Amnesty International is a democratic organization dedicated to effectively using financial and people resources to meet our human rights goals.
At the international level, the members of the Board of Directors – known as the International Board (IB) – provide guidance and leadership for the Amnesty International movement worldwide.
Every year, a Global Assembly is convened, where representatives of each section come together to discuss strategies and policies, vote on IB members, and share ideas and knowledge to guide the international movement.
There are over 80 Amnesty International offices worldwide. In Canada, we have two branches – the English-Speaking one with its main office in Ottawa and the Francophone Branch in Montreal.
Our Board guides the English-Speaking Branch. The Board is made up of 10 people elected by our national membership. The work of the Board ranges from setting policies to approving the operational plans and the budget for Amnesty Canada’s work each year and ensuring that international decisions are implemented at the national level. Board members are a dynamic group of people committed to human rights for all and driven to make Amnesty an ever-stronger voice, both within Canada and within an international context.
In Canada, Amnesty members participate in our Annual General Meeting (AGM) where they can bring forward and vote on resolutions that give direction to the Branch’s work and shape policies, vote for members of our Board, and vote for the ICM delegates.
Meet the Board of Directors
Amnesty International Canada’s Board of Directors is made up of 10 elected members who volunteer their time to oversee our strategic direction and financial management, maintain strong links with the international movement of Amnesty International, and provide leadership and guidance in advancing our human rights work.
Members of the Board are happy to respond to questions about the governance of Amnesty Canada. Click here to contact the Board of Directors.
Mohamed Huque, Chair
Mohamed has spent his entire career advancing social change, from grassroots organizations to global charities. He is presently the Director, Community Impact at Toronto Foundation where he mobilizes the organization’s vast philanthropic resources towards equity-driven priorities.
Previously, he was a strategy consultant advising some of the world’s leading NGOs on projects ranging from supporting LGBTQ+ groups in the Global South to establishing women-led co-operatives in rural Sudan. As a former nonprofit executive, he’s also led an advocacy organization to develop Canada’s first national reading strategy and a frontline social service agency that supports low-income communities. At the heart of all his work has been a commitment to justice and equity to ensure those closest to any social problem are centred when designing solutions.
In 2015, he was selected to be an Ariane de Rothschild Fellow at the University of Cambridge, specializing in social entrepreneurship. Beyond Amnesty, he serves on the board of the Inspirit Foundation dedicated to promote pluralism in Canada.
Dastageer Sakhizai, Director
Dastageer works as a Senior Policy Analyst at the Government of Saskatchewan in Canada. His career in public policy started in early 2006 after graduation from the School of Policy Studies at Queens University. Prior to transitioning to his new career in public policy, Dastageer worked in conflict resolution area as a mediator in Saskatoon Community Mediation Services for five years.
In his previous career, Dastageer worked as a researcher in academies of sciences of Afghanistan, Hungary, Uzbekistan, and Bulgaria as well as at the University of Saskatchewan where he was recruited for a research project and subsequently settled in Canada.
Dastageer’s work with Amnesty started with a local group in Saskatoon in 2000 that was expanded to some activities at a national level as well. Besides defending human rights, Dastageer’s work in promoting social justice in other areas included advocacy for electoral reform/proportional representation, workforce integration of professional immigrants, and raising awareness about Canadian citizenship (through community-based citizenship ceremonies). His work in voluntary sector led to founding three advocacy organizations/networks where he served as the founding president/chairman.
Dastageer holds a Bachelor of Science in plant sciences, a Master of Science in genetics, and a Master of Public Administration.
Greg Zatulovsky, Treasurer
Greg has committed the last decade as a change leader focused on modernizing nonprofit financial and operational systems so that more resources could be allocated to serving our communities. In 2021, he decided to commit his energy to the grassroots social purpose sector and founded a new nonprofit, Purpose Forward. As the CEO, he leads a growing team with a mission of advancing operational expertise across the Canadian charitable sector while scaling a new organization and establishing robust governance practices.
As an accountant (CPA, CMA), Greg started his career with globally recognized brands before pivoting to the charitable sector and working with the Canadian Mental Health Association and Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, among others. In 2021, he was a recipient of the CPA Ontario Emerging Leaders Award to recognize his contributions and commitment to the social purpose sector. Along with being honoured to join Amnesty as the new Treasurer, Greg is also the Treasurer at Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation, a national housing advocacy charity.
