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1. Being Canadian Muslim Women in the 21st Century

PROJECT: BEING A CANADIAN MUSLIM WOMAN IN THE 21st CENTURY

DURATION: April 2009 to March 2011

FUNDED BY: STATUS OF WOMEN CANADA

Project Goal:

  1. To develop leadership among young Muslim women/girls and increase their capacity to benefit in the, social and democratic life as fully participating Canadians
  2. To prevent discrimination/violence against young Muslim women/girls

Project Objective:

  1. Increase the understanding on the part of the education system of the issues/challenges facing young Muslim girls/women (ages 14 – 18) and develop resources which can be used by educators
  2. Empower young Muslim girls/women and their peers to understand and face these challenges. Provide young girls with the skills to act as leaders within their schools and their communities

BACKGROUND

Since September 11, 2001, the experiences of Muslims, specifically Muslim women, have changed dramatically. Unfortunately the changes have been to the worst, particularly as they relate to experiences of discrimination and lack of Muslim women’s socio-economic and civic engagement in Canadian society. During the past few years CCMW has undertaken several initiatives to understand and address these issues. We have conducted research into the issues, developed many tools and offered informational and educational workshops on a range of topics to Muslim women as well as to stakeholders that come into contact with them.

We have anecdotal evidence about the stress and conflicts facing young Muslim women such as racism/discrimination, clash of family and broader societal values, and the tensions in developing an identity inclusive of their multiple characteristics. Many are children of recent immigrants who are grappling with adaptation issues. such as the integration of culture and religion in their lives. Two recent incidents demonstrate the need for action to overcome the lack of understanding on the part of teachers and principals, as well as the urgent need to empower young women so that they can deal with the high anxiety families have for the daughters. First, the killing of Aqsa Parvez in Toronto allegedly by her father; second, the sexual abuse of a female Muslim student at the Toronto high school, C.W. Jefferys, which only came to light because of other problems at the school. As schools play a vital role in the young people’s lives, CCMW believes it is in these settings that the issues can be addressed. Furthermore, youth can be taught how to deal with the challenges by developing a strong sense of their identity with its myriad aspects.

PROJECT STRUCTURE & ACTIVITIES

The activities of the project can be broadly divided in two.

The first part involves working with 7 schools in Southern Ontario to develop leadership skills. Committees comprising of students will be set up in the identified schools, and will carry out activities aimed at raising awareness of the issues/challenges young Muslim women face in the education system.

The second part involves conducting a learning needs assessment and developing an educational resource kit, for educators. The kit will provide accurate, sympathetic and culturally appropriate information and will have an educator’s guide and other material about the context, diversity and realities of young Muslim women, including discrimination and marginalization.

2. Muslim Women and Youth

PROJECT: Muslim Women and Youth: Enabling Civic Participation Project

DURATION: March 2007—November 2008

FUNDED BY: Status of Women Canada

OBJECTIVES

  • To increase the knowledge of Muslim women, legal experts and service providers regarding Muslim and Canadian family laws;
  • To address specific needs of Muslim youth and develop strategies to rid discriminatory practices

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

There were two aspects to this project. One involved working with Muslim women, service providers and legal experts to increase their understanding of Muslim and Canadian Family Laws. These sessions were based on booklets developed by CCMW which compared Canadian and Muslim Family Laws. Topics covered included Domestic Contracts, Marriage, Divorce, Custody and Child support, Family Property and Spousal Support, and Inheritances. While the main objective of the local sessions was to share information, in some cases the sessions also became and exercise in interfaith dialogue and cooperation. The organization of the sessions also allowed us to develop partnerships with different community providers and community organizations. CCMW conducted more than 20 workshops, across Canada, reaching more than 400 people.

The other main activity of the project was a pilot project in collaboration with schools and community organizations. CCMW partnered with Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization for this part of the project. The pilot project sought to identify some of the issues facing young Muslims such as discrimination and racism and navigating multiple identities. It also sought to develop strategies that would involve the whole community including families, youth, schools and social services, to assist young people to develop a strong sense of their multiple identities as Canadian Muslims.

  1. Overview
  2. Key Issues for Muslim Youth
  3. Muslim Youth Report
  4. Community Action Tool
  5. Appendices Muslim Youth Project

3. Muslim Youth Canada

TITLE: MUSLIM YOUTH CANADA OR MY CANADA PROJECT

DURATION: April 2009 - June 2011

FUNDED BY: Citizenship and Immigration Canada's Multiculturalism Program

With direct involvement of Muslim youth, financial support from the Government of Canada's Multiculturalism Program and under the direction of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW), the purpose of the My Canada Project is to develop a coordinated strategy that will provide opportunities for Muslim youth to strengthen their Canadian Muslim identities and increase their participation in the civic life of their communities. The My Canada Project will not be delivering social services but rather educational materials and web tools that serve to open up new spaces for a particular kind of dialogue on what it means to be Canadian Muslims.

