Sunday, February 15
2:00 - 4:00PM EST
First Hmong Mennonite Church
93 Doon Rd.
Kitchener ON N2G 3E1
Canada
Get directions
Hearts of Freedom is a rich oral history based on interviews with 145 former refugees, sharing deeply moving accounts of oppression, concentration camps, genocide, and perilous escapes over land and sea. Survivors reflect on their first impressions of Canada – from the unfamiliar snow, cold and food to the unexpected kindness of neighbours and occasional encounters with racism.
This migration marked a new way to welcome newcomers to Canada. Ordinary Canadians played a decisive role in the first mass refugee movement through newly created private sponsorship programs – a role for which the United Nations awarded the Nansen Medal to the Canadian people in 1986.
Hear the story behind the book and readings from co-author Michael J. Molloy and Peter Duchinsky. Michael coordinated the resettlement of sixty thousand Indo-Chinese refugees to Canada in 1979–80 and Peter is Immigration Canada’s former Director of International Liaison.
Listen to the experiences of former refugees and learn about Canada’s current immigration and refugee policies and programs and ask questions during the Q&A. Register below.