The South Asian Women’s Community Centre (SAWCC) announces its 30^th anniversary Conference-forum, “Migrant Feminisms in the New Millenium”, 4-5 November at 6767 Cote des Neiges. 

Conference and Forum registration (includes all meals):

2 days  — all included $35; 1 day – Saturday 5 November $30; only Welcome Dinner Friday 4 November  $10; only Café Night Dinner Saturday 5 November  $10

Whisper translation provided.  Free childcare available (but must be booked in advance)

The SAWCC is holding this conference-forum to celebrate thirty years of work, to highlight lessons we have learned and to look to a future where feminisms must be responsive to changing realities.  We will have representation from Montréal, other parts of Canada, USA and South Asia.  In these thirty years, we have worked steadfastly to promote our mandate — service, support and advocacy for South Asian women and their families in the Montréal area, assisting women to achieve their full potential.  Recognizing that immigrant women from South Asia, like women from other minority communities  experience difficulty because of cultural, linguistic and economic barriers,  SAWCC was founded to assist women take their place as full and equal citizens in Québec and Canadian society.  And we have been eminently successful in our endeavours, assisting over 2,000 women and their families every year. While language and culture may no longer be hurdles for second and third generation South Asian women and girls, issues related to race and identity continue to warrant a strong organization for South Asian women in Montréal.

The world is at a critical juncture.  We live in a unipolar world of imperialist wars and market-driven economic policies, ever-widening gaps between haves and have-nots, as most recently articulated in the occupy movements in Montréal and around the world, the decline of independent and autonomous women’s organizations as they get NGOized, the multifarious issues that occupy us and leave little time and energy for our work in the areas of feminism and gender,  and new generations of young women facing challenges that are significantly different than they were when we began thirty years ago. Unfortunately, some things remain the same.   Violence against women is endemic – interpersonal, state and economic — and as the backlash against feminism continues, (or for some it seems there is no longer a need for feminism), the danger to women and girls has never been greater in our communities here and elsewhere. 

In Canada we have a majority conservative government who are dismantling the hard-won rights of working people and introducing hardline immigration and refugee policies.   And in their previous term as a minority government they introduced changes that had a very negative effect on women and the marginalized  — slashing and burning programs and funding.  In Canada for many years now, we no longer have a viable, coherent Canada-wide voice for women that can challenge these losses. 

Our Conference-forum will be a rallying point to re-group, as women of South Asian origin, of various generations, feminists and activists  – to celebrate, learn from our past and plan for the future; to continue what we have been doing so well and to develop new and innovative ways that will help us tackle the huge challenge to keep feminism and feminist activism alive. And to galvanize momentum that can have an impact Canada-wide and elsewhere.   We have been catalysts for change.  We must continue.  We will be joined in this by friends and allies.  This will be a hands-on working  conference-forum, organized to ensure maximum participation, to be action-oriented. 

If you need financial accommondation in order to attend the forum, please get in touch at the following email: sawcc.30th.anniversary@gmail.com 

Si vous avez besoin accommondation financière afin d’assister le forum, s’il vous plaît contactez nous à l’adresse électronique suivante: sawcc.30th.anniversary@gmail.comContact Caroline Tabah for more information, as well as registration forms. 
Caroline Tabah:  sawcc.30th.anniversary@gmail.com 
                                         Phone: 514-528-8812 x 105

Position Title: Centre Coordinator, South Asian Women’s Community Centre

Job Description

The Centre Coordinator is responsible for maintaining and procuring core and project funding, is the public face of the organization, liaises with relevant government organizations as well as the Centre’s Executive Council, and works smoothly with the Centre Manager as well as all staff.

The Centre Coordinator ensures that this is done in accordance with the objectives of the organization.

Requirements

• Dedicated to a feminist and inclusive approach based on respect and understanding
• Ability to promote and foster a harmonious working environment that is gender-sensitive and queer-friendly
• 5 to 10 years experience in community development or community organization in a leadership position
• 5 years experience in grant-writing and project creation in the context of a community organization
• Skills in accounting and an understanding of accounting and financial systems; knowledge of the software program Simply Accounting an asset
• 5 years experience managing an organizational budget; experience in preparing financial, monthly, and yearly reports
• Some experience compiling and organizing organization-related statistics
• Experience and in-depth knowledge of the Refugee and Immigration process for Quebec and Canada
• Experience actively working with immigrants and refugees in the Montreal area
• In-depth knowledge of the diversity of the South Asian community in Montreal
• 3 to 5 years active involvement in Montreal community organizing
• Ability to gather and motivate workers, volunteers, and women users of the Centre’s services
• Previous involvement in and understanding of the integration process for immigrants and refugees within the health system (e.g., hospitals, CLSCs, and social services)
• Experience providing training to co-workers and transfer of knowledge
• Fluent, spoken and written, in French and English,  and knowledge of one or more South Asian languages
• Minimum requirement of a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline such as Social Work or Business Administration

Responsibilities

Below is a list of some of the responsibilities of the Centre Coordinator:

• Ensuring the development and visibility of the organization
• Being responsible for preparing grants and reports and developing future projects and programs for the Centre
•  Preparing, negotiating and finalizing  service agreements with funding agents
• Preparing all the required documents for the annual meeting under the guidance of the Executive Council
• Directing and coordinating the implementation of various projects
• Working with the Centre Manager on a day-to-day basis
• Understanding the current and future needs of the organization and its clients
• Attending government meetings and conferences on behalf of the organization
• Acting as an ex‑officio member of the Executive Council
• Overseeing and being responsible for Centre resources, budget, bookkeeping, report writing and all other administrative requirements for the Centre
• Overseeing and ensuring staff evaluations
  • Promoting and maintaining collaborations with partners (community, institutional and private)

Please note this position will require some evening and weekend work. This is a permanent, full-time position that will begin in November, 2011.  Only candidates considered for an interview will be contacted.

This position offers collective insurance and other fringe benefits as per the South Asian Women’s Community Centre’s current practices and policies.

To Apply

Please send a CV, cover letter, a vision statement, and three references, no later than 14 October 2011 to “Hiring Committee c/o SAWCC Coordinator” by email to sawcc@bellnet.ca

Welcome to SAWCC!

The South Asian Women’s Community Centre (SAWCC) is an organization that helps women achieve their full potential in the Québec and Canadian societies and also helps them become independent.