In July 2010, Common Weal Community Arts Inc. in partnership with Regina Open Door Society facilitated ‘Through Our Eyes, Photographs by Refugee and Immigrant Youth’, a multi-media photojournalism project which enabled children of refugees and immigrants living in Regina to express themselves through photography and the internet.

Immigrant and refugee children and youth in Canada are a diverse group with many different experiences and cultural backgrounds. However they commonly experience considerable issues and challenges not faced by mainstream Canadian youth. Despite having relocated to a significantly foreign society and environment than that in which they may have grown up, they face serious challenges in the areas of identity, language, education, employment, cultural and societal norms, religion, health etc. They often live with and suffer the effects of torture, emotional trauma, racism, and the fear and major distrust of authority figures, especially police. 

Family issues also often arise. Increased demands are often placed upon the children and youth to serve as family interpreters and/or translators. Many families experience intergenerational conflict as parents expect their children to adopt traditional values and roles, while young people feel pressure directly from friends and indirectly from the general cultural context to adopt ‘western’ attitudes, values and roles. Being caught between two groups, and often not able to harmoniously connect with either their community or the mainstream, they are much more vulnerable to criminal associations such as gangs in order to gain a sense of belonging and family.

Expressive arts such as photography have been historically played a key role in civically engaging people. Immigrant and refugee children often lack safe and supportive environments where they can talk about their experiences and express their ideas, hopes and fears. Through Our Eyes engaged the participating youth first as individuals and as a group by introducing them to methods designed to help them express themselves, to release some of the stories and images they have within them, and to forge a common bond with each other in the sharing and shaping of their common stories.