Refugees, Migrants and Us

Episode 10,   Dec 17, 2019, 02:20 PM

Canadian Senator Ratna Omidvar walks listeners through the impact refugees and migrants have on economies and why civil society should rethink its attitudes. Listen now!

Ratna Omidvar is a recognized voice on migration, diversity, and inclusion. She came to Canada from Iran in 1981 and her own experiences of displacement, integration, and citizen engagement are the foundation of her work. In 2016 she was appointed to the Senate of Canada as an independent Senator representing Ontario. She is a councilor on the World Refugee Council, a director at the Samara Centre for Democracy, chair emerita for the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council, and, formerly, a visiting professor at Ryerson University. 

Ms. Omidvar is co-author of Flight and Freedom: Stories of Escape to Canada, an Open Book Toronto best book of 2015, and one of the Toronto Star's top five good reads from Word on the Street. She was appointed to the Order of Ontario in 2005 and became a Member of the Order of Canada in 2011, with both honors recognizing her work on behalf of immigrants and devotion to reducing inequality in Canada. In 2014 she received the Cross of the Order of Merit of Germany in recognition of her contribution to the advancement of German-Canadian relations.