Join the Coalition
From Borders to Belonging
From Borders to Belonging is a national coalition co-led by Rainbow Refugee that brings together organizations and advocates across Canada to advance the rights and protection of LGBTQIA+ refugees. The coalition works to make refugee sponsorship more inclusive, improve policies, and ensure that queer and trans people forced to flee can find safety, dignity, and a sense of belonging.
The Coalition was born out of advocacy and a recognition that our collective impact and ability to mobilize for change would be stronger together.
This included advocacy surrounding the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Pilot (RRAP). In 2011, The Canadian government introduced a cost-sharing pilot to create a new pathway for privately sponsored LGTBQI+ refugees. This pilot initially had 15 spots per year.
From 2010 - 2013, future members of the Coalition, Rainbow Refugee Society (RRS) and AGIR worked together to strategize around how to bring queer perspectives into the national debate about the proposed “Protecting Canada’s Immigration System” This regressive overhaul of the refugee system used nationality as criteria to exclude potential refugees from fair hearings, and access to health care. Rainbow Refugee Society and AGIR collaborated to bring perspectives to parliamentary standing committees, media, and eventually successful federal court cases. This paved the way for future collaboration and coalition building.
In 2017, members of the soon-to-be-formed coalition came together to advocate within the LGBTQI+ abroad at-risk consultation with the Immigration Standing Committee. This began as a study around the renewal of RRAP, but coalition members pushed for this to include other issues impacting LGBTQI+ refugees, including border issues and ongoing crises causing displacement.
This advocacy work was successful, and the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Program was born in 2011, with spots available expanded to 50. Rainbow Refugee Society acts as the secretariat for this program. The success of this work led to a recognition of an opportunity for increased collaboration, knowledge and resource sharing, and partnership across the country; the Rainbow Coalition for Refuge was born.
As government priorities have shifted between the 2010s to now and through to the future, our work as a coalition has shifted based on the support received and advocacy needed. Our coalition will work to remain flexible and responsive as we move forward , acknowledging that the landscape of our work can shift and change with political priorities.
In the years since, the Coalition has grown from a small Steering Committee consisting of 6 member organizations in 2018 to a Coalition connecting 24 members.
In 2023, the coalition rebranded and adopted a new name, "From Borders to Belonging."
Structure
Participants
People who attend are part of things, supporters, and engagers, but aren’t members of LGBTQIA+ Newcomers or stakeholders.
Coalition Members
Groups or individuals who have applied and been accepted as members of the coalition. Members are able to participate in programming and advocacy committees and have access to resources and knowledge sharing of the coalition.
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee guides the direction and leadership of the Coalition through monthly meetings to synthesize decision-making priorities and to plan events, workshops, and learning opportunities.
The Steering Committee is currently composed of nine members:
RRANS - Rainbow Refugee Association of Nova Scotia (Co-Chair)
AGIR - Action LGBTQIA+ avec les ImmigrantEs et RéfugiéEs
Capital Rainbow Refuge
OCASI - Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
MCC Toronto - Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto
Rainbow Railroad
The 519
End of the Rainbow Foundation
Rainbow Refugee Society (Co-Chair)
Membership & Governance Committee
The Membership and Governance Committee is composed of members of the steering committee. This committee meets monthly to:
Create, improve, and maintain “From Freedom To Belonging”’s governance structure and documents
Recommend additional policies and procedures to ensure sound governance policies and practices are in place.
Develop and maintain clear and transparent criteria and processes for coalition membership.
Orient new members to the coalition, and onboard them to their role in decision-making, committees, and structure of the coalition.
Make membership recommendations to the Steering Committee.
Advocacy Committee
The Advocacy Committee is composed of steering committee members and general members of the coalition. Each organization may have two representatives on the Advocacy Committee. This committee meets monthly to:
Review progress to the Coalition’s policy asks for IRCC and other stakeholders;
Respond to real-time events that require the Coalition’s response;
Engage in stakeholder management, including with UNHCR and the Government of Canada; and
To act in solidarity with wider refugee groups and 2SLGBTQIA+ civil society.
Programming Committee
The Programming Committee is composed of steering committee members and general members of the coalition. Each organization may have two representatives on the Programming Committee. This committee meets monthly to:
Develop and ensure delivery of our shared projects and programming;
Steer joint programs, e.g. Blended Visa Office Referral; and
Guide the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Partnership
Trans and Gender Diverse Advisory Group
The Trans and Gender Diverse Caucus was created with the goal of furthering support, understanding, and action around trans and gender-diverse identities and issues as they relate to the different areas of our work. Membership of the Trans and Gender Diverse Caucus Experience Committee is limited to those with lived experience as transgender and gender-diverse newcomers.
Lived Experience Advisory Group
The Lived Experience Caucus was created with the goal of ensuring the coalition remains by-and-for integrity and perspective. Membership of the Lived Experience Caucus is limited to those with lived experience as LGBTQIA+ newcomers, with a special focus on language minorities.
Membership in the Coalition is intended to allow organizations and individuals to access a network of LGBTQIA+ refugee-serving organizations to share resources, skills, and knowledge.
How individuals or organizations engage with the coalition is self-directed, with the possibility of being more or less involved and hands-on. We recognize that some individuals and organizations may have less capacity and resources at their disposal, which may limit their ability to meaningfully participate in the activities of the coalition. Where possible, we endeavor to lift barriers and create a stronger and more accessible coalition for all members.
We have created a set of well-being guidelines that outline some of the expectations we hold each other to in coalition spaces. These guidelines can be viewed HERE.
Value to Members:
- Participate in the Coalition’s regional and national gatherings
- Participate in annual visioning and planning work for the broader membership
- Bring forward concerns/issues to the coalition for additional support
- Support our work in mobilization and advocacy, including attending advocacy mentorship meetings every other month to learn more about how we advocate and to whom.
- Propose, co-lead, and participate in Coalition projects, grants, or interest-based groups.
- Be part of a national network, receive regular updates and opportunities to engage in the work.
Interested individuals, organizations, and collectives who meet the criteria can apply to become members. The criteria is as follows:
- Based in Canada
- Alignment with Coalition’s mission, vision, and guiding principles
- Engagement in one of our four priority areas (overseas protection, inland protection, resettlement, and settlement & integration)
- Organizations led by 2SLGBTQIA+ people and people with lived experience as refugees and newcomers.
