We are excited to have such a wonderful group of people involved in this year’s virtual Bridging Communities Conference.
Below you can learn more about them. Just click on their name to view their biography. (All names appear in alphabetical order by last name).
JASSIM AL-MOSAWI
Jassim Al-Mosawi has extensive experience working with immigrant and refugee patients in the areas of mental health, trauma and domestic violence. Jassim is originally from Iraq and came to Canada as a refugee after having lived in a refugee camp for 7 years following the first Gulf War. Since arriving in Canada in 1997, Jassim has continued to engage with newcomer communities and pursue ongoing professional development to support this work. Jassim holds two Masters Degrees in Counselling Psychology and is a Registered Provisional Psychologist and currently, he is pursuing his doctoral degree in clinical counselling in my final project course. Jassim is certified as a Clinical Traumatologist from the Traumatology Institute of Canada, and is trained in EMDR. Jassim is a member of a number of committees and advisory groups, including: The Calgary Domestic Violence Collective (CDVC), Co-chair of the Ethno-Culturally Diverse Communities (ECDC), Honor Based Violence Subcommittee, and the Middle East Advisory and Chief of the Police Advisory groups with Calgary Police Service.
MIKE CAMERON
Mike Cameron is a Canadian author, speaker, coach, philanthropist and advocates against Gender-Based Violence. As a sales and leadership authority, Mike has studied the impact that emotion has on human behaviour for over 2 decades. After tragedy struck in 2015, Mike turned his expertise to lend his voice to help eradicate violence against women. He has designed programs to assist men to tap into their emotions in a real and authentic way in order to become exceptional leaders and businessmen. His 2017 Tedx “The way men think of strong is wrong”, urges society to help redefine what it means to be a badass.
Mike coaches men to use his S.O.A.R framework to reconnect with their passions and purpose in life. He is the founder of Connect’d Men, an organization designed to create a safe space for men to practice emotional fitness. His 2018 CBC Op-Ed “Dear Men” has been shared over 125,000 times.
He is the co-founder of the Ignore No More Run for Respect, an event designed to raise awareness around gender-based violence and specifically engage men and boys in the conversation. His keynotes addressing the importance of emotional intelligence have been heard all across North America. Cameron is also the founder of Axiom Mortgage, one of Canada’s largest independent brokerage firms, which he sold in December 2019. He has worked with a variety of nonprofits and charities to pave the way for a violence-free future. He is currently an active ambassador for Gems for Gems, a registered charity that empowers and educates survivors of abuse.
STEFAN DE VILLIERS
Stefan de Villiers is the coordinator of the male domestic abuse outreach program (MDAOP) at the Calgary Counselling Centre. He holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Calgary as well as a post-graduate certificate in traumatic stress studies. Stefan’s social work career spans outreach and clinical work with individuals, couples and families impacted by domestic violence, including those involved with the child welfare and legal systems. Stefan participates on numerous domestic violence-related working groups, including as a Gender and Sexual Diversity (GSD) advisory board member to the Calgary Police Service, and as a member of the Calgary Domestic Violence Collective (CDVC) Ethno-culturally Diverse Communities (ECDC) working group. In 2019, he co-authored a peer-reviewed journal article on gendered practices in child welfare.
HUMAIRA FALAK
Humaira Falak is a single mother of two beautiful daughters. She is working as a program coordinator with Action Dignity. She is currently doing her master’s in interdisciplinary studies from Athabasca University. She is an advocate for domestic violence awareness and prevention.
Since Ms. Falak’s arrival to Canada she has focused her efforts on strengthening vulnerable people; specifically, women, to become empowered.
It is through her own experience with Domestic Violence that she has gained the compassion and knowledge to help others Moreover, she has spoken on various platforms regarding gender-based violence across Canada, reaching hundreds of people.
TIM FOX
Tim Fox, is a proud member of the Blackfoot Confederacy from the Blood (Kainai) reserve and current Vice President of Indigenous Relations and Equity with Calgary Foundation. Tim’s primary focus is facilitating a systems change approach for reconciliation, decolonization and racial equity. Tim helps to strengthens and enhance the internal culture and practice at Calgary Foundation while incorporating work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Racial Equity both internally and in the broader community.
