Bindu’s role as the Director of the Resettlement & Integration Services (RIS) Division is deeply rooted in her compassion and empathy towards the clients she serves, qualities she has successfully fostered within her diverse team. Her commitment to advocacy ensures that all clients are treated with the respect they deserve, embodying her belief that “Refugees are just as human as we are.” Holding a Master’s degree in Anthropology with a focus on Refugee Studies from Concordia University, Bindu has dedicated her career to the cause of refugees and immigrants. Â
Since first joining CCIS in 1991, Bindu has held various key positions, including Resettlement Assistance Program Coordinator, Special Projects Coordinator, and Refugee & Immigrants Issues Strategist. Her tenure as an adjudicator at the Immigration and Refugee Board in Calgary from 2009 to 2015, where she made decisions on refugee protection claims, further underscores her expertise and commitment to refugee rights. Returning to CCIS in 2016, she has led the resettlement efforts for diverse ethnic communities, including Colombian, Sudanese, Iraqi, Syrian, Yazidi from Northern Iraq, and most recently, the Afghan initiative, always placing empowerment at the forefront of her work.Â
Bindu’s leadership extends beyond CCIS; she served on the Executive of the Canadian Council for Refugees from 2020-2022 and co-chaired the Implementation Committee for the National Afghan Steering Committee. Her personal interests, such as cooking and sharing meals, reflect her professional ethos of unity and collaboration. Bindu’s passion for global fiction and travel complements her linguistic talents, as she fluently speaks several languages including Arabic, French, Spanish, Hindi, Punjabi, and English, allowing her to connect deeply with newcomers in their native languages.Â
We acknowledge Calgary and area as Treaty 7 territory. We acknowledge the Treaty 7 nations; the Piikani, Siksika, Kainai, Iyarhe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina First Nations. We acknowledge the ancestral territory of Siksikaitsitapi, the Blackfoot Confederacy, and the home of the Métis Nation of Alberta—Region 3. We are all treaty people.
In partnership, we empower immigrants and refugees to successfully settle and integrate in our communities.
CHARITY REGISTRATION #118823244RR0001