It […]
How Canada has failed Abdoul Abdi and other child immigrants: Morning File, Tuesday, January 9, 2018
News 1. Abdoul Abdi Halifax Examiner contributor El Jones has long raised the issue of people brought to Canada as children who then become wards of the state. Bounced between foster homes and group homes, they are not raised in a stable, supportive environment, and so some become involved in the criminal justice system. Then they […]
Home for Christmas
They were children raised in Canada, under care of the state. Now, as adults, they are being denied the most fundamental right: the right to rights. Deemed non-citizens, they are being torn from their families and communities, and deported to countries they don't remember or know.
On Wednesday, I went to Las Posadas, a Latin American celebration (traditionally over nine nights) that re-enacts the search for lodgings by Mary and Joseph. A procession goes from house to house, singing a traditional song asking for shelter. The family inside refuses, until finally they let everyone in. Visiting family for me means going to […]