CORRINE JANZEN
Corrine holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Calgary, Lethbridge Division and is a Registered Social Worker. She has experience working with youth working towards independent living, working with children who have experienced trauma, event planning and networking through various committees. Corrine has a unique role within Lethbridge Family Services as an Outreach and Education worker co-facilitating Suicide Intervention Training, the Community Helpers Program, and COR 1154: Suicide Prevention, a course at Lethbridge College that provides training to Corrections students. She also assists in the Intake office two days a week. In her free time, Corrine enjoys spending time with her husband and their two boys. Corrine also enjoys yoga, reading, painting and spending time with family and friends.
SHAMS LALANI
Shams Lalani is a Registered Nurse with a Baccalaureate of Science in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour and a Baccalaureate of Nursing. Shams has a passion for addictions and mental health and has worked in a variety of settings in this area, including inpatient psychiatry, urgent mental health, and crisis stabilization. Currently, Shams is a Coordinator within the Alberta Health Services Mental Health & Justice Team and has facilitated the expansion of the Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART) program across the province. This role allows Shams to bring an evidence-based and patient-centered lens to addressing the impacts of domestic violence within our communities while building strong relationships across the health and social services sectors.
CARRIE MCMANUS
Carrie McManus breaks down barriers and embraces change as the Director of Innovation and Programs at Sagesse. Her natural curiosity and passion for eradicating domestic violence allow her to ask “what if” when developing initiatives that change long-standing beliefs and empower individuals, organizations and communities to disrupt the structure of domestic violence. Through Carrie’s leadership, Sagesse has grown beyond its grassroots foundation. She has supported the development of new programs and initiatives that take a closer look at the unique needs of rural and remote survivors of domestic violence and build the capacity of friends and family to recognize and respond to individuals experiencing domestic violence in their communities. In addition to creating programs to meet diverse needs, Carrie has created a contemporary way of thinking about revolutionizing the way Sagesse and other organizations approach program design, which has helped secure Sagesse as a well-respected domestic violence agency across Alberta and around the world.
AMY MUNROE
Amy Munroe (RSW) is the Intervention Lead at Sagesse, a provincial organization dedicated to empowering individuals, organizations, and communities to disrupt structures of domestic violence. Throughout the course of her academics and work experience in the sector, Amy has developed a passion for working to deconstruct professionalized ways of supporting folks to move to innovative and client-centered approaches, particularly through the peer support model. Amy is dedicated to the mission of ending domestic violence in Alberta through her work with Sagesse.
Amy completed her education at Mount Royal University in Calgary AB in 2015 and has been working in the domestic violence sector since 2014.
KIM RUSE
Kim has over 25 years of experience in program, service and organizational innovation, evaluation and outcome management and has her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Calgary with a clinical focus on domestic violence. Kim has extensive experience working with complex social issues. Issues her career has focused on include; domestic violence, poverty, homelessness and healthy family functioning. She has taught at the University of Calgary in the Faculty of Continuing Education and currently holds the role of CEO of the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter.
In 2011, Kim was honoured to be one of the winners of the McKillop award for commitment and contributions to the Calgary community. Kim was also recognized as one of the 2017 Individual Award Recipients for Leadership in the Prevention of Family Violence in the Province of Alberta.
JILL SHILLABEER
Jill Shillabeer is the Leading Change Call to Action Coordinator for the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters, working to bring shelter-informed primary prevention education and training across Alberta. Jill is a senior policy, strategy, and operations professional, and experienced facilitator, trainer, and public speaker who has been working in equity and inclusion since 2013. She has worked in multiple sectors including non-profit, social innovation, cultural industries, post-secondary, and public service. No matter the setting, Jill seeks opportunities to help individuals engage with their own agency to make the world more equitable and create spaces for marginalized voices. She employs an intersectional feminist and anti-oppressive lens to find new ways to address old problems.