OBJECTIVES:

  1. An increase in the civic participation of Muslim youth in Canada

  2. Provide alternative ways for Muslim youth to find self-fulfillment

  3. The participants will gain leadership skills

  4. The participants will understand how to use the rule of law more effectively in Canada

  5. The participants will learn new strategies to combat radicalization of Muslim youth

  6. The participants will gain a greater understanding of the scope and breadth of the use of Web 2.0 and new media in use for and by Muslim youth to engage them in the educational, cultural, social, economic, and civic life of Canada.

  7. Muslim youth will gain a sense of belonging and identification with Canada

  8. Participants will develop stronger self-confidence, and more effective written and oral communication skills.

STRUCTURE:

There are 3 major stages of the project:

Stage 1:
The project will begin with the creation of a steering committee of 9 members comprising youth, the partner organizations and the CCMW. This committee will lead the development and oversight of all elements of the project.

Stage 2:
To ensure that a collective and unified approach to working with other cultures and faiths will be used in the future stages of this project, a 2 day major Muslim youth "Strategic Planning Forum" in Toronto will be held that will bring together 100 Muslim youth and 70 CCMW chapter delegates from 12 different Canadian cities. The intention of this Forum will be the development of an internal work plan and a set of guidelines that will be used in the future stages of this project.

Stage 3:
The final major stage of the project will involve 17 inter-faith sessions or activities for youth to take place across Canada, led by the youth who attended the Forum along with regional partners. The partnerships with YOUCAN, the Canadian Centre for Diversity and the Afghan Women's Organization will be initiated immediately after the Forum to help support the youth develop and organize these sessions with local CCMW chapters. The 17 sessions will take place in the following places:

Vancouver - 1 session
Calgary - 1 session
Edmonton - 1 session
Winnipeg - 1 session
Windsor - 1 session
London - 1 session
Waterloo/Wellington - 1 session
Niagara Region - 1 session
Greater Toronto Area - 4 sessions
Ottawa - 2 sessions
Montreal - 2 sessions (1 of which will be in French)
Atlantic Canada - 1 session

These sessions will take place in schools and community centers and will involve an estimated 20-30 inter-faith youth at each one comprised of diverse backgrounds. The participants will be identified through publicity and marketing campaigns aimed at (but not exclusively for) those Muslim youth who are most "at-risk" of alienation from other Canadians and of self-segregation

ACTIVITIES:

  1. 50 toolkits produced as a result of the Forum, will be provided for the youth in order to help them deliver the appropriate messages during the public sessions they will lead.

  2. A web based media site will be developed by the youth on the already existing website of the CCMW as an aid in delivering messages that counter the literalist and narrow view of Islam.

  3. At the end of the project there will be a compendium of stories and experiences by Muslim youth about their identities and what helps them navigate and cope with some of the problems within Canadian society.

  4. As a result of the steering committee meetings, a guidebook will be developed for the youth, establishing a proper work plan for the future stages of the project.

  5. Included with the toolkit, participants will receive 50 videos (one each) produced as a result of the Forum that will act as a training guide to develop approaches and strategies to combat radicalization.

  6. Throughout the evaluation process, surveys will be administered and delivered to all participants.

  7. The strategic planning forum will include 100 youth participants, primarily from communities with a high concentration of Muslim youth at the secondary and post-secondary levels. The communities include Toronto, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver, Waterloo, London, Niagara, Windsor, Edmonton, and the Maritimes.

  8. There will be 17 public sessions at educational institutions, held by the youth mentors who have attended the Strategic Planning Forum in Toronto. Leaders at the sessions will mainly include students, teachers, principals, but may also be attended by elected officials, and social service providers. Participants will include Muslim youth from the local community.

  9. In order to involve youth from the beginning of the project a steering committee will be developed comprised of CCMW members, representatives of the partner organizations, and youth themselves between 16-25 years old. This committee will meet to discuss and develop a roadmap that will be used to guide every stage of this project.

Follow the MY CANADA PROJECT on:

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Muslim Youth Portal

Muslim Youth Canada Forum – October 31st 2009

Forum Report

Terms of Reference

Youth Leader Agreement

 

 

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