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Since September, the center has been quite busy. The daily activities and the future projects are constantly underway. From September through October, we have been welcoming the new Afghan refugees who have just arrived in Montreal. We were glad to see the family with three young kids finally settled after two months of strenuous travelling. We invited them to participate in some of the programs offered by our center such as French and English as a second language classes to help them better integrate in the Quebec society and largely in the Canadian society. Despite all the difficulties the family has faced, they have not lost their motivation and courage. Zainab was the first female prosecutor of Afghanistan in Kandahar province. She fought for women's rights, which put her life in danger since the Taliban took over the country. In spite of these hardships, Zainab has shown great enthusiasm for learning languages and adapting as quickly as possible, and we have been able to provide them with a laptop, with Zoom installed for the online courses. Here is a preview of today’s class.

Summer 2021 has been busy for our centre. By clicking on the photo below, you will get an overview of what we have been up to for the last couple of month. Don't forget to subscribe to our social media pages to keep up with our latest news!

The Afghan Women's Centre of Montreal organized a protest against the Taliban Terrorist Group's brutality towards the Afghan people, especially against Afghan women. On August 20th at the Dorchester Square in Downtown Montreal over hundreds of afghan Canadians participated in the protest to show their solidarity and support for the Afghan people in Afghanistan especially to raise our voice for the afghan women’s civil rights. https://www.facebook.com/AfghanWomensCenterofMontreal/videos/1072309030177994

The Afghan Women’s Centre of Montreal is pleased to share its annual general report for the year 2020 - 2021. It has been a very busy year. We have adapted our activities and services to the pandemic context, and we have maintained our cultural and advocacy activities in spite of it. We look forward to the next year and hope it will be as exciting as the last.

An Interseting article has been published on July 14th in ( La presse ) journal about the centre's activites as well as the current situation in Afghanistan : "Tous ceux qui vivent à Montréal des membres de la communauté afghane, ils ont de la famille en Afghanistan. Récemment, certains ont perdu des proches à cause de la COVID ou à cause des combats. Et tout ce qu’ils ont, c’est Zoom », constate avec émotion Makai Harif, présidente et fondatrice du Centre des femmes afghanes de Montréal. Mardi le 13 Juillet, un atelier de cuisine à donner en ligne aux membres du centre et les membres de different communautés. Voir l'article publié sure la situation actual de l'Afghanistan en cliquant sure le lien du Presse ci-après : https://www.lapresse.ca/.../chaque-seconde-tu-vis-dans-l...

This spring has been busy for our centre. To know more about our activities, ongoing and future projects, and access our newsletter, please click on the picture below. Don't forget to check out our social media pages to stay informed and connected!

Our President and Founder, winner of the Noble Prize awarded to an Outstanding Volunteer!!! The Afghan Women's Center in Montreal had the honor of participating in the Gala (Les Nobiles) a superb, well-organized online evening. The event was filled with entertainments, nobile awards, shows, dances as well as many other volunteers from the city of Montreal. At the Gala there was a Nobile Award for 6 categories including: Outstanding Volunteer, Group Volunteering, Volunteer Manager, Skills Volunteer, Corporate Volunteer Program as well as Public Volunteer). Makai Harif was a nominee in the category of Outstanding volunteers and was elected the winner of this Category. The President of the AWCM owns up to this nobile an immense gratitude since it rewards the efforts brought to the center for immigrant women

