NACY News

Muslims across Canada Connecting Creatively in Celebration on Eid

For Muslims around the world, Ramadan is a month of fasting, devotion and recharging one’s spiritual connection with Allah (God).  It is also a month of rejuvenating the connection of a single humanity, where the plights of those around us locally and broadly are remembered and Muslims actively engage in acts of generosity and giving.  

Eid is the celebration of the successful completion of these 30 days of fasting, devotion and recharging one’s connection with Allah.  However, this year, Eid has come with a few unexpected realities. Aside from the continued socially distanced restrictions of the pandemic, the last days of Ramadan and Eid have been difficult as we watch Palestine sustain tragic attacks.  

Muslims everywhere found themselves trying to find ways to celebrate Eid.  For Muslims here in Canada, the Muslim Association of Canada (MAC) provided a virtual platform where Canadian families could come together in celebration.  For both in times of joy and struggle, a sense of connectedness and community is what helps to build strength and find hope. 

MAC’s virtual Eid program was a live national broadcast where energetic hosts, engaging performers, and many children, youth and leaders of the community came together to bring a program that helped Muslim Canadians feel connected.  Performers shared performances of hope and strength. Local mosques and community centers across the country also planned drive thru Eid car parades and distributed gifts and goody bags for children to feel the joy of Eid.  Youth volunteers within the community played a key role in bringing these events together and creating a sense of communal celebration.

This Eid was certainly different in many ways, but the ability to stand together amidst these times is what builds resilience, hope, and the ability to find strength to stand up to the times and continue to move forward with a faith in humanity.  Which is the spirit of Eid and Ramadan – strengthening one’s connection with Allah; and uniting as a single humanity.

Eid Mubarak!

- Memona Hossain - Mother, Community Activist, MAC Board Member, & Graduate Student in Ecopsychology

Upcoming Opportunities

The Canadian Practitioners Network for the Prevention of Radicalization and Extremist Violence (CPN-PREV) is working with Wisdom2Action (W2A) to implement a project entitled the Youth Engaged in Prevention Project (YEPP).  W2A will build upon the legacy of the Partnering in Practice (PIP) Conference (2019) to meaningfully engage young people as they design and implement sub-projects drawing on the expertise of CPN-PREV researchers and practitioners.  The focus of the sub-projects will be on preventing violent radicalization and violent extremism in communities across Canada.  The project will include participants from across Canada, aged 16 – 24, in virtual/online workshops to facilitate learning and develop project management skills.  Participants will be encouraged to implement their projects over the course of a year and present the results of their projects to other participants.  Participants will receive an honorarium, and up to $5000 in sub-project funding will be available to support participants' initiatives.  If you know anyone who would like to be involved in preventing violent extremism and violent radicalization, please share the sign-up forms below.

Become An SDG Impact Mentor!

Do you want to make a difference but don't know where to start? Generation SDG is here for you!

Develop a collective SDG project with other motivated young people in Ottawa, Gatineau, Kemptville and Cornwall. SDG Projects respond to a pressing community need, from climate change prevention to social justice to reconciliation awareness. Whether you have a project idea in mind or not, join our third cohort of community changemakers.

Who can join? Youth aged 15-25

What is the project duration? June 2021 to March 2022. Youth must commit to (4) four hours per week.

What’s involved? A 200$ grant to launch your group initiative, leadership skills training, personalized follow-ups with mentors and a celebratory symposium in March next year.

Application Deadline: June 13, 2021

Member Feature

Welcome SHAD to the NACY Family!

NACY welcomes Shad Canada as one of its newest members. They offer transformative STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) and entrepreneurship programming to students in grade 10 and 11. For the past 40 years, young women have represented more than half of students involved each year. Shad also offers financial support to students and works alongside various community partners across Canada to ensure there are no barriers in experiencing hands-on workshops, mentorship sessions, personal growth opportunities and more during the month-long program