NEWS RELEASE
LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY ORILLIA
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A social entrepreneur from Eritrea and a former astronaut from Ukraine will join Sandra Lee of Simcoe County’s Local Immigration Partnership to discuss the experience of immigration and settlement in Canada.
The panel presentation, “Migration, Identity and Belonging,” will take place on Tuesday, June 21 at 7 p.m. at the Midland Cultural Centre (MCC).
“The question of immigration has become a major policy issue around the world and our discussion will explore the processes of immigration, eventual settlement, and acquiring a sense of belonging as a new Canadian,” explains Dr. Doug West, associate professor at Lakehead’s Orillia campus, and panel moderator.
Panelists include Amanuel Melles, a social entrepreneur and the former director of Organizational Capacity Building for United Way Toronto; Dr. Yaroslav “Yarko” Pustovyi, former astronaut with the Ukrainian space agency and member of the Space Shuttle Columbia mission in 1997; and Sandra Lee, Manager of the Local Immigration Partnership for the County of Simcoe.
The Lakehead Challenge is a partnership between Lakehead University and the Midland Cultural Centre and offers a public forum to examine critical and controversial issues.
The June 21 event is an opportunity to join experts in an open forum to discuss the past and recent experiences of immigrants to Canada and the policy issues surrounding immigration and settlement.
Tickets for The Lakehead Challenge are $10/person and can be purchased at the MCC box office (333 King Street, Midland); online at midlandculturalcentre.com; or by calling 705-527-4420. The event begins at 7 pm on Tuesday, June 21, 2016.
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