Sarah Koch-Schulte, Director
Based in Toronto, Sarah began her involvement with Amnesty in New York City in 2007. She has served in a variety of capacities from a staff role as Senior Major Gift Officer participating on the team leading campaigns focused on prisoners of conscience, to her current volunteer role as a Board Director. Sarah has collaborated with Amnesty leaders and activists from 20 sections around the globe and organized Amnesty projects involving CNN, Kerry Kennedy, Stephen King, Lincoln Center, Politico, Sotheby’s, Gloria Steinem, Sting, and Cornel West. Sarah sits on numerous committees aimed at strengthening Amnesty’s policies and strategies in Canada (English). She believes that Amnesty’s 400,000 activists, members and supporters in Canada are key.
Sarah has two decades of experience in human rights research and fundraising. She co-authored the book “Can Anyone Hear Us? Voices from 47 Countries” (Oxford University Press). Raised on a family farm on Treaty 1 territory in Manitoba, Sarah strives to be a friend to the Indigenous community on Turtle Island. Sarah has designated Amnesty for a planned gift in her estate and encourages others to consider a current or planned gift.
Agapi Gessesse, Director
Agapi Gessesse is an Award-winning change maker who was named a 2020 top Black woman to watch in Canada. Born and raised in Toronto to a refugee mother, Agapi’s commitment to mentoring marginalized youth stems from her lived experience, and belief in community development.
Agapi has captivated audiences on local and national stages as a commentator on anti-black racism, workforce development and youth engagement.
Agapi Gessesse serves as the Executive Director of CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals, and lives in Toronto.
Accomplishments:
- 2020 TOP BLACK WOMAN IN CANADA
- 2019 DIAL MOVER IN TECH- DIAL MOVERS
- 2019 MAYTREE FELLOW – MAYTREE POLICY SCHOOL
Michael Hayworth, Director
Michael is a practicing lawyer in the Toronto area. He has been involved with Amnesty since 2008 and has worked on staff with Amnesty Australia and lead the section’s campaign team in 2017. He has a deep passion for human rights and Amnesty and is excited to help build our movement.
Bruce McIvor, Director
Dr. Bruce McIvor, lawyer and historian, is a partner at First Peoples Law LLP, a law firm dedicated to defending and advancing Indigenous People’s inherent and constitutionally protected title, rights and treaty rights. His work includes both litigation and negotiation on behalf of Indigenous Peoples. Bruce is recognized nationally and internationally as a leading practitioner of Aboriginal law in Canada.
Bruce is dedicated to public education. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia’s Allard School of Law where he teaches the constitutional law of Aboriginal and Treaty rights. His collection of essays entitled Standoff: Why Reconciliation Fails Indigenous People and How to Fix It will be published in the fall of 2021 by Harbour Publishing.
Bruce holds a law degree, a Ph.D. in environmental history and is a Fulbright Scholar. His great-grandparents took Métis scrip at Red River in Manitoba. He is a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation.
Geneviève Thériault-Lachance, Vice-Chair
Geneviève Thériault-Lachance is a lawyer based in Quebec that specializes in corporate accountability. She is particularly interested in corporate’s ethics and the connection between corruption and human rights violations. She worked for several years in London for an organization that sought to bring justice to victims of corporate abuses in sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to leaving for London, she practiced as a trial lawyer in Montreal. She appeared regularly before the highest provincial and federal courts. She also acted as a legal consultant for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), where she drafted applications on behalf of victims and amicus curiae brief to ensure the protection of the rule of law in impeachment procedures in Latin America.
Geneviève has a Master of Laws (LLM), with distinction, from London University College (UCL), where she was the sole recipient of the Sir Frederick Pollock scholarship. She regularly writes legal blogs for the legal publisher Éditions Yvon Blais of Thomson Reuters, is a founding trustee of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) UK and a board member of the Quebec Human Rights League.
Elaheh Sajadi, Director
Elaheh has been volunteering with Amnesty since 2014, supporting the organization’s growth in many different capacities. She has written countless letters, marched for missing rights defenders, organized activism events, and facilitated conversations about Amnesty’s past, present, and future.