MARCH UPDATES: Welcome to our March's newsletter ! Many events were taking place this month, so stay tuned as we update you on our projects, activities and celebrations. Pour la version française, cliquez sur ce lien : https://bit.ly/3cqkaQp Nowruz 1400 On the occasion of the Persian New Year, the AWCM is hosting a festive online event on March 27, from 3PM to 5PM. Featuring music, poetry, games and cultural performances. This celebration of the beginning of spring, is a collaboration of the Afghan, Iranian, Azerbaijani & Turkish communities. It is a great symbol of the sense of belonging provided despite the pandemic. The event prepared by and for the community will showcase the talents of our members. Offered in English, French and Farsi, we invite everyone interested in exploring the rich culture and festivities of this annual event to come and join us ! Here is what awaits you : Click on the Zoom link to attend our event : https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88029428995 or use this meeting ID : 880 2942 8995. AWCM's International Women's Day Event On the International Women’s Day, we were honoured to have with us an impressive panel of accomplished women and men. This year’s campaign #choosetochallenge encouraged us to question ourselves first, to challenge our own biases, what we know to be fact or true, but also to speak up, to act, to show up for others. Unfortunately the pandemic has brought the global community to its knees and women are at the core of it. It has increased the already persistent gender inequality. For change to occur, we need to challenge ourselves and others in our everyday life, not just on March 8. We want to thank our guest speakers who joined us for this special event, Sayed Mujtaba Ahmadi, Jennifer Maccarone, Tamarack Verrall and Homa Hoodfar. As well as our members, Jamila, Homariah and Morokh for their moving poems, last but not least our amazing performers Wasima Fazeli who brought light to this event. This well attended event would not have been such a success without all of our speakers ! Online Yoga Class ! Being at home, apart or not, moving is essential ! That is why, after each Thursday's english class, we offered our members to join a short and sweet chair yoga practice. These simple exercises help us refocus on ourselves while activating our body. We’re delighted to see that this class has become integral to our services, and it became a regular training to our members’ routine. Feminist Recovery Summit The AWCM team had the pleasure to participate in the Canada's Feminist Response & Recovery Summit 2021 on March 8th & 9th with special guests, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development Maryam Monsef. Hearing experts and community leaders with lived experience conjointly examine the impacts of the pandemic on vulnerable women was eye opening. Unfortunately, we realized that many community organizations working with women do face the same issues. However we are delighted to see that the floor was given for our voices to be heard, for feminists to come together and lift each other up, in order to take into consideration the lives of the women we serve and to better design the path forward towards a gender-equal society. Centering Women Negotiating Peace in Afghanistan On March 10, we had the chance to be invited to the round table organised by the Centre for Human Rights & Legal Pluralism and Women Living Under Muslin Laws. This online event addressed the role that women should be given in the peace negotiation in Afghanistan. The situation in the country is getting unstable as the days are passing since the Talibans are getting more and more powerful. However If Afghanistan remains in the hands of this terrorist group, women and minorities will be under a significant danger and will keep on living in fear. This event was a call for action for women and allies to sign petitions, write letters and keep being active as long as human rights are being violated. Montreal Health Updates The relaxation of the confinement measures are still going on. As the vaccine is being administered to more and more vulnerable people, Prime Minister Legault announced that the curfew will be pushed back to 9:30pm in Montreal, and that businesses will remain open up to 9pm. Mr Legault also mentioned that theatres and performance venues will be permitted to re-open as of March 26. In the Greater Montreal region, everyone over 60 years old is now invited to book their appointment to get the Covid-19 vaccine at clicsante.ca or by calling 514-644‑4545. To know more about the situation of Covid-19 all over the Quebec region, click on the link : https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-issues/a-z/2019-coronavirus/ Job offer ! We’re looking to fill out the position of bilingual Administrative Assistant/Communication Agent. We offer a 6 to 7-month contract beginning immediately, with the potential for contract renewal. This a full time position (30 hours/week and for the time being remote work is required. Our ideal candidate would be : - Passionate and dedicated person ready to help us with our mission - Has exceptional organizational skills, detail oriented and capable of managing multiple projects while respecting deadlines. - Understands social media strategies and copywriting - Can develop content, visual as well Main Tasks: - Provide general administrative support for projects and communications for the organization (e.g. answering phones and emails, note taking at meetings, updating internal and official documents) - Help to organize meetings and events including booking meeting space, corresponding with attendees and promotion, taking minutes, etc. - Update website and social media as needed Requirements: - Fluency in French and English is essential - Experience in office administration is a requirement - Experience working in community sector an asset - Previous experience in social media (primarily Instagram and Facebook) - Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office and computer skills Please send your resume and cover letter to info@awcm.ca. Be Part of the Mission The AWC is looking for passionate and dedicated volunteers to join our team and help us with our mission. While unpaid, letters of recommendation and honorariums are given based on performance. By volunteering, you contribute your professional skills. In turn, you’ll get first-hand experience about how non-profit organizations are managed. You’ll learn by doing. Click here to find out more : https://www.awcm.ca/

