2004 Harmony Scholarship Recipients – Harmony Movement

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2004 Harmony
Scholarship Recipients

		Ms. Holly Burton Burnaby Mountain Secondary School, Burnaby. S. C. / University of British Columbia Holly served as President for her school’s first Gay/Straight Alliance and is committed to the security and comfort of LGBTQ youth in Canada. She was involved in a Homophobia-Free Zone poster campaign to ensure that students of all sexual orientations experienced a positive leaning environment. Holly promoted tolerance by initiating a school policy against verbal and emotional abuses such as homophobic slurs. As a member of the Amnesty International since 1999, Holly worked to bring light to the void’s injustices and to provide global assistance through campaigns such as aWARness Week., letter-writing blitzes arid a food drive.

		Ms. Saron Ghebreslase York Memorial Collegiate Institute. Toronto, Ontario / Ryerson University Saron was featured in a TV Ontario documentary as a motivated young leader whose life is filled with extra-curricular and volunteer activities. She hosts of two feminist radio shows on CIUT B9.5, and is very interested in creating anti-racist and anti-sexist initiatives in the media. Saron worked with Anti-Racism Media Education and was the media coordinator of World Vision’s thirty-hour famine. Last summer, Saron worked as a journalist in Eritrea, Africa covering stories on drought, disease and tourism. Saron’s passion for broadcasting developed from the negative portrayals of minorities in the media, and she aims to make diversity a coverage priority and have news seen through minority eyes.

		Ms. Boshra (Sara) Hosseini Ecole Secondaire Kelvin High School. Winnipeg. Manitoba / University of Manitoba Sara’s involvement in HASTA, Hopeful Aware Students Taking Action, helped this group to win the YM/YWCA’s Peace Medal and the Manitoba Teachers’ Society Young Humanitarian Achievement Award. She organized many awareness-raising events such as Human Rights Day, Addictions Awareness Week, Environment Week and Buy Nothing Day. Sara also participated in Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) and started a 30-hour ‘famine’ at her school. She regularly coordinated educational workshops and participated in citywide panel discussions on issues such as racism and landmine awareness.

		Mr. Rahim Kassam Dunbarton High School. Pickering. Ontario / University of Waterloo In his final year of high school, Rahim served as President for the Students Together Opposing Prejudice (S.T.O.R) movement and Chair of the Model United Nations Committee. He created a forum for opposing groups to discuss highly controversial topics such as the one involving Israel and Palestine. Rahim has bean involved in assisting refugee-status immigrants to deal with their violent past and to adjust to their new life in Canada. In 2004, he spoke at a fundraiser for a refugee from Sierra Leone in an effort to create awareness of the indecencies and vulgarities that occur overseas. Rahim organized a multicultural show at his high school and is an active member of the Muslim Students Association, he established a yearly Eid luncheon.

		Ms. Sadia Rafiquddin John Fraser Secondary School, Mississauga, Ontario / University of Toronto In her three-year term as president of John Fraser’s Amnesty International chapter Sadia was involved in a variety of positive programs such as campaigns for Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Human Rights Day, Stop Torture and Rights of the Child. She participated in a letter-writing campaign that resulted in the release of a prisoner from Myanmar. Sadia organized a multimedia presentation entitled the Embracing Cultures Tour and she volunteered at the Peel Police Race Against Racism. In 2003, Sadia created a chapter of Kids Can Free the Children and spearheaded a project that raised $10.000 to build a school in Kono, Sierra Leone.

		Ms. Aaida Rajabali Old Scona Academic, Edmonton, Alberta / University of Alberta Aaida dedicates her time to community service projects that have a positive impact on society. For the past three years, she was an active member of the Hope for the World Club (HMC). During her two-year presidency, HWC has highlighted today’s issues through walks, fundraisers, and conferences. As part of the Multicultural Club, an organization that works to encourage pluralism, she was able to participate in events such as Keep the Beat for Warchild Canada. Aaida also volunteered with the Youth Criminal Defence Office at a sub-organization called Youth Restorative Action Projects (YRAP). YRAP educates youth, especially those marginalized about their rights and responsibilities.

		Mr. Rupayan Roy Lester B. Pearson High School, Burlington, Ontario / University of Guelph Rupayan was an active member of the Lester B. Pearson’s Multicultural Society for the entirety of his high school career. As leader and chair of the Multicultural Society, he enabled the organization to nourish and expand its horizons. In 2002, Rupayan raised money to help poverty-stricken orphans in Guatemala. The next year, he organized another fundraiser in support of the Halton-Peel Central American Relief Effort, raising over $1,000. This money was used to provide 100 Guatemalans with adequate vitamins for an entire year. Rupayan was recently awarded with the Ontario Principals Council Award for Student Leadership.

		Ms. Nikki Shaffeeullah Sinclair Secondary School, Whitby, Ontario / McGill University Nikki was tie organizer and emcee for Global Threads, a cultural showcase event that celebrated world fashion, food and culture. Nikki also emceed and helped organize a fundraiser concert for the Peace and Community Harmony Project. She developed and implemented a Global Awareness Week campaign at Sinclair and later abated a Global Awareness Resource Package so that other schools could implement similar projects. She was a guest speaker at Kids for Change (anti-racist Workshops) and a writer for Multicultural Durham magazine. Nikki has served as chair of Students Together Against Racism (STAR), and co-chair for Amnesty Youth and as an executive member of a Model United Nations team.

		Ms. Prubjoth (Sonu) Sidhu St. Marguerite d’Youville Secondary School, Brampton, Ontario / York University Sonu organized the first ever Anti-Bullying conference at her school, in which she presented workshops on physical abuse, prejudice, gossip and racism. She is currently working with the City of Brampton on a youth initiative project. Sonu proudly represented Brampton’s youth when she appeared on “Politically Speaking” to promote harmony on Rogers Cable. Sonu was chosen as in school’s first U.N. Ambassador for Multicultural Night and she led a workshop at a Social Justice Symposium. She was selected on the conference planning team for the Coalition on Diversity Education, promoting diversity in schools.

		Ms. Mallory Statham Brooks Secondary School, Powell River. B.C / University of British Columbia As a leader on the Public Health Youth Advisory Council, Mallory helped bring attention to the needs of First Nations She was a youth organizer for the First Powell of Hope Camp where Native Elders and artists empowered at-risk teens to make positive changes through exploration of native culture, arts, and the outdours. Mallory served as a youth representative for Municipal Strategic Planning and brainstormed with the mayor and department heads to weave youth mentorship throughout municipal affairs. Mallory was the only youth to ever be presented with the Community Service Medallion for her outstanding accomplishments.