As one of the original members of the National Organizers program and the National Youth Action and Advisory Committee, she has and continues to work with incredible youth across Canada to further Amnesty’s prerogatives and ensure youth can mobilize and advocate on issues that warrant their passion.
In addition to her experiences at Amnesty, she has a background in fundraising and development. She has worked as a Fundraising Leader at Public Outreach, a Special Events Clerk for SickKids Foundation and currently works at Human Rights Watch Canada where she supports the office in its development and outreach efforts.
Elaheh holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree double majoring in Human Rights and Criminology. She is also attending the Lincoln Alexander School of Law, working towards her goal of becoming an international human rights lawyer.
Laurin Liu, Director
Laurin Liu was a Canadian Member of Parliament between 2011-2015 and served as the youngest female Parliamentarian in Canadian history. While in office, she served as deputy critic for Environment, Science and Technology and International Trade and tabled multiple bills, including Bill C-409, for the automatic enrolment in the guaranteed income supplement for low-income seniors and Bill C-620, to expand health and safety protections for interns in federally regulated industries. She also pushed for a responsible and ethical foreign policy on various Parliamentary committees, including action on climate change, stopping the use of cluster munitions and arms exports to repressive governments, and ensuring the inclusion of human rights and environmental protections in trade deals.
For years, she has also worked for international philanthropies and NGOs, where she has played a behind-the-scenes role in strategic communications, supporting activists defending basic rights around the world and campaigns for international justice and accountability.
She holds a master’s degree in human rights from the London School of Economics. Raised in Montreal, Quebec, she speaks English and French.
Staff Leadership
Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General
Ketty Nivyabandi is a human rights defender and a passionate advocate for social justice. She was forced to flee her home as a result of her activism in May 2015, after she mobilized and successfully led women peaceful protests in her home country, Burundi.
As a refugee and human rights defender, she has testified before the Canadian House of Commons Sub-Committee on International Human Rights on ongoing human rights violations in her country, particularly against women. She regularly speaks on refugee issues, democracy and human rights –with a particular focus on women human rights defenders– and the effects of conflict on women’s intimate lives. She was a founding member of Burundi’s Women and Girls Movement for Peace and Security, a strong apolitical voice ensuring women have a front seat at the peacemaking table.
Ketty studied International Relations, is a former journalist and a published poet.
Kassandra Churcher, Executive Director
Kassandra has enjoyed a long and significant management career, including supervising the operations and management of all primary and secondary schools throughout the Inuit territory of Nunavik in the north of Quebec as well as being the National Executive Director for the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS). She played a leadership role in developing opportunities for funding and support of the 24 community-based Elizabeth Fry Societies across Canada who are responsible for delivering programs and services to at-risk and criminalized girls and women.
Kassandra is committed to fostering an ARAO intersectional feminist approach in her writing, advocacy, work, and life. She currently lives in Hudson, a small community outside of Montreal where she volunteers as Vice President of Elizabeth Fry Society.
Kassandra graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Ethics, holds a Master of Arts in Education from Concordia University in Montreal, and is completing a PhD in Culture and Values in Education from McGill.
Hawa Y. Mire, Director of Equity, People and Culture
Hawa Y. Mire has joined Amnesty International Canadian Section (English Speaking) as Director of Equity, People and Culture at a time of critical introspection and profound change. She will be supporting senior leadership’s vision to build a more equitable organization rooted in anti-racist, anti-oppressive and feminist values, principles and practices.
Over the last year, Amnesty Canada has been in a process to assess and transform internal culture, overhaul processes and practices, and build innovative approaches to maximize our human rights impact. Reporting to the Interim Executive Director, the Director of Equity, People and Culture is a member of the senior management team and is responsible for ensuring the section’s human resources strategy and practices align with the organization’s core values and strategic direction.
Hawa holds a deep belief that Amnesty International Canada’s mission to ensure justice for those whose rights have been violated must be align with its internal work environment. This commitment requires sustainable structural change as well as an adequate, well-resourced change management process that ensures that the organization is set up for future success.
Hawa Y. Mire has two decades of experience as a proven strategic senior leader focused on high-impact organizational culture change, with 7 years of direct experience developing, implementing and advancing ARAO-DEI strategies including training, coaching and driving talent.
