We are thrilled to announce that following a review of all nominations, the Review Committee has selected Salena Starling as our Youth Social Justice Award Champion for this year.
On behalf of the Committee and the Coalition, we extend fond congratulations! The Review Committee was very impressed with Salena’s passion and commitment to her work and her desire to inform and educate others about Indigenous issues and to bring about meaningful change for Indigenous people.
Salena Starling’s inspiring journey as a young Indigenous woman showcases her remarkable evolution from a passionate advocate for cultural heritage to a fearless entrepreneur and advocate for social change. Her experience within Canada’s child welfare system underscores her resilience and determination to create a better future for Indigenous children and youth.
We were also very impressed by her desire to bring about change in the child welfare system as this is an area in which our Coalition has been working for many years.
Through her impactful public speaking and advocacy work, Salena bridges divides, fosters empathy, and promotes reconciliation, leaving an indelible mark on individuals and communities alike. As a facilitator for the EmpathyBuilding Workshop, Salena’s authenticity and deep-rooted knowledge create a transformative space for participants, reinforcing her commitment to diversity, reconciliation, and empowerment.
Congratulations on the Award and for the amazing work that you are doing Salena. We are all looking forward to following your journey and seeing how we might support your incredible work in the future.
We had a number of excellent submissions for this, the first Youth Social Justice Award and while we could not award everyone, we did strongly feel that the work that some of the applicants are doing deserved recognition as well.
As a result, we are pleased to announce that the Review Committee has selected Gagandeep Sahota as a Candidate of Merit to receive one of our Youth Social Justice Certificates of Merit for her outstanding work.
On behalf of the Committee and the Coalition, congratulations! The Review Committee was very impressed with her passion and commitment to her work and her dedication to gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Gagan has always been passionate about being involved in her community through volunteering, extracurriculars, academics. Her passion for gender equality stems from her experiences as a young female dancer. Gagan has participated and taken part in organizing many events that promote cultural awareness alongside the empowerment of women. Through her experiences, Gagan has become passionate about public speaking and advocacy. She hopes to continue making a difference in her community and advocating for the empowerment of women in all areas.
These are important areas of concern to our Coalition as well. We are currently facilitating a young women’s empowerment group which is associated with our Youth Leadership programs.
Congratulations on the Award and for being an unfailing advocate of justice for women. We are all looking forward to seeing what the future may bring.
As mentioned, we had a number of wonderful submissions, and Ama F Apea Bah is another Candidate of Merit we feel strongly deserving of recognition. We are pleased that the Review Committee has selected her to receive one of our Youth Social Justice Certificates of Merit for outstanding work. Congratulations!
The Review Committee was very impressed with Ama’s passion and commitment to bring about changes and improvements in our healthcare system especially in the integration of internationally trained healthcare professionals.
Ama is a twelfth grader who moved to Canada in 2019 with her family and like many immigrants faced the challenges change presents. In her own words, ‘this led to me finding out about CanU Canada which helped me find myself as a person and led me to various opportunities and experiences that have shaped who I am today. CanU helped build me as an individual, a leader, and an advocate. I came up with this research project at a 3-day leadership conference organized by Manitoba A.L.I.V.E. I attended in May 2023. In the summer of the same year, Roger Berrington, the executive director, and founder of CanU briefly met with me to talk about this project he heard me highlight on in a podcast I did. This was when the idea fully came to life. This project, “Enhancing the integration of internationally trained healthcare workers in the Canadian healthcare system” will be a great benefit to the Canadian healthcare industry and I look forward to the change that will come with it.’
Congratulations again on your selection as a Candidate of Merit. It is people like Ama that give us hope for the future of healthcare and wellbeing in Canada.
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