Skip to main content
Presented to you through Paradigm Publishing Services

University of Ottawa Press

book: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Actions
Book Open Access

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Actions

Refuge Through Activism at Ottawa’s St. Joe’s Parish
  • , , and
  • Edited by:
Language: English
Published/Copyright: 2022

About this book

What motivates “ordinary people” to support refugees emotionally and financially?

This is a timely question considering the number of displaced people in today’s world is at an all-time high. To help counter this crisis, it is imperative for the Canadian government to determine which policies encourage volunteers to welcome asylum seekers, and which ones must be reviewed.

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Actions relates the story of the St. Joseph’s Parish Refugee Outreach Committee over its thirty years in action, revealing how seemingly small decisions and actions have led to significant changes in policies and in people’s lives—and how they can do so again in the future.

By helping readers—young and old, secular and faith-oriented—understand what drives individuals and communities to welcome refugees with open hearts and open arms, the authors hope to inspire people across Canada and beyond its borders to strengthen our collective willingness and ability to offer refuge as a lifesaving protection for those who need it.

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Actions celebrates the volunteers at the heart of Canada’s refugee resettlement sector and offers strategies by which to encourage and expand this important work.

Author / Editor information

Stéfanie Morris (Author)
Stéfanie Morris hold a master’s degree in Public and International Affairs and is a juris doctor candidate at the University of Ottawa’s Common Law program. She expects to graduate in 2023.

Karina Juma (Author)
Karina Juma is a juris doctor candidate at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. She expects to graduate in 2024.

Meredith Terretta (Author)
Meredith Terretta is Professor of history at the University of Ottawa, specialized in themes of international law and human rights. She teaches and directs student research in African and legal and human rights history.

Patti Tamara Lenard (Author)
Patti Tamara Lenard is Professor of Applied Ethics at the University of Ottawa’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.

Reviews

“This is a truly engaging book that highlights the impact of local community-level advocacy, while situating this work within a broader context of complex migration issues and policy discussions.”

Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
May 31, 2022
eBook ISBN:
9780776629711
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
Main content:
176
This book is in the series
Politics and Public Policy
This book is in the series
Downloaded on 22.4.2026 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9780776629711/html
Scroll to top button