Minority Issues on the Rise: A Canadian Prairie Perspective Presented by Ms. Belma Podrug Abstract Belma Podrug is Executive Director of the Global Gathering Place (GGP). GGP, a settlement agency for immigrants and refugees, is located in Western Canada, in the city of Saskatoon. GGP serves approximately 1500 clients per year, providing one-on-one support and offering a diverse range of programs including English language classes, life skills instruction, social programs, and a variety of courses and sessions to enhance particular skills and knowledge in topics such as housing, employment, or health care. In all that it does, GGP operates according to the principles articulated in the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious, and Linguistic Minorities through its programming and public awareness campaigns. The city of Saskatoon is currently experiencing a period of sustained high growth due to immigration and this is changing the fabric of the community from one of a relatively homogeneous society to a truly multicultural one. Ms. Podrug will discuss her agency’s successes, positive measures, and challenges associated with achieving the goals set out in the Declaration, and she will appeal to all levels of government to work to ensure that the outcomes of the Declaration are achieved, with specific reference to the challenges that Global Gathering Place has faced. 1