Featured Projects
Advocating for Uyghurs on Parliament Hill
Ashad Khan - Inspire Türkiye 2022 & Pakistan 2023
Ashad joined an Inspire trip to Türkiye, where he worked alongside fellow volunteers to run a day camp for local refugee and orphaned children. Through this experience, he heard the stories of Uyghur children and their families. This experience inspired him to raise awareness among politicians and the wider community around the use of forced labour in East Turkestan (Xinjiang).'
Highlights
- Ashad was invited to join the National Canadian Council for Muslims (NCCM) for the first Foreign Affairs Advocacy Day on Parliament Hill as one of the delegates.
- It was an opportunity for Canadian Muslim leaders, thinkers, and activists to get together and advocate with one strong voice about the issues that matter to their communities by engaging in discussions directly with stakeholders from all of Canada’s major parties.
- In September 2022, Ashad engaged in a full day of advocacy meetings and discussions. He saw this as an ideal opportunity to voice the experiences and stories of the children and families he interacted with on his Inspire trip to Türkiye.
- In March 2023, the government of Canada committed to passing legislation that would eradicate goods tainted by forced labour from supply chains, including those arising from Uyghur concentration camps.
A Collective Journey of Awareness, Advocacy, and Unity for Palestine
Jana Alnajjar - Inspire Türkiye 2023
Following Jana’s trip, she initiated several passion projects to support the Palestinian cause. These include launching the Palestinian Cultural Club at Toronto Metropolitan University and organizing impactful events to raise over $15,000 for global causes. From leading Kuffiyeh Week to hosting educational panels and confronting anti-Palestinian hate, Jana's work inspires unity!
Jana's Passion Projects
Educational Awareness on Injustice and Catastrophes at Toronto Metropolitan University
One of my passion projects was founding the Palestinian Cultural Club at Toronto Metropolitan University. I have been the president for over 1 year, and after attending the Inspire program, I shifted the club's events to include more educational awareness of injustice and catastrophes. I have held over 5 fundraising and educational booths that have raised $15,000 in total for these causes.
Kuffiyeh United: An International Movement for Gaza Solidarity
I started an international movement called Kuffiyeh United, where I gathered multiple Palestinian organizations across Canada to declare Kuffiyeh Week. This movement encourages students to wear the kuffiyeh on campus to show solidarity with Gaza.
This project gained over 5,000 participants and raised $50,000. Many journalists even published us in podcasts, articles, and interviews. It was an amazing project to spread awareness and unite the Ummah!
Voices for Palestine: Illuminating Perspectives through Panel Discussions
Another project was organizing a panel for Palestine with over 500 attendees. We brought 6 speakers to educate the community about ways to support Palestine and learn about its resources, history, culture, and the dire situation in Gaza.
How did your volunteer abroad experience with Inspire influence or inspire your local/global community initiative?
My experience opened my eyes to the fact that change can happen at any scale. Helping one person or spreading awareness can make a difference. Thus, I began to spread awareness of many humanitarian issues in the Muslim Ummah.
After learning the power of awareness through the Uyghurs during the Inspire trip, I shared pictures and videos with the community and university peers. The children in Türkiye touched my heart and will remain in my heart and duas for a long time. I will share their stories and be their voice in this community. I will continue to do events to spread awareness about injustice. I will use my platform to reach as many people as possible to educate others.
Providing Accessible and Culturally Responsive Mental Health Care
Omar Khan - Inspire Türkiye 2022
Omar created Ruh, a Canada-wide online therapy platform offering accessible, culturally responsive, and faith-sensitive mental health care.
Highlights
- His team of licensed Muslim therapists come from diverse ethnic backgrounds and are available to support individuals, children (ages 3+), couples, and families.
- Ruh offers support through text, voice, or video in multiple languages, including English, Arabic, French, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, and Creole.
- Their strong multidisciplinary team includes Registered Psychotherapists, Registered Social Workers, and Psychiatrists with various areas of specialization.
- Ruh is committed to empowering their clients to navigate life's challenges by providing comprehensive mental health care throughout their unique journeys of healing and growth.