Volunteer Highlight: Mahnoor Shahab
How and why did you first get involved with the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights (JHC)?
I was interested in advocating for human rights. I was introduced to advocacy as part of my education in Dental Hygiene which involved advocating for patients. My sister introduced me to Stride.
How long have you been a volunteer with JHC?
Since May 2021.
Can you describe some of the activities you do as a volunteer?
I have been involved in doing intakes for several human rights cases with the JHC as part of Stride Advocacy. I have also assisted with several cases of