2003 New Pioneers Awards SfCarchive
Channel: SkillsforchangeArchive SfC
Date: 2009-12-31

Adeena Niazi (Community Service)

Adeena Niazi Adeena Niazi, a former professor at Kabul University, was in India on a scholarship when the former Soviet Union seized her homeland, Afghanistan. Unable to return home she became a refugee and in 1988 arrived in Canada as a government sponsored refugee.

Adeena was disheartened at the lack of suitable employment opportunities in Canada even though she had two masters degrees and was proficient in six languages. Working as a settlement counselor for government-sponsored refugees at NOAH (newcomers orientation assistance and hospitality), Adeena recognized that the needs of Afghan women were not being addressed so, together with a small group of women, she began to tackle the concerns specific to Afghan women.

Toronto Star News ArticleIn 1990, she founded the Afghan Womens Organization to assist Afghans, particularly women and other newcomer communities, in their integration and adaptation to Canadian life. She also facilitated the resettlement of Afghan and other refugees from overseas through a refugee sponsorship program. The AWO has established overseas projects in Afghanistan and in the refugee camps in Pakistan.

Adeena has served on the board of the Refugees Law Office and Women in Transition executive committee of the Canadian Council of Refugees and continues to actively advocate for refugee and human rights through CCR. Currently, she sits on the board of the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, the NGO Government Joint Committee on private sponsorship, Board of Partnership Afghanistan Canadian, Advisory of Womens Rights in Afghanistan Project and the Canadian Coalition in Support of Afghan Women.

In July 2002, Adeena Niazi was recognized as one of the top 10 Canadians by Macleans Magazine. She has received the Persons Award from Legal Action Education Fund and Womens Intercultural Network. The Centre for Refugee Studies at York University recognized her achievements with the Vincent Kelly Award. Adeena has been featured in books  Afghanistan: The Cross Road and At the Feet of My Mother.