The ACII Alumni Spotlight Series features original pieces by participants from Round 1 of our Afghan Community Impact Incubator (ACII) reflecting on their community service projects and lessons learned. By Ramiz Bakhtiar, ACII Round 1 ChangeMaker, on behalf of The Hope Project As a young newcomer in Canada, I’ve been Read more…
The ACII Alumni Spotlight Series features original pieces by participants from Round 1 of our Afghan Community Impact Incubator (ACII) reflecting on their community service projects and lessons learned. By Manzora Nero, ACII Round 1 ChangeMaker, on behalf of Let’s Talk “Money comes and goes, but if you have the Read more…
By Ferozan Nasiri, AYEDI Outreach Director Featured image credit: Doan Ly “I became more comfortable when I stopped talking about grief like it goes away. It’s kind of an endless room with endless windows, and the view outside is just better out of some windows than it is out of Read more…
By Veeda Tanwir, AYEDI Events and Sponsorship Director Afghanistan. To those of us in the diaspora, it is a place so far away, but near and dear to our hearts. To those who had to flee, it is a place that gives them combined feelings of pain and love. To Read more…
By Wares Fazelyar, AYEDI Advisory Board Member There’s a stage in life where you’re incessantly asked what you want to do with your life, what you’re studying, what you plan to do after you graduate, and so on. Maybe you know the answer to these questions and have everything figured Read more…
Salaam friend, 2020 was an unpredictable year. It brought challenge and change for all of us. For many, it put significant strain on individuals, families, and communities. And yet, we also observed the resilience and generosity of Afghan youth. We shared our struggles with mental health during a pandemic. We discovered Read more…
Salaam everyone, We would like to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous New Year 2020. Here are some of AYEDI’s highlights for 2019: We had our first ever Afghan Youth Community Impact Conference in March 2019 with over 55+ registered attendees! See photos here Ran a successful Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) campaign to encourage Afghan Read more…
As a Muslim Afghan Woman who wears a Hijab, I grew up always thinking to myself, “Where do I belong”? Sometimes I still feel like I ask myself this question even now. I guess life is a continuous journey of learning and self-evaluating. Identifying as a Muslim woman who wears Read more…
Maryam Monsef is a household name among Afghans in Canada and abroad. We know her accomplishments: She came to Canada as a refugee from Afghanistan in 1996. After being elected MP in 2015, she currently holds two ministerial portfolios. She was the 1st ever Afghan to be elected to Read more…
Welcome to our very first blog post Salaam everyone, 2018 was a landmark year for us – it is the year that we officially launched the Afghan Youth Engagement and Development Initiative (AYEDI), the first Afghan youth-led organization in Canada with the broad goal of (1) cultivating civic engagement and Read more…