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In this episode, we're joined by Rahima Paiman, Community Programming & Volunteer Coordinator at Romero House, to talk about how community, connection, and a simple game of soccer can help refugees feel truly at home.Through the annual Refugee Soccer Cup, Romero House brings residents, staff, and volunteers together on the same team, showing how sports can break down barriers, rebuild trust, and overcome isolation.Rahima shares why physical activity and mental well-being are just as essential to integration as finding housing or completing paperwork.Interested in getting involved or supporting this cause? Reach out to Rahima directly at [email protected].🎧 Listen now, link in bio!

In this episode, we had the chance to speak with Francisco Vidal, Executive Director of Sojourn House, a Toronto-based non-profit that provides emergency shelter, transitional housing and comprehensive support to newly arrived refugees.Every year, the Ontario Coalition of Service Providers for Refugee Claimants organizes the Refugee Soccer Cup, and Sojourn House takes part. The 2026 edition came with a very special context: the FIFA World Cup was being held in Toronto!Francisco explains why this event means so much to the community, the benefits he sees among participants, and takes us behind the scenes of the 2026 edition, including all the changes the World Cup brought. Listen now, link in bio!

Dans cet épisode, nous avons le plaisir de recevoir Ophélie Lemieux, enseignante en francisation. À travers son expérience, elle nous plonge au cœur de ses cours et nous parle des défis qu’elle rencontre, mais aussi des réussites qui marquent son quotidien. Elle nous partage sa façon d’enseigner, de créer des liens et d’accompagner les personnes nouvellement arrivées dans leur apprentissage du français.

In this episode, we had the chance to speak with Arzou, a student who is now a refugee, who came to Canada on her own to study at the age of 11. She looks back on her academic journey and her life in Canada, but also discusses the difficulties of being separated from her family and the challenges of settling in, as well as her feelings of guilt for having access to education when women in Afghanistan are denied it. She also shares her experience of the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, whilst she was visiting the country, and the impact such an experience can have on education. We would like to thank Arzou for sharing her story with us!

In this new episode, we are delighted to welcome Basel Abu Hamra, Programme Facilitator for the ‘Rainbow Refugee’ programme at the Edmonton Newcomer Reception Centre and Vice-President of the Canadian Council for Refugees. Starting as a simple community initiative with just seven members, the Rainbow Refugee programme has grown into a genuine support network for over 1,500 members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community who have recently arrived in Canada. Through this programme, we discuss the systemic barriers faced by these individuals, as well as Bill C-12 and its disproportionate impact on 2SLGBTQIA+ people, and also explore people’s journeys towards coming out and finding safety.

Dans cet épisode, nous recevons Josu Otaegi Alcaide, responsable du plaidoyer et des partenariats au Centre Communautaire LGBTQ+ de Montréal.À travers leur programme “La boussole LGBTQ+” qui accompagne les personnes immigrantes et demandeuses d’asile 2SLGBTQIA+, nous discutons des réalités vécues par les personnes et des nombreux obstacles qui jalonnent leur parcours vers la protection.Nous abordons notamment la loi C-12 et ses conséquences ainsi que les répercussions des coupures dans le Programme fédéral de santé intérimaire (PFSI) sur les personnes.Écoutez l’épisode dès maintenant, disponible sur toutes les plateformes d’écoute ! https://ccglm.org/la-boussole-lgbtq/

Découvrez notre nouvel épisode, avec notre invité Pascal Guay, ingénieur logiciel et expert en transformation par l'intelligence artificielle.Il partage sa vision de la technologie non pas comme une barrière, mais comme un formidable outil de confiance et d'émancipation pour les personnes réfugiées et demandeuses d’asile.Pascal revient sur son expérience d'accompagnement auprès de jeunes aux parcours atypiques et de personnes nouvellement arrivées, expliquant comment l'IA permet de briser les obstacles linguistiques ou éducatifs. Il nous montre comment ces outils permettent à chacun de passer du statut d'utilisateur passif à celui de créateur en transformant des idées en projets concretsÉcoutez notre épisode dès maintenant, disponible sur toutes les plateformes d’écoute !

