A Celebration of Belonging In Action- Graduation of the 2nd cohort of the program of Agents of Social Change: The Journey from Learning to Leading

On Saturday night May 31st, in Pierrefond, Quebec, six outstanding future leaders graduated from the second cohort of the Agents for Social Change (ASC) program.  Agents for Social Change is an innovative program that is designed to help first and second generation immigrants, refugees, and minority groups who live in the greater Montreal area integrate into Canadian living by way of becoming community leaders. The program walks them through a journey of self-discovery and skill building with the goal of having them lead the initiatives that they have designed.  This evening was about exactly that: a celebration of the people and the team who supported them over the last twelve months to learn how to design community projects that have a positive impact on the community they live in.  There was such excitement and buzz in the room for this momentous celebration. 

Starting us off were the welcoming remarks by the two partnering organizations, Dr Ahmed Elpannann from the CYD Center and Dr Amal Elsana Alhjooj from PLEDJ setting the stage for us to learn about the organizations who collaborated to run this program, the participants themselves and how their journey through this program shaped who they are and the project they designed. The opening remarks from Sameer Zuberi, MP of Pierrefond-Dollard,  Mme Clément Talbot, Conseillère de la ville Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Imam Dr. Adbulkarim Sekta, and from one of the ASC participants, Ms. Balkis Elmi, touched upon the uniqueness of this program and the importance of it to improve the lives of immigrants, refugees, and minority groups living in Quebec.

The six participants came with their enthusiasm and visible pride in what they created together. The first project is called Pillars Initiative.  Their goal is to connect newcomers professionals  with experienced mentors across diverse fields, offering guidance, resources and career opportunities to help them overcome barriers and thrive.  We have all heard about the challenges of new immigrants who arrived with skills and diplomas that do not easily transfer to their new country. This program addresses this challenge head on.

The incredible Pillars Initiative team from L to R : Balkis Elmi, Manahil Ali, and Hoda Thabet

The second project is called Jusoor : Building, Belong, Become.  Jusoor is a family-centered program designed to support newly arrived immigrant parents as they navigate challenges in a Canadian context. As a team they address barriers such as cultural integration and focus on building strong bonds between parents, children and the broader community.  The goal is to foster an environment where everyone feels welcomed.  One of the challenges of being an immigrant family is the imperative to rebuild your whole support system for your whole family: from building a professional career with different standards, participating in school life, finding the right medical and emotional team, to building relationships to make new friends and connections.

The incredible Jusoor team from L to R : Noha Tolba, Mamdouh Elmoney, and Salma Farah

It was energizing to watch the video where the participants were asked to reflect on their journey through the Agents of Social Change program. Their answers were deep and impactful.  One participant mentioned how she “found the leader in myself”.  Another mentioned, “I love community work because it gives me meaning and satisfaction to my life”.  A participant mentioned how so many of us want to make a difference but don’t know where to start.  This program helped her realize that it is not as hard as we think.  She now has the tools, the network, and the personal growth to navigate community work.  This statement was reinforced by another participant who said, “It has helped me connect to professionals in this field”.  Ultimately one participant mentioned the balance required when being a new immigrant between identity, culture and integration to their new country.

Both group Participants from the Jusoor group Mamdouh Elmoney, Noha Tolba, Salma Farah and from The Pillars Initiative Manahil Ali, Balkis Elmi and Hoda Thabet made very moving and compelling presentations sharing with the audience the critical importance of these programs and why communal support is crucial in helping them make these projects come to fruition.  The event was honored to have in the audience the M.P. of Pierrefond-Dollard Sameer Zuberi, activist and retired professor of Social Work at UdeM Dr Jean Panet-Raymond, Catherine Clément-Talbot, consultant for the city of Pierrefond-Roxboro, and Brigitte Garceau, liberal MNA for Robert-Baldwin. In addition to having local elected officials present, three non-profit organizations involved in helping immigrants integrate into Canadian society were present such as Dina Souleiman, executive director of the Welcome Collective, Samina Uddin, founder of Nisa Support Foundation, and Brian Bronfman from the Peace Network. 

Honored guests: Professor Jean Panet-Raymond, Samina Uddin, Catherine Clément-Talbot, and Brigitte Garceau

PLEDJ team with the amazing ASC graduates along with Brian Bronfman and Brigitte Garceau

To close the evening a dynamic panel discussion was held called The Transformative Power of Community Engagement for inclusion and belonging. Executive director of PLEDJ, Dr Amal Elsana Alhjooj, moderated an engaging conversation filled with challenging questions for the four panelists: Dr Ahmed Elpannann, Executive director of the CYD (host and partner of this event and program), Dina Souleiman, Executive Director of the Welcome Collective, Dr Jean Panet-Raymon, activist and retired professor of social work at UdeM, and Samina Uddin, founder of Nisa Support Foundation.  It was a stimulating conversation filled with insight and food for thought.  Everyone who attended left the event inspired and wondering how else they could be helpful to new immigrants and refugees.

Panelists from L to R: Dr. Amal Elsana Alhjooj, Dr. Ahmed Elpannann, Dina Souleiman, Professor Jean Panet-Raymond, and Samina Uddin

Thank you to the CYD center for hosting and to the McGill School of Social Work for partnering with us in this groundbreaking program.  The evening ended with congratulating the graduates and the giving of their well-deserved graduation certificates to the  graduates of ASC along with much praise, gratitude, and appreciation for the students’ hard work and project development.  The world needs more initiatives like these.  We wish them much success and support as they launch their essential projects.

Center : Ola Khawasik, program director; Sumana Abraham, PLEDJ; Jussour and Pilar Initiative project developers 

Agents for Social Change is a PLEDJ initiative, this year delivered in partnership with the CYD Center. PLEDJ expresses our appreciation for the generous support of the Donner Canadian Foundation for their support.

Agents for Social Change is a program that provides a cohort of refugees, newcomers and minorities holistic skills and community leadership training, individual support and accompaniment in developing a community-based initiative in conjunction with a local nonprofit. ASC addresses the challenges that refugees face by drawing upon their strengths and existing knowledge and capacities to establish a critical mass of leaders emerging from refugee communities who can develop practical solutions to support their and others’ integration in Canada. 

If you are interested in participating in the the third cohort of the Agents for Social Change initiative, please reach out to Ola Khawasik at ola.khawasik@pledj.org