Regards,
York University
Dear Community,
Registration is now open for:
Afghan Refugee Health Dialogue Series #3
Cultural Healing Practices for Health and Wellbeing: Global to Local on May 6th, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm. (see attached poster)
More information available here:
In late August 2021 Afghanistan experienced severe political turmoil after the withdrawal of foreign forces and subsequent takeover by the Taliban. Currently, millions of people in Afghanistan are living under fear, deteriorating life conditions and risk of famine. Canada has committed to a rescue effort by providing safe passage to 40,000 Afghans. While arriving in a new country offers safety and opportunities the experience of forced displacement results in a multitude of disruptions in one’s social life, health, and resources. To understand better what might work, when and why for newly arrived Afghan refugees to Canada to feel at ‘home’, Dr. Farah Ahmad and her team brings forth a Dialogue Series on Afghan Refugee Health and Well-being.
What are the goals?
Through a strength-based approach, the goal of the Dialogue Series is understanding pathways to resilience and capacity building through inclusion, involvement and participation of Afghan community members, scholars and service providers. Their sharing of perspective - first-hand, front-line and scholarly - would foster a critical dialogue on what might work, when and why for the newly arrived Afghan refugees to feel at ‘home’. Speakers include experts in global challenges to those at the frontline of refugee settlement organizations and scholars with thought provoking insights on health and well-being.
The third online session is organized on Cultural Healing Practices for Health and Wellbeing: Global to Local on May 6th, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm. The speakers will share their insights on the challenges in times of conflict including: Cultural Healing Practices for health and wellbeing, Islamic practices for mental health and wellbeing, and islamophobia in relation to mental health and well-being.
Speakers:
Asiya Barakzai, Canadian Council of Muslim Women
Asiya Barakzai is an Afghan-Muslim community organizer, political staffer, and digital strategist from London, Ontario,
Canada. Asiya serves on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW), is one of the leads for the CCMW Youth Task Force, and is a Chapter President among many other leadership roles. Since August 2021, her work and volunteer efforts
have focused on the resettlement of Afghan refugees both abroad and in Canada. Formerly, Asiya has held multiple leadership roles overseeing youth engagement, social justice, and EDI programming and advocacy. Asiya is passionate about community building, gender
justice, as well as the civic and political participation of marginalized communities.
Kashmala Qasim
Kashmala Qasim completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology from the University of Toronto and completed a Masters in Neuroscience from McMaster University, with a focus on mental health and obesity. She has also completed the Taleem ul Qu'ran Diploma course from Al Huda Institute. Kashmala has been a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the Islamic Online University, and has also received Level 1 Pastoral Counselling training from the University of Toronto. She is now pursuing a PhD at York University in Psychology, and is an Educator with Khalil Center. Kashmala’s dissertation involves conducting qualitative research studies looking at Muslim mental health.
The session will be moderated by Dr. Michaela Hynie and co-moderated by Wajma Soroor
This Dialogue series is sponsored by the School of Health Policy and Management, and organized by the Afghan Response Working Group with members and support from Faculty of Health, Centre for Refugee Studies, and Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research