Tomorrow I’ll be speaking about “business-based” private refugee sponsorship at a meeting of the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative in NYC. Very exciting to see Canadian refugee sponsorship spread globally. Can’t wait to share @GPLLP’s experience. 1/7 refugeesponsorship.org
It’s fascinating to think back to Summer 2015. @LifelineSyria had been launched, with the goal of resettling 1,000 Syrian refugees to Toronto. A goal that seems modest in retrospect, felt like a pipe dream at the time. The political climate / immigration rhetoric was tense. 2/7
Then on Sept 3/2015, the photo of Alan Kurdi on the beach changed everything. Within days @GPLLP, and so many others, took action. The firm committed to sponsor a Syrian family & match fundraising dollars up to $15k (for a total of $30k). 3/7
Lawyers, staff, spouses, clients all got involved. Work raffles, bake sales, trivia nights. Committees were struck to plan fundraising, housing, education, immigration. Our workplace was energized in pursuit of a common goal. 4/7
Once we were ‘matched’ with a family of 5 from Deir Ezzor, Syria, we fought for them, as lawyers do. We wrote MPs and Ministers. We were among the “angry mob of do-gooders” at the “YIMBY” rally in Toronto reported by @porterthereport. 5/7 thestar.com/news/canada/20…
Finally in October 2016, we met our new friends. We watched as three amazing little girls thrived. And a fourth was born – a Canadian citizen. Our new friends, now family, have been through so much suffering, yet they shower us with warmth and generosity. 6/7 
I share this simply to say, sponsorship can be a special thing. Besides giving some of the world’s most vulnerable people new hope, it strengthens the communities receiving them. Here’s hoping #communitysponsorship continues to grow. Thanks for inviting me @bondjk. 7/7
