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We've partnered with the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and MaRS to host Canada's first cross-country virtual citizenship ceremony. The ceremony, taking place on July 1, will be a celebration of Canadian resilience and unity, and an opportunity for all Canadians to come together to celebrate and welcome our newest citizens.

Whether you've been here 5 weeks, 5 years, or your ancestors have been here for 5000 years - we invite you to join us on Canada Day to celebrate a vibrant and colourful Canada. Register for this free live event.

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New poll shows impact of COVID-19 on new Canadian citizens

A new poll shows that 64 per cent of new Canadian citizens fear rising discrimination amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and more than one in 10 reports being targeted during the crisis. The survey, conducted by the ICC and Leger, also found that 17 per cent of new Canadian citizens reported speaking up for someone who was being threatened due to their race, age, class or ability amid the pandemic (compared with 13 per cent of the general public).

While the concerns that new citizens are feeling about rising discrimination are indeed alarming, there is optimism about a post-COVID future: more Canadians agree that this crisis will bring diverse communities in Canada closer together than those who do not.

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How diversity in media could help combat misinformation during COVID-19

With the COVID-19 crisis, more and more people are spending more and more time tracking the latest news. But consuming a higher volume of information doesn't necessarily result in being better informed.

We've already discussed the importance of fact-checking and the need to prevent harmful stereotypes when consuming news, but how can media structures themselves change to ensure their reporting is as accurate as possible? One solution is to begin effectively addressing the issue of diversity in Canadian media, Sejla Rizvic writes.

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With the COVID-19 crisis continuing to disrupt the way that we gather, Pride Month this year looks drastically different across the country than it did last year. On today's 6 Degrees Live, Canadian LGBTQI activist Kimhali Powell joins us for a conversation with Rachel Giese, editorial director of Xtra, on the impact of COVID-19 on displaced LGBTQI people, and what Pride Month means during a time of many crises.

Tune in at 11:30 a.m. EDT: Instagram.com/inclusion.ca

• Related: "What this epidemic has shown is that we have some disposable citizens. There are people we put off in these homes and we forget about. Nobody should be a disposable citizen, everybody should live to the greatest of their ability.we should all be citizens with equal rights or equitable rights." Andr? Picard shared in a powerful conversation with our CEO Yasir Naqvi on 6 Degrees Live on May 26. Watch the full conversation. 
   
• Related: Last week, Fabrice Vil joined us on 6 Degrees Live to talk about what racism is and how we combat it. Read the key takeaways from his Live here.
   

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The role of internationally trained doctors during the pandemic and after

With COVID-19 putting immense pressure on the health-care system, some internationally trained doctors are being allowed to practise during the pandemic. This temporary easing of restrictions has raised several questions, among them: Why wasn't Canada employing this skilled workforce already, and what happens when this pandemic is over?

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The ICC is looking for committed and passionate people to join our organization in working to create a future where people, policy, and places are inclusive. We are currently hiring for the following positions:

• Director of Finance
• Bilingual Content Creator
• Database and Systems Administrator

Know someone who might be a good fit? Feel free to forward the job posting to them.

Dear Friends,

Happy Canada Day!

For us at the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, today is a celebration of Canadian resilience and unity; of the spectacular beauty of this land; of the diversity of the people that inhabit it; and of Canada's rich arts and culture.

This is a unique Canada Day. Usually, we would be celebrating at citizenship ceremonies across the country. Instead, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be celebrating with Canada's first-ever cross-country virtual citizenship ceremony, hosted in partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and MaRS. 

While we can't gather in person, we welcome the opportunity to celebrate together in a new way, and we invite you to join us for this celebration today at 2:00 p.m. EDT: 
www.livestream.com/marsdd/inclusion 

We believe that no Canadian is any more Canadian than any other. But as we've seen all too clearly, that isn't the lived experience for many. This Canada Day, we want to send a message of hope and of unity to all Canadians that we celebrate our differences - that difference is what makes Canada our home.

So join us today to welcome the newest members of the Canadian family. For us, this celebration is a declaration that we are proud to be a country of immigrants, a country that's beautifully diverse, and yet a country that still has some work to do to be truly inclusive.

Whether you've been here 5 weeks, 5 years, or your ancestors have been here for 5000 years, we celebrate you.

Happy Canada Day!