CCIS - page 4

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business elite canada
H
OCTOBER 2016
bertans in 2015. Established immigrants,
however, had an unemployment rate that
was lower than the provincial average. So
how do you become established?
That has been the mandate of the Cal-
gary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS)
since 1981. As a non-profit organization
that helps immigrants and refugees settle
in Southern Alberta, CCIS has witnessed
countless success stories over the years.
The organization itself is a grand success
story. This year, the group is celebrating its
35th anniversary.
CCIS started with only a handful of volun-
teers led by the church in the 1970s just
as Vietnamese refugees were coming
into Canada. About 60,000 refugees ar-
rived from Vietnam, but there was no sup-
port system in place to integrate, settle,
support, educate, train and employ these
“We were created because community saw a need. We are here to solve a social
problem.” Fariborz Birjandian, CEO
Federal government announcement at MCRC of the joint commitment to settle the Syrians in
Calgary. Municipal, provincial and federal reps in attendance. Minister McCallum
at podium. Fariborz is to his far left.
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