In this episode, we welcome Yasmeen Leclerc, a video game producer best known for her work on South of Midnight. She reflects on her journey in an industry that is still largely dominated by white men and shares the challenges she has faced as a young Palestinian woman of color.She also highlights the importance of inclusive workplaces and initiatives that help people from underrepresented communities build supportive networks.Drawing on her experience working on South of Midnight, Yasmeen explains why diversity within development teams is a powerful driver of creativity, leading to games that are richer, more authentic, and more representative!

In this episode of Point of Entry into Screens and Realities, we welcome Syeda Bukhari Director of the South Asian Film Festival of Montreal. Together, we explore how independent cinema can serve as a powerful lens through which to reflect the complex realities of marginalized communities and challenge stereotypes.From her role as a professor at Concordia University to her upcoming documentary on international students, Syeda shares why every story brought to the screen should have a purpose and leave a lasting impact.

Dans cet épisode, nous recevons Sophie Deraspe, réalisatrice et scénariste québécoise reconnue pour ses œuvres qui explorent les enjeux humains et sociaux. Ensemble, nous discutons du rôle du cinéma dans notre compréhension du monde, des inspirations derrière son film Antigone, ainsi que de la manière dont le septième art peut éclairer des réalités humaines complexes à travers des thèmes tels que la famille, la justice et les réseaux sociaux. Une conversation sur le pouvoir des histoires pour susciter la réflexion, nourrir le dialogue et porter un regard différent sur le monde qui nous entoure. Écoutez l’épisode dès maintenant, disponible sur toutes les plateformes !

In this episode, we welcome Katharine Stein, Director of Health Services at Head & Hands. Together, we discuss the importance of prevention and health education for young people, as well as the need for clear, inclusive, and accessible information. We also explore the hostile policies adopted in recent years and the serious consequences that limited access to healthcare can have on the health and well-being of  people, as well as on society as a whole. Because access to healthcare should be an equal right for everyone !

In this episode, Alice Alvarez Pereyre executive director at RIVO-RÉSILIENCE, discuss with us about an often dismiss reality of migration : mental health. Together, we explore the challenges refugees and refugee claimants face before, during and after migration, from experiences of war and displacement to the stress of navigating housing, legal uncertainty, racism, and access to care in Quebec. The conversation also dives into the recent changes to federal health coverage, IFHP, for refugee claimants and how it impacts their access to mental health support. Despite the challenges, this episode is also about resilience, trust and the strength of communities supporting one another.

In this episode, Aladeen Tawfeek, actor, director, and stage director, reflects on his artistic journey across film and theatre, and the ways performance can both engage with and move beyond questions of cultural identity. He shares his approach to portraying a life shaped by hardship, while navigating a cultural context he is not personally rooted in. He speaks about the importance of working with care, listening closely to the text, and building an interpretation that is grounded in emotional truth rather than cultural assumptions. Through his practice as an artist working across disciplines, he discusses the importance of intention in storytelling, the responsibility of avoiding cultural misrepresentation, and the value of theatre spaces that open up complexity rather than reduce it.

In this episode, Rahul Varma, founder and artistic director of Teesri Duniya Theatre, reflects on the power of theatre as a tool for social and cultural justice. He discusses representation on stage, the resistance intercultural storytelling once faced, and why creating space for marginalized voices remains essential today. This conversation also explores Teesri Duniya’s current theme, “The Season of the Migrant,” and the role of art in challenging exclusion, preserving dignity, and imagining more just futures.

Dans cet épisode, nous explorons les questions de culture et d’identité québécoise avec Eva Gracia-Turgeon, directrice des relations gouvernementales au Québec au Centre de réfugiés. Ensemble, nous discutons du paysage politique actuel dans la province, de la montée des discours anti-immigration et du rôle que peuvent jouer l’histoire, la mobilisation communautaire et l’action collective pour répondre à la désinformation et aux divisions.