In recognition of the annual World Refugee Day, this interactive webinar invites communities of faith, refugee sponsorship groups, and justice-seeking individuals to explore how sponsorship can become a meaningful expression of radical welcome, solidarity, and faithful discipleship.
Around the world, many LGBTQIA+ individuals continue to face persecution, criminalization, displacement, and violence because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Faith communities across Canada have a unique opportunity to respond with compassion, accompaniment, and concrete action through rainbow refugee sponsorship.
The Untied Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless persons. UNHCR works to ensure their rights and well-being, and to support durable solutions, including voluntary repatriation, local integration, or resettlement to at third country.
Whether your congregation is already sponsoring refugees, offering support programs, or just exploring how to get started, this webinar will provide practical guidance, real-life insights, and opportunities to connect.
Participants will:
- hear stories from communities of faith
- learn about the sponsorship process
- learn about the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP)
- explore the unique realities facing LGBTQIA+ refugees
- discover how sponsorship can deepen a congregation’s commitment to justice, inclusion, and radical welcome
Speakers
Parastoo Aznavehzadeh has been working with the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP) since 2016 as a Blended Visa Office Referred (BVOR) worker. She briefly stepped away from the BVOR program to contribute to other projects within RSTP, focusing on sponsorship and settlement agencies, before returning to her role as a BVOR worker in 2025. She holds a Master of Public Policy, Administration, and Law from York University. Her main interests have always centered on refugee policies in Canada.
Ryan Corbett is the Assc. Resettlement & Complementary Pathways Officer with UNHCR in Turkiye where she has served for the past four years. Prior to this, Ryan worked in refugee status determination, family reunification, and third country scholarships, as well as with survivors of human trafficking in Malaysia, Egypt, the US, and France.