Her work has focused on developing, implementing and advancing anti-racism, anti-oppression, equity, diversity and inclusion strategies, strategic consultation and organizational development, executive administration, HR and financial management. In 2017, she completed a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from York University where her research examined community storytelling as a place of transformation. She is currently enrolled in the PhD of Social Work Program at York University. She is not only a respected champion for equity and anti-oppression but also brings in-depth knowledge of the Canadian not-for-profit and charitable sector, human rights, innovation and bold strategic leadership.
Directors
Gordon Mair, Director of Finance and Administration
Gordon Mair has been the Branch’s Director of Finance and Administration since March 2008 after holding similar positions with Sierra Club Canada, CARE International in Zambia, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community in New Caledonia, and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture in Costa Rica. Previously he had worked for Forestry Canada and for the Office of the Auditor General.
Gordon has overall responsibility for the financial management of the Branch, including the preparation of financial statements, monitoring of revenue and expenses, risk management, health and safety, and liaison with auditors. He and his team carry out all of the financial functions for the Branch and the administrative functions related to the National Office.
He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Carleton University and a CMA designation.
Marie-Helene Boubane, Director of Fundraising
Marie-Hélène was promoted to Director of Fundraising in July 2022. Marie-Hélène has held many positions in the fundraising department at Amnesty International, first from 2012 to 2015, as the Manager of Fundraising Programs in Ottawa. She came back in July 2020 to manage Major Gifts and Legacy Giving covering a parental leave then moved to manage Annual Giving, Legacy Giving, and Supporter Services.
Marie-Hélène’s professional career started in Insurance but landed in Fundraising by accident. Her Fundraising journey is fueled by a passion for empowering people. She successfully fundraised for international organizations like Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), and CARE Canada in various positions from Direct Marketing to Monthly Giving and Institutional Fundraising.
When not working with her wonderful colleagues at Amnesty, she is a fierce advocate for mental health especially when it comes to neurodivergent populations.
Her next challenge, in this position, is to continue the excellent fundraising work done by her predecessor while bringing an anti-racist and oppressive lens to the Fundraising programs.
Marie-Hélène graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Concordia University. She joined the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) in 1999. She holds a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) designation since 2015. She will timidly start presenting at AFP in the fall of 2022.
Ihsaan Gardee, Director of Programs and Communications
Ihsaan Gardee joined as the Director of Programs and Communications in November 2019. Prior to this, Ihsaan served for ten years as Executive Director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), an Ottawa-based national non-profit human rights and civil liberties advocacy organization. During his time there he worked on a number of high profile cases and files including in coalitions with partners such as Amnesty. Ihsaan has regularly appeared on local and national news media & programs on issues related to Canadian Muslims, Islam, and civil liberties and his writings have appeared in major Canadian dailies as well as international publications. He has also spoken at numerous Canadian and global forums and conferences on public policy matters. In his professional capacity, Ihsaan has provided expert testimony to several Parliamentary and Senate committees on how proposed legislation, including national security laws, could adversely impact civil liberties and diverse communities. Ihsaan has addressed diverse audiences including youth and the young-at-heart on topics such as tackling Islamophobia, media engagement & advocacy.
A graduate of the University of Windsor and the University of Western Ontario, Ihsaan currently serves as the Director of Programs & Communications Amnesty International Canada – English section (AICES). In this role, he works with both the Communications and Programs team to help set priorities, develop long-terms strategic goals, annual plans, and budgets for campaigning by the organization on a variety of international and domestic human rights issues. In addition to this, he leads on the organization’s strategies for growing its base of members and supporters.
Zosa De Sas Kropiwnicki-Gruber, Director of Research, Advocacy and Policy
Zosa De Sas Kropiwnicki-Gruber is the Director of Research, Advocacy and Policy at Amnesty International Canada. Informed by her doctorate in International Development Studies at the University of Oxford (United Kingdom, 2007), Zosa has spent the last two decades leading research, policy analysis and advocacy related to gender-based violence, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, forced migration and child protection for development organizations and multilaterals in South East Europe, Central Asia, West Africa and Southern Africa.
