Montreal
Agents for Social Change | Refugees, Newcomers, Minorities
A Portfolio of Participant-led Initiatives
Community Initiatives Description
The Agents for Social Change (ASC) training program culminates in a community initiative designed and led by the trained participants, in collaboration with a local organization in Montréal. These projects respond to pressing community needs identified by the participants. PLEDJ supports each initiative with seed funding and tailored guidance.
Agents for Social Change | Participant Spotlitght
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Jusoor (ASC Cohort 2)
Build, Belong, Become. Jusoor, meaning bridges in Arabic, is a family-centred initiative designed to support newly arrived immigrant parents as they navigate challenges in a Canadian context. The initiative addresses barriers such as cultural integration and focuses on building strong bonds between parents, children and the broader community. One of the challenges of being an immigrant family is the imperative to rebuild your whole support system. The workshops led by Jusoor, are designed to address barriers such as generational disconnections, language barriers, financial struggles and cultural differences.
Pillars Initative (ASC Cohort 2)
The pillars initiative is a community-driven project rooted in the lived experiences of its participants. It was created to empower newly arrived professionals in Canada by providing the tools, connections, and support they need to succeed.
The initiative's aim is to connect professionals, provide resources and a mentorship program. The goal is to enhance the experience of newly arrived professionals. We hope to build confidence and facilitate integration while promoting personal and career growth.
By fostering these relationships, we aim to offer practical guidance, share valuable resources, and open doors to career opportunities that help newcomers overcome barriers and thrive in their new environment.
Ailes de changement | Wings of Change (ASC Cohort 1)
This is a community support and awareness-raising initiative for women who might be at risk of experiencing intimate partner violence from refugee and newcomer communities. It addresses two gaps identified in the services available to this population, which often treat women as passive victims without helping them reclaim their financial or personal autonomy, and often lack cultural competency. The initiative consists of 2 components: personal empowerment to help women regain their self confidence and personal power, and economic empowerment to open avenues for financial independence.
This initiative by Rajaa Abu Arafeh and Nadia Rezkallah will be implemented under the supervision of Montreal City Mission.
Women Weaving their dreams: Upscaling catering project for refugee women (ASC Cohort 1)
This initiative targets the challenges of financial dependency, employment insecurity and feelings of disempowerment among women from refugee communities in Montreal. It was piloted by Montreal City Mission (MCM) following discussions with women from the Syrian refugee community to provide employment opportunities that build on their own strengths and skills as identified by them.
With PLEDJ, Arwa Nofal, ASC participant and MCM outreach coordinator, will upscale the project to match an increasing need and to include other refugee communities, using a social enterprise model that was developed by Dr. Amal Elsana that combines empowerment, confidence building, community building, and a cooperative-style business model. MCM will supervise this project.
STEPS - Steps toward empowering newcomers in Canadian society (ASC Cohort 1)
This initiative by Esra Azayem and Obay Alhaj Ali addresses the initial urgent needs of recently landed Arabic-speaking asylum seekers in Montreal who might not have the required status to qualify for government assistance such as that provided by PRAIDA and who might not speak either of the official languages or have a network in Montreal. Esra and Obay are creating a volunteer group composed of refugees who have gone through the asylum seeking process to create a holistic support program that consists of help with official documents, translation, help to find accommodation, opening a bank account, registering children in school, accessing health and social services, driving…etc, as well as building a network and a community.