Michael and Vera Ryan are spearheading an effort through St. Anne’s Catholic Parish to sponsor a refugee family to come to Osoyoos. Michael Ryan is a former Osoyoos town councillor. They are looking for community support. (Richard McGuire photo)
As images of suffering Syrian refugees filled the TV screens in recent weeks, Michael and Vera Ryan decided to address the situation locally.
The couple has obtained support from St. Anne’s Catholic Parish council and Father David DeSousa to try to bring a refugee family to Osoyoos.
Michael, a former Osoyoos town councillor, said he was struck by images of refugees flooding into European countries that were unable to handle them, while at the same time the federal government was doing nothing to address the situation in the short term.
“We said we just can’t sit here and not do anything,” said Michael. “We’re lucky because we have a big ocean on all sides of us. The European countries don’t have that choice. So we owe it to these people to do something for them.”
The couple has organized a meeting at the Sonora Community Centre in Meeting Room 1 on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. to seek support from other community groups and individuals with sponsorship of a family.
The decision to seek broader community support is because St. Anne’s Parish has limited resources, Michael said.
It is also based on an approach used by Christ the King Catholic Church in Oliver, which began efforts in the spring to sponsor a Syrian family.
This is not the first time the Ryans have been involved in sponsoring a refuge family.
In 1972, when ruthless Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada was expelling Ugandans of South Asian descent, the Ryans received a couple who stayed at their Toronto home for several months.
“They were a very nice couple,” said Vera. “The Ugandans who came as refugees were dream refugees. They were processed quickly and they’ve contributed so much to Canada.”
They again became involved through their parish in sponsoring a family fleeing the Bosnian conflict in the early 1990s. The couple has remained in touch with them.
“We’ve been good friends,” said Vera. “It was a very, very positive experience also.”
The Ryans say they hope the family they sponsor this time will be Syrian, but they don’t know that it will be, as there are also needy refugees who have fled Afghanistan, North Africa and Central Africa.
“These people are fleeing for their lives,” said Michael. “They’re not just going for a better life. They’re trying to stay alive.”
In Syria, 7.6 million people have been internally displaced by four years of relentless civil war, with more than five million fleeing the country. The Syrian government is responsible for most of the deaths, now approaching half a million, and has used deadly chemicals against its own people. In recent years the Islamist militant group ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) has gained control over a large territory and committed atrocities.
Michael said the sponsorship would be handled under the umbrella of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nelson, which St. Anne’s belongs to. The Nelson diocese already has a sponsorship agreement with the federal government.
The sponsors need to commit to support the family financially, socially and morally for a 12-month period, he said, adding that the government provides income support for the first six months.
They hope that other churches, service groups and individuals in Osoyoos will also become involved.
Michael acknowledged that some people have expressed concerns that there could be terrorists among the refugees, but he pointed out that any coming to Canada under this program are screened as legitimate refugees by the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR).
“This is a bonafide organization that has decades of experience in handling refugees,” he said.
Sponsorship of a refugee family would be a bonding experience for the Osoyoos community, Vera said.
“I hope that people will have an opportunity to stretch a little bit and appreciate another culture and show their humanity,” she added.
“It gives people an outlet to actually do something,” said Michael. “I think everybody feels powerless when they see those pictures on the television. It seems so complicated. Maybe we’re only helping one family, but at least it’s one family that’s not standing up against the barbed wire and trying to cross into another country.”
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