As the former Policy Director and Gender Specialist at the British Columbia Council for International Cooperation (BCCIC), Zosa led research, advocacy and intersectional gender equality programs related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP). Zosa contributes to the prevention of sexual abuse and exploitation on the Advisory Committee of Digna, the Canadian Centre of Expertise on the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA). Zosa also serves on the Executive Board of Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (CW4WAfghan) and Co-Chairs the Advocacy Team to advocate for the protection and fulfillment of the rights of Afghan girls and women to safe, equitable and quality education.
Zosa has published extensively on topics related to child protection, gender equality and forced migration, including a book published by Palgrave MacMillan on human rights defenders in exile entitled, Exile identity, agency and belonging in South Africa: the Masupatsela generation. Zosa is passionate about anti-oppressive, decolonial approaches to human rights and international development, and through the co-creation of research and advocacy campaigns with rights-holders, she seeks to bring about transformative change.
Meet the members of the 2020-2022 National Youth Action and Advisory Committee
The National Youth Action and Advisory Committee (NYAAC) is a national youth body that takes action on youth mobilization in addition to advising Amnesty International Canada English-Speaking (AICES)’s members, leaders and staff on youth participation in various aspects of human rights work including governance, campaigns and activism.
Members of NYAAC are happy to respond to questions about their work with Amnesty Canada. Please contact us here.
Hannah Ahamedi, Chair
Hannah Ahamedi is currently a grants and communications coordinator for Refugees Seat, an international organization working to enhance the effectiveness of global refugee responses. Hannah has been an active member of Amnesty International for the past seven years and has experience at both the local, regional, and national levels. Positions she has occupied include General Member, Youth Council Director, Toronto Youth Council member, First-Year Representative for Amnesty UofT, National Youth Organizer, and NYAAC member. Her passion for disarmament is what initially drew her to the organization, specifically its campaign asking the Canadian government to stop dealing small arms to Saudi Arabia. Her personal background being Kenyan and Yemeni is also a determinant of her interest in global development and human rights. She holds a Hons B.A. in Peace, Conflict and Justice Studies from the Munk School of Global Affairs, as well as minors in Diaspora/Transnational Studies and History.
Tegan Hore-Kelman, Internal Communications Officer
In May 2022, Tegan graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. She majored in International Relations and minored in Environmental Ethics, taking a special interest in courses related to human rights, international law, global politics, intersectionality and climate justice. While studying at the University of Toronto, Tegan was active in her student community, as a member of the University of Toronto’s Feminist Equal Rights Alliance, a volunteer voice and piano teacher for Musical Minds, a student-run coalition of music teachers, a crisis analyst for the North American Model UN and a researcher for the G7 Research Group. Tegan presently works as a Criminal Registrar at the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto. She is excited to be a member of Amnesty Canada’s NYAAC, working alongside a wonderful group of young, passionate human rights activists.
Aidan Sander, Board Liaison
Aidan is a first-year medical student at Queen’s University in Kingston, ON, and a graduate of Pearson United World College in Victoria, BC. Aidan first became involved with Amnesty International through the 2017 Human Rights College for Youth. Since then, Aidan has become more involved within the organization. In addition to being a member of the NYAAC, Aidan has served as a member of the National Human Rights Goals Committee, where he helped to guide the engagement process for the gathering of membership feedback to aid in the development of the Global and AICES strategic goals. During his spare time, Aidan may be found running along one of Kingston’s many trails bordering Lake Ontario or enjoying nonfiction books.
Akanksha Sharma, Board Liaison
Akanksha Sharma is a second-year justice, political philosophy, and law student at McMaster University, with a prospective minor in sociology and french. She first got involved with Amnesty at the age of 16 having attended the Amnesty Human Rights College In Toronto. After that she co-founded her high school’s Amnesty Human Rights club and worked as a national organizer, facilitating and organizing campaigns in her school community. She first officially started her activism at 13 as a member of the RCMP national youth advisory committee and has been nurturing her passion for human rights ever since.
Hajar Abdessamie, External Communications Officer (Youth/Staff Liaison)
Hajar Abdessamie is currently a Management Consulting Analyst at Accenture based in Ottawa, ON, the traditional unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation. She has been an active Amnesty International activist since 2017, having held positions as a National Organizer, VP of Finance, VP of Events, a member of the Human Rights College Organizing Committee, and the NYAAC. Hajar is committed to advancing Amnesty International’s vision of creating a world where human rights are respected and protected.
