Session information

Telling Our Stories, Sharing Our Hearts: Homemaking Among Immigrant Women

One of the pervasive features of the last half century has been growing forced migration of millions of people worldwide. Many countries, including Canada, have increased their population through the influx of refugees and immigrants. Many people find themselves in Canada after experiencing the incredible trauma of war or other atrocities. For others, the trauma begins when they arrive in Canada full of hope and possibility, only to discover that settling in this new country is much more difficult than they anticipated. Both of these groups find themselves marginalized and isolated and as a result, have difficulty finding a sense of home.

Over the past eight years, I have been working in different community development contexts and have had the opportunity to share in the lives and the stories of many different women and their families. I have looked at different approaches to engaging people and encouraging them to take ownership of their lives and communities. As I have watched women struggle to re-establish themselves and their families, it has been apparent that they are struggling towards some sense of home. My work over the last seven years has used narrative and visual art as possible tools to help mitigate the effects of trauma and function in the unlocking of self. The very nature of breaking the silence and speaking into the places of shame that often accompany the experience of violence, can lead to transformation in their own lives and the lives of their communities.

In this workshop, we will look at how God calls us to be homemakers and how we can creatively reach out and engage the world around us. There will be particular focus on immigrant and refugee populations but the different aspects of homemaking that we will discuss will have application in other communities as well. There will be a creative, participatory aspect to this workshop. Please bring your ideas and experiences with you.

Recommended Resources:

• Kingsolver, Barbara. “Knowing Our Place” in Small Wonders (2002). New York: HarperCollins Publishers, pp.31-40.
• Nouwen, Henri J.M. Life of the Beloved (1992). New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company.
• Vanier, Jean. Becoming Human (1998). Toronto: The House of Anansi Press Limited.
• Zangana, Haifa. Women on a Journey: Between Baghdad and London (2007). Austin, Texas: The Centre for Middle Eastern Studies.

• Event Type: Workshop
• Presenters: Bethany J. Osborne
• Times:
  • Workshop one (Fri 15th 10:30am) - Picnic area