Changemakers is an ongoing portrait series. These are people who have decided that bearing witness is not enough. A project focused on vision, action, and collaboration — featuring people from all walks of life, in their own words.
"My 'why' is knowing that we all have agency and autonomy to help make the change we want to see in the world — as individuals, and importantly as collectives. Having grown up in Canada as a first-generation immigrant and benefiting from the opportunities and privileges I have been given, there is a responsibility and obligation to change the systems around us when they are not working for or benefiting all people in this world.
I learned about the genocide of Indigenous peoples here on stolen land in so-called Canada and deeply understand how settler colonialism affects health and human rights here on the land I grew up on. There is a duty for me to be moved to action as a direct consequence of bearing witness, and this led me into medicine and public health training to better address the structural and colonial determinants of health.
From my training, I also learned more about occupied Palestine and the struggle for self-determination and liberation of Palestinians from Zionist settler colonialism. The greatest injustices against our collective humanity in this world such as genocide, must move all of us to act and ensure that 'never again' truly means something. Until my last breath, I will continue to do what I can within my power to support movements for liberation for all people who experience structural oppression in this world."
"For me, hope comes from the people of conscience. There have been many people I have met through the years who give me inspiration, motivation, and hope. They do this through their actions, and not simply their words and rhetoric. They practice unwavering solidarity with people and communities who experience structural violence and oppression. They do this from a place of deep love and compassion.
I think about how my friends and colleagues from Indigenous communities have shared time and space with me to teach me despite all the hardships they have faced and continue to face.
I think about the Palestinian healthcare workers who took time to share time and space with me over meals knowing how scarce food is in the besieged territories of Gaza, despite all the hardships they have faced and continue to face. Their steadfastness and strength give me hope. Their teachings of life and humanity give me hope. Their actions and resolve give me hope, as they resist in all the ways necessary to exist, against the backdrop of the machine of settler colonialism that only knows death, destruction, and violence."
Hope is resistance. Resistance is hope.
"People can and should get involved by continuing to do what they can within their positionality to practice solidarity that is meaningful and authentic and puts something at risk, as it is the only way forward for collective liberation. We must also continue to sharpen our politics and root cause assessment for how best to address and dismantle the systems of oppression that affect all of us, and ultimately allow for an ongoing genocide to continue while many turn a blind eye.
I believe the answer that we need is political action and education. Human rights are hard fought. They are never handed to the people who ask kindly, but they are fought for and demanded by the people. To do this work, we need to get organized, learn and listen to one another, and build power amongst the people for collective liberation for all.
Human rights are hard fought. They are never handed to the people who ask kindly, but they are fought for and demanded by the people.
Simultaneously, we need to look after one another — ensure peoples' needs can be met so we can sustain ourselves within the movement. This means we do what we can by giving our time, resources, and money to support mutual aid efforts for people who need it the most here and abroad, from Turtle Island to Palestine.
"Two organizations that I have worked with while on the ground in Gaza are Humanity Auxilium and Glia. I was on the first medical mission to Gaza organized by them in February 2024. Both organizations have continued to send volunteer healthcare workers and have hired local healthcare worker staff to manage and deliver primary care and wound care services in Gaza during this ongoing genocide."