Over the years, Hajar has organized and facilitated various events for Amnesty International’s Write 4 Rights, Have a Heart, and No More Stolen Sisters campaigns. Additionally, she has helped host numerous letter-writing events that aim to advocate for human rights defenders who have been wrongfully prosecuted. With a strong desire to make a positive impact, Hajar is eager to further engage and empower Amnesty International’s youth activists. Her goal is to establish a platform where young activists can work together to tackle the challenges they face and create meaningful change.
Fatima Beydoun, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Officer
Fatima Beydoun is currently pursuing a JD/BCL from McGill University on the unceded territory of the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation in Tiohtiá:ke (Montreal). Originally from the unsurrendered Mi’kmaq territory of K’jipuktuk (Halifax), Fatima was first introduced to Amnesty International Canada in Grade 11 when she attended a workshop in Halifax and has been actively involved with the organization ever since, starting as a youth organizer and formerly the Co-president of the Amnesty Club at Dalhousie. Now in her fifth year at the NYAAC, Fatima is able to incorporate her passions of youth empowerment and human rights while working alongside others to advocate for more equitable systems on the local and global scales. She is involved with environmental, migrant and racial justice work on campus and in the community, and spent her first summer of law school in Manila for a human rights internship with the Ateneo Human Rights Centre. When she is not organizing, she can be found watching aesthetic cafe videos, practicing cello, and spending time with her friends and family.
Shriya Shah, Strategy & Global Partnerships Officer
Shriya Shah is a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania studying International Studies and Business in the Huntsman Dual Degree Program, and pursuing the Graduate Certificate in Human Rights from UPenn Law. An active member of Amnesty at the regional & national level since 2017, she has a passion for making institutional human rights change in her community, particularly at the intersection of technology, disability rights & role of advocacy networks. She has fostered this through her comparative disability legal research at UPenn Law, traveling to Israel & Palestine for a fellowship investigating the geopolitical conflict from a human rights lens & delivering a TEDx talk on the Privilege of Movement.
In her role as the Strategy & Global Partnerships Officer this term, she hopes to expand the NYAAC’s impact & reach internationally – bringing together the brightest youth minds from around the globe to further advance Amnesty’s work and empower young leaders.
Hayley Yip, External Communication Officer – Media Activism
Hayley Yip is a third-year student at McGill University, majoring in Political Science and minoring in Sociology. She is active at McGill acting as the Co-president of the Multi-Ethnic Student Alliance, fostering a community for mixed raced people and as the VP Internal for Heart4Heart, fundraising for children in the developing world in need of congenital heart disease surgeries. Her human rights advocacy started in her hometown Hong Kong when she witnessed the mass police brutality and democratic backsliding since 2014. She has created an Instagram account to spread awareness of the democratic movement in Hong Kong. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, playing the cello, watching studio ghibli movies and visiting new coffee shops in downtown Montreal. She is honoured to be on the team and excited to work with those who share the same passion for human rights advocacy.
Rajaa Berry, Project Coordinator
Rajaa is beginning her second year of study for a degree in Business Administration, specializing in Finance, at the University of Windsor. Rajaa is an ardent supporter of youth activism, gender equality and inclusion, and elevating marginalized voices in her community. Rajaa served as a National Organizer and facilitated the “Writes for Rights” event for Amnesty International. Her entry into advocacy and activism came through this. She was the founder and president of the Girl STEMpowerment club in Lasalle. This organization helps foster young girls’ interests in the STEM field through hands-on educational experiences, which helps develop creativity and intense thinking skills. She organized numerous STEM workshops and hosted the all-girls math tournament. Through Rajaa’s leadership experience, empowering youth to utilize their voices to promote social movements and create global change is at the heart of her activism. She is an active volunteer in her community, has volunteered for the Canadian-Muslim Vote, and the Parliament of Canada, and was an ambassador for the Stay-Woke Organization. Rajaa hopes to be able to amplify the voices of marginalized voices on a global scale. She hopes to take her passion and spread it globally while connecting with other enthusiastic young individuals at Amnesty Canada’s National Youth Advisory and Action Committee.
