McMichael, W: Participatory Inclusion and Refugee Resettleme

A disconnect exists between those who wish to be helpful and those whom they wish to help that manifests itself in the unanticipated outcomes their efforts produce. This is particularly true in the complicated world of refugee resettlement. Findings from research conducted by the author in the first years after 9/11, when Canada made dramatic policy changes to its Immigration Act, suggest that the potential for unexpected policy outcomes can be reduced when culturally sensitive consultations, in the preferred language of the target community, are incorporated in policy development and implementation processes. In addition to helping improve the quality of refugee policies, inclusive approaches such as this can also help improve the quality of life of resettled refugees. By learning how to include refugees and other marginalized groups in discussions of matters that directly affect their survival, mainstream communities can begin to imagine and build places where strangers become neighbours.