ANDREA SILVERSTONE
As the CEO of Sagesse, an organization committed to breaking the cycle of violence for individuals, organizations and communities, Andrea Silverstone works tirelessly to address domestic and sexual violence across Alberta.
Andrea is a Registered Social Worker and Mediator with a background in Judaic/Talmudic Law, having attended Lindenbaum College in Jerusalem and York University in Toronto. She has combined this education background with a desire to stop violence before it begins to create program models and structural policy that elevates untold experiences of domestic violence. Her work has made large impacts in Alberta including implementing a primary prevention initiative to address domestic and sexual violence across Alberta and playing an instrumental role in supporting the Alberta Government to bring the Domestic Violence Disclosure Act to Alberta.
ABHINAV SIKAND
Abhinav Sikand has a Baccalaureate of Science in Biological Sciences with a minor in Psychology along with Project Management Professional designation. Abhinav has worked on multiple large-scale projects within the realm of addictions and mental health. Currently, Abhinav is a Coordinator within Alberta Health Services Mental Health and Justice Team and has been working on the expansion of Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART) project across our province. Within the current role, Abhinav has been able to use project management methodologies to ensure a successful rollout of the DART project while addressing the impacts of domestic violence within our rural, remote and Indigenous communities.
JOHN THOMPSON
John holds a Bachelors Degree from the University of Lethbridge in Anthropology, as well as the designation of Registered Social Worker. John has worked in Suicide Prevention since 1989, first as a crisis line volunteer and board member, and later, as Rural Liaison. John has been with the Outreach and Education Program since 2001 with a primary focus on Suicide Prevention and Family Violence Prevention. John is an engaging public speaker and enjoys providing presentations and workshops on a wide variety of topics to individuals, groups and organizations. John has had the opportunity to contribute to the development of the Suicide Intervention Training, co-author the Corrections 1154 Course- Suicide Prevention in Correctional Settings, support the development of the Accountability for Change- Family Violence Treatment group as well as coordinate the Community Helpers Program. He has also represented Lethbridge Family Services at local, provincial, and national conferences on Suicide and Family Violence. John has been married since 1998 and is a stepfather of two and a grandfather of one. He is also grateful for the opportunity to be a member of such an eclectic and exciting team .
JUDGE MARK TYNDALE
Judge Mark Tyndale’s legal career spans the last 36 years, 25 years as a criminal defence attorney, and the last 11 years appointed to the Bench for the Provincial Court of Alberta. Following graduating from the University of Western Ontario, Judge Tyndale took the cross country plunge to relocate to Calgary in 1983, where he has since resided and raised a family, including children and more recently, grandchildren. Throughout the course of his career, Judge Tyndale has served as an executive member of the Canadian Bar Association and the Calgary Defence Lawyers Association. With a passion for a problem-solving approach to Judicial work, he has been a strong advocate and supporter for the establishment of Calgary’s Domestic Violence and Indigenous Courts, as well as Calgary Drug Treatment Court, having served as the chair of the board of directors for this initiative. Remaining dedicated to tackling the societal issue of domestic violence, Judge Tyndale believes in the Judicial system needs to continue to adapt to support Alberta families experiencing violence.
DR. MICHAEL UNGAR
Michael Ungar, Ph.D. is the founder and Director of the Resilience Research Centre at Dalhousie University. His ground-breaking work as a family therapist and resilience researcher is recognized around the world, with much of that work focused on the resilience of marginalized children and families, and adult populations experiencing mental health challenges at home and in the workplace. Dr. Ungar has provided consultation and training to Fortune 500 companies like Unilever and Cigna, NGOs such as Save The Children and the Red Cross, and educational institutions and government agencies on five continents. He is routinely called upon by thought leaders such as the Boston Consulting Group and Canvas8. His work emphasizes how to use the theory of resilience to increase both individual and institutional agility during crises, with numerous organizations having adopted his concept of resilience as a negotiated process that enhances wellbeing and social responsibility.