Riley Olstead, from Antigonish, explained on stage Feb. 12 that the intent of the For This Brave New Day concert was to raise funds to bring an Afghan woman to Nova Scotia.Last weekend, the Canadian premiere of a unique composition took place when Mark Hopkins conducted the Acadia University Wind Ensemble in Malala-Symbol of Courage and Peace.
Professor Riley Olstead explained on stage that the intent is to use the funds raised to bring an Afghan woman to Nova Scotia. Refugees who’ve escaped to countries like Pakistan and Turkey and Lebanon are severely constrained and often abused. That was the case even before the devastating earthquakes that hit Syria and Turkey early on Feb. 6.
Three of Nahed’s siblings have been living in limbo in Gaziantep, Turkey. Then it was one of the hardest hit cities by the earthquake. Three days into the tragedy, they learned that her sister and five family members, including three youngsters, had been killed. Last fall I asked Sean Fraser, our immigration minister, about the long delays in uniting families. He essentially said once they are in line, they have to wait their turn. After those horrible earthquakes, surely circumstances have changed and those with applications already in process should be expedited by our government.