Mohd Jamal Alsharif Super volunteer
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ohd Jamal Alsharif has been in Canada for just 10 years, but has already made an impressive mark. He is an active super-volunteer in the community and cultural festivals, and is passionate about helping newcomers integrate into Canadian life. Alsharif also speaks six languages, has a PhD in oral and maxillofacial surgery, and is the founder and president of non-profit organization Humans for Peace Institution in Ottawa. But Jordanian-born Alsharif faced struggles like any other newcomer. “Let’s be honest, many immigrants like me arrive in this new country knowing no one and do not know where to ask for help. So, imagine arriving here, unable to speak English. Try getting a job, making friends, or even completing basic tasks like buying food or filling out forms,” he says. “And finding a job, and slowly moving up the ladder is incredibly difficult. I’m a highly qualified oral maxillofacial surgeon, however, I needed too much time, money and effort to
Javier Badillo
Generous filmmaker
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alent, generosity and humility are three things that define Javier Badillo and his artistic career in Canada since arriving from Venezuela in 2002. He is an independent film director, musician and youth mentor. Like many immigrant artists, he has struggled. “My biggest struggles were arriving to a new country with almost no connections, while eating up savings. I had to find odd jobs to make ends meet, while upgrading my skills in college. But the worst had to be the feeling of isolation and disconnection. I didn’t meet any Venezuelans for years.” But he pushed forward and focused on his dreams of filmmaking. “I’ve benefited from determination, a general optimism, openness to connecting with people from all walks of life and the ability to learn from a place of disadvantage.” His short films have been showcased in numerous countries including Canada, U.S.A., France, Japan, India and the U.K., where he won the Audience Choice Award (Harrogate Film Festival, 2018) for his comedy Fatal Rhapsody.
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In 2019, Badillo completed production of his debut feature film Roads of Ithriyah, a drama following a concussed Syrian militant from the desert battlefield to the streets of Vancouver. It is currently in post-production. While waiting for the film to screen, you might find Badillo helping other filmmakers. In addition to occasionally teaching at a local college, he offers free career mentorship to students, including youth with developmental disabilities, new immigrants, Indigenous youth and low-income youth. Since 2012, he has volunteered as programming director for the annual Vancouver Short Film Festival. When it comes to music, his award-winning Latin-rock band CARACAS has toured southeast Mexico and Western Canada, received airplay internationally and performed alongside Latin Grammy-nominated artists. When not on set or on the stage, Badillo can be found pulling espresso at a neighbourhood coffee shop in East Vancouver, where he lives.
CANADIAN IMMIGRANT Volume 16 Issue 3 | 2019
requalify myself.” So, he turned to helping other newcomers instead. “Volunteering and helping others has become part of my life. My dad once told me ‘People will only remember those who leave footprints after they leave,’” he says. Through Humans for Peace Institution, Alsharif helps refugees settle down, pairs them with local families to improve their language, and connects them with services and employment information. He also leads youth camps, food drives, blood drives and much more. For his many community works, Alsharif received the 2019 Sovereign Medal for Volunteers awarded by the Governor General of Canada. This tops a long list of awards in Ottawa and beyond for his volunteerism. He encourages other newcomers to get involved, too. “This is your new home. Live, build, work, volunteer, love your community and raise your children for the best of our national and international good.”