Volunteer Highlight: Aaizah Shahab

How and why did you first get involved with the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights (JHC)?

JHC gave me a chance to become connected with my community and help give a voice to those who are facing discrimination.

How long have you been a volunteer with JHC?

Four years!

Can you describe some of the activities you do as a volunteer?

I am a volunteer with Stride Advocacy. Stride Advocacy allows me to help clients draft human rights complaint forms. I interview clients, collect and organize information, and communicate with my team members as well as the clients during every step of the process.

What has surprised you the most about this role?

I was surprised to find that cases do not only come from North America. We had a case all the way from the United States!

What is it like to volunteer with JHC as a whole?

Volunteering with Stride advocacy is very rewarding. Even if some cases do not see resolve, I know that the entire team as well as the client put our best efforts forward. When cases become complex, the case leads are always willing to help guide the case along.

Are there any learnings or challenges you have experienced through this work that you’d like to share?

I have learned valuable information about aspects of law that I would otherwise never come across. The biggest challenge I face is when the outcome of a case is unclear to me, but unfortunately, sometimes this is inevitable. It is still worthwhile to know that I put my best effort forward.

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Thank you to all our volunteers for everything you to do to support the work of the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights!

While we are not actively recruiting volunteers at this time, we work with several wonderful partners and local organizations that we are happy to refer folks to. You can also follow us on social media via our handle @jhcentre or sign up to receive our monthly newsletter to stay up to date on events and volunteer opportunities in the future.