Tag Archives: West Coast Domestic Workers’ Association

WCDWA March 17th Film Fundraiser on Human Trafficking

Posted on by
Reply

The West Coast Domestic Workers Association (WCDWA), a member of our Coalition, is partnering with Reel Causes for an exciting film night fundraiser on March 17th: Gone. But Not Forgotten. An Artful Evening of Awareness & Action on Human Trafficking. The WCDWA will be speaking about labour trafficking on the panel following the film and is holding a silent auction at the event.

  • Photo exhibit + Displays + Meet & Greet start: 6:15 pm
    Film event + Panel discussion start: 7:00 pm
  • Venue: SFU Woodward’s 2nd Floor, 149 W. Hastings St., Vancouver
  • Tickets: $5 (with Reel Causes Premium Membership)/ $15 General – available in advance online through Universe or at the door.

Gone But Not Forgotten fundraiser.

Gone. But Not Forgotten, is a special artful evening of awareness and action on human trafficking in support of West Coast Domestic Workers’ Association and Children of the Street Society, the event’s Community Causes.

Betrayed: Portraits of Strength, a stunning and compassionate photo exhibit by Tony Hoare, starts the evening. A humanitarian photographer whose work has appeared in National Geographic, Tony has spent the last three years documenting trafficking survivors in Asia, Africa and Latin America. His exhibit introduces us to some of the people he met, accompanied by their stories told in their own words.

You’ll also catch Vancouver’s premiere of Richie Mehta’s multiple award-winning Siddharth, a rich, multi-layered drama that exquisitely captures both the realism of modern India and an impoverished family’s cross-country search for their young son who may have been trafficked. The film was inspired by Mehta’s encounter with a father in India whose son had disappeared under similar circumstances.

Critically acclaimed by reviewers, Siddharth won the Grand Prize at 2014 Heartland Film Festival for Best Narrative Feature, Tiantan Award for Best Feature Film at the 4th Beijing International Film Festival, Grand Jury Prize at the South Asian International Film Festival, and Best World Feature at the 17th Sonoma International Film Festival.

After the film, the conversation will be opened up with a Q&A and moderated panel with local anti-trafficking activists and advocates.

WCDWA Annual Post-Valentine’s Dinner & Dance Fundraiser Feb 20

Posted on by
Reply

12604933_529435833889574_156781708717972016_o The West Coast Domestic Workers’ Association, a member of the BC Employment Standards Coalition, is holding its Annual Post-Valentine’s Dinner & Dance Fundraiser on Saturday, February 20th at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Church at 3150 Ash Street. Tickets are $20 for former or current caregivers, and $25 for community members.

Because the WCDWA faced a large cut-back in funding last year, it needs your support now more than ever. If you are able to support the WCDWA by purchasing tickets, or soliciting sponsorships from organizations or businesses in your community, please let the organization know by calling 604-669-4482 or contacting at natalie(at)wcdwa.ca.

Thank you for your support!

New report: “Access to Justice for Migrant Workers in BC”

Posted on by
Reply

At a forum in downtown Vancouver on Saturday, August 10th, the West Coast Domestic Workers’ Association (WCDWA) presented findings and recommendations from its new report, “Access to Justice for Migrant Workers in BC.” The report addresses a wide variety of inequities and forms of discrimination that are intrinsic to the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), along with the program’s successes. It also includes specific stories of abuse and injustice experienced by people in BC employed under this program. Next to Ontario, BC employs the second-highest number of TFWP workers in Canada.

Participants at the forum included a number of individuals employed under both the Live-In Caregiver Program and agricultural worker streams of the TFWP, as well as representatives and advocates from a number of organizations involved in migrant labour issues. Other participants included Vancouver-Kensington MLA Mable Elmore, Lorene Oikawa, Vice President of the BC Government Employees Union, Judith Diesta from the Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers’ and Caregivers’ Rights, Lucy Luna from the Agricultural Workers Alliance, and Al Li Lim, Staff Lawyer and Executive Director of WCDWA. Following the WCDWA’s presentation, participants engaged in a roundtable discussion on the issues addressed in the report, including how to better serve needs of people who are employed under the TFWP.

To read “Access to Justice for Migrant Workers in BC,” please click here.