TORONTO – For the Canadian government, it was a no-brainer to invest in an innovative, cross-cultural project linking young Somali-Canadians with established Jewish-Canadian mentors.
The plan for the governmental investment – a federal grant of $473,640 – was announced recently at a press conference held by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.
Kenney said, “The project is the first of its kind in Canada. It brings together leaders from a well-established community with the future leaders of a community that is striving for a more complete inclusion in Canadian society.�
Government funding for the project will be provided through the Multiculturalism Program.
Although the mentorship project is Canada-wide, so far it is being implemented in Toronto, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver. Winnipeg is the next participating city being looked at.
The project will span two years. Mentor partnerships will be formed between 130 Jewish-Canadian mentors and 18- to 25-year-old Somali-Canadians.
Each mentor will assist a young adult Somali-Canadian with pursuing his/her educational and professional goals.
“The best anti-racism program is getting to know people of other backgrounds,� Kenney said.
Somalia-born Ibrahim Aden Mohamed, a third-year business student, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to have a mentor.
Ronald Factor, a management consultant who has taken early retirement following a 30-year career and has volunteered to be a mentor, spoke of the challenges his parents had faced as new immigrants.
“I appreciate the values that Canada has embraced,� he said. “We have groups of people coming into Canada and they haven’t all quite learned yet that we live together…and function together.�
The idea for the mentorship program came about through the close working relationship between the Canadian International Peace Project (CIPP) and the Canadian Jewish and Somali communities. Many attempts have been made to get Jewish and Muslims communities to dialogue and this project is another avenue to achieve this.
Mark Persaud, the CIPP CEO who also serves as an advisor and coordinator for the mentorship project, said, “The project brings two very different and diverse groups together to work towards building stronger communities. We’re very proud of this project and are very pleased to receive this support.�
The Somali community is relatively new in Canada, so they do not yet have professionals to effectively assist students and young professionals enter into mainstream professions. Jewish community mentors will be able to offer their assistance in this area.
Persaud explained, “The mentorship project illustrates there are people of goodwill in every community, and that through imagination and diligent work, it’s possible to build sustainable relationships between different communities. This will foster greater social cohesion in Canada, and will hopefully serve as a model for other communities.�
The project has already been successful in many ways, conveyed Persaud.
“Both communities have embraced it enthusiastically and we’ve already paired up mentors and ‘mentees,’� he said. “Also, the Canadian Somali community, through the mentees and others, is seeking other ways to build even stronger ties with the Jewish community.�
Other communities, both Muslim and non-Muslim, have since approached Persuad and the group, requesting help building bridges with the Jewish community.
The Somali community is the largest African Diaspora community in Canada, and one of the largest Muslim communities in Canada.
“This project is unprecedented in many ways,� said Persaud. “It’s the first successful attempt in Canada of one of the largest Muslim communities embracing the Jewish community and vice versa – and at a national level.
“This has far surpassed dialogue. We’re building sustainable friendships and long-term connections between two very different Canadian communities.�
For more information on the project, visit www.canadiansomalicongress.com or www.canadianipp.org.