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Historic and systemic anti-Black racism are rooted in political, economic, ontological, epistemological, and cultural foundations of Canadian society. The normativity of whiteness and white supremacy are prevalent in social work programs across Canada despite the profession's commitment to social justice and anti-oppressive practice. Advancing conversations which seek to eradicate anti-Black racism are necessary to create equitable spaces for Black people in schools of social work. Using an environmental scan methodology, this article identifies and discusses strategies that can be utilized across schools of social work in Canada and the U.S. to address anti-Black racism. These strategies relate to the collection of race-based data, curriculum development, support for Black students and faculty members, field education, anti-racism training, research and scholarship, and provision of financial resources. We caution that these changes may be ineffective or unsustainable without addressing and abolishing deeply engrained systemic and institutional racism.

AbstractThis qualitative study examined the experiences of return migrant women from Kosova to contribute to literature on repatriation. Grounded in postcolonial and transnational feminist theories and through a Critical Discourse Analysis of interviews with return migrant women, the study examined dominant discourses which shape the repatriation process in Kosova. Key findings illustrate that returnee women are impacted by and contribute to discourses of comparison, discourses of remigration, and discourses of gender. Returnee women use these discourses to navigate repatriation, while being impacted by intersections of gender and migration. These findings suggest that discourses of comparison often lead returnee women to consider re-migrating rather than reintegrating upon return. In addition, findings offer new insights into how the ability of returnee women to repatriate is hindered by gender norms and family structures which limit them to the domestic realm. Considering this, using a transnational feminist lens when looking at repatriation in the future is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the dearth of repatriation research coming out of Global South countries and question the adoption of repatriation as a sustainable solution to migration crisis, this qualitative study examined the repatriation experiences of rejected asylum seekers from Kosova. Grounded in postcolonial theories and through a Critical Discourse Analysis of interviews with rejected asylum seekers, the study examined dominant discourses which shape the repatriation process in Kosova. Interview findings identify a major, overarching discourse which constructs an exclusive EU, one that is superior to Kosova and although desirable, an almost impossible destination for Kosovars to reach. These findings illustrate that the European Union-Kosova power imbalance and the pervasiveness of the EU as 'exclusive' discourse is crucial in shaping experiences of repatriation and the identities of Kosovar rejected asylum seekers. Moreover, this study adds to the body of existing repatriation literature and provides important implications for reparation policies as well as practice with return migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2015, the European Union experienced a 51% increase in asylum requests. Kosovars constituted the fourth largest group of these asylum seekers, yet only 4% were granted asylum. Rejected applicants continue to be forcefully returned to Kosova partly because repatriation, or the right to return to one's country of origin, is the EU's preferred solution to migration crisis. This despite a significant body of research which substantiates that repatriation is largely involuntary and not a durable solution. To address the discrepancy between existing evidence and the adoption of repatriation as a sustainable solution, my study employed Critical Discourses Analysis to explore the involuntary repatriation of rejected asylum seekers from Kosova. Findings from semi-structured interviews with rejected asylum seekers suggest that this population employ discourses which construct EU countries as superior to Kosova and migration to these countries as an opportunity for a better life. These discourses contribute to how returnees approach repatriation, as well as inform the practice of helping professionals. Responding to calls for models of practice which guide the work of helping professionals with forced returnees, this paper builds upon study findings centering dominant discourses to develop a framework across micro, mezzo and macro levels of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers methodological and theoretical reflections on a recent community-research partnership and participatory training program that was designed with the goal of improving the settlement experiences of migrants with disabilities living in Canada. Anchored in critical theoretical and anticolonial studies and offering intersectional perspectives on forms of oppression experienced by migrants with disabilities, our training program represents a collaborative form of knowledge production with transformative potential for front-line workers and organizers. In this article, we begin the reflective process by unpacking our approach to participatory training, explicating our theoretical assumptions, and linking our values and theories to praxis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]