FEBRUARY UPDATES: Welcome to our first newsletter of 2021! We wish you all a Happy New Year! May all your projects and aspirations come to fruition this year. We trust that 2021 will be in rhythm with your wishes to be safe, listened to, and included. The Afghan Women Centre begins this year by doing what we do best: serving our members. Stay tuned as we update you on our projects. Pour la version française, cliquez sur ce lien : https://shoutout.wix.com/so/52NVKcd9I?languageTag=en#/main We're back ! The holidays might be over, but our members and teachers were happy to see each other. As you can see from these two pictures, our members are all smiles as our classes are always given in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Even if Clinton is back home in Florida, he’s always present for our participants, just as was Eunmi Choi, our substitute ESL teacher who tuned in from Calgary. We’re grateful to count on everyone regardless of geographic locations! Virtual event with Minister Monsef On the 11th of February, we had the pleasure of participating to a panel discussion with the Honourable Minister for Women and Gender Equality, Maryam Monsef in order to find ways to better support those in greatest need and to ensure the pandemic recovery is more inclusive of underrepresented women. Our president Makai Aref, had the pleasure of exchanging with the Minister about the centre's activities, here is the a clip of their chat ! On February 11, we had the pleasure of participating in a panel discussion with the Honourable Minister for Women and Gender Equality, Maryam Monsef. The objective was to find ways to better support those in the greatest need and to ensure the pandemic recovery is more inclusive of underrepresented women. Our president Makai Aref, had the pleasure of exchanging with the Minister about the centre's activities. Here’s a clip of their chat! International Women's Day The Afghan Women Centre invites you on March 8 to a virtual celebration of strong and empowered women everywhere who negotiate for their rights despite Covid19! As a community organization, we acknowledge the hardship women face during this pandemic and celebrate their diligence. This event will welcome diverse members of our centre and guest speakers to share their empowering moments and showcase the creativity of our community with Afghan music and poetry among other exciting events. Click on the link below to follow our event on Facebook #wechoosetochallenge https://fb.me/e/DtZEd2ZX Meet our Concordia University interns We’re so happy to have been contacted by these four talented students in Community Development from Concordia University to join our centre’s activities and future projects! Netsai, Monica, Samantha, and Solène will help us with special projects for a few months.Here’s a picture of our group effort to bring you a special online event on March 8, International Women’s Day! The Shadow Pandemic On February 20, the AWCM participated with the Iranian and Afghan Women’s Network in an online event co-sponsored by the Women's Intercultural Event, Stop Honor Killings-Iran, with the Men Against Honor-related Violence Network and The Alliance of Middle Eastern and North African Socialists. This event brought to light the violence against women during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Violence that is now called the ‘shadow pandemic’ is present within homes. In-home violence has significantly increased since Covid-19 began. For more information on family or in-home violence, click on the link below : https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/stop-family-violence.html Empowerment through Knowledge In mid-February, we had the pleasure of receiving the notary Nazgol Fallah. She provided a detailed and useful presentation in Farsi about the testamentary process in Quebec. We're often afraid of the word testament, but our members claimed the future and learned the steps. Awareness of procedures results in the best decisions for ourselves and our families. Montreal Health Updates The Relaxation of the COVID-19 confinement measures in Quebec began in the first week of February. Even if Montreal stays in the red zone, new public health measures will apply. Outdoor activities are now allowed for a group of up to 8 people. All non‑priority businesses and museums have re‑opened (including personal care services), and a partial return to in‑person teaching gradually took place. Just in time for Spring break, cinemas will reopen starting February 26. Swimming pools and arenas will partially reopen for family bubbles and individual activities, but not for collective activities. The curfew will remain between 8 p.m and 5 a.m for the red zone. For more updates, visit the government website by clicking on the link below : https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-issues/a-z/2019-coronavirus/ Covid-19 Vaccine On Feb 23, Quebec's Prime Minister, François Legault, announced new directives and information about the vaccine soon to be administered to priority groups. The vaccination is recommended as a priority for people with a higher risk of complications of COVID‑19, in particular people 70 years of age and older who live in residential and long-term care centres (CHSLDs) as well as healthcare workers. This process extends to people over 85 years of age in the Greater Montreal region. In addition, an accompanying person aged 85 and over could be vaccinated at the same time if the person meets the following criteria: the person is 70 years of age or older and is present 3 or more days a week to support their relative over 85. Starting Thursday the 25th of february at 8am, registration will be made online or by phone (1 877 644 4545). To get more information on the vaccination campaign in Quebec, or to make your registration to get your vaccine, follow the link below : https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-issues/a-z/2019-coronavirus/progress-of-the-covid-19-vaccination/ Be Part of the Mission The AWC is looking for passionate and dedicated volunteers to join our team and help us with our mission. While unpaid, letters of recommendation and honorariums are given based on performance. By volunteering, you contribute your professional skills. In turn, you’ll get first-hand experience about how non-profit organizations are managed. You’ll learn by doing. Click here to find out more : https://www.awcm.ca/

Hello 2021! Time flies and yet we’re still updating and adjusting the services we’re offering at the centre. Our catering team, even if apart, is looking forward to cooking in order to deliver delicious afghan meals right in the comfort of your homes. This service is very important to us and we will happily resume our catering services in January. We were very pleased to serve our customers, members and community partners last year and hope that this year won’t be any different. Visit our website to know more about our menu : https://afghan-women-catering.com/ We’re also resuming our different activities and services after the holiday season. Online English, French, computer literacy and even yoga classes for our seniors are on the program! It’s never too late to reach us out if you would like to attend those classes. Translation of official documents, accompanying our members to various appointments, answering to diverse phone requests are essential services that we are running and maintaining despite the pandemic, we are always here for you.

If the Covid-19 pandemic taught us something throughout last year, it is that our seniors still suffer from isolation. This situation also increased their anxiety as going outside and waiting in long lines were particularly difficult for them. Therefore, our food delivery remains an essential service and we are dedicated to provide to our vulnerable seniors living alone homemade meals during this pandemic. This service provides more than meals, it also gives them the opportunity to bond with our volunteers and break their isolation. This human dimension brings real benefits and it lifts up the spirits. This teamwork effort is crucial for many of our members and we’re very thankful to be able to contribute to the wellbeing of our seniors in responding to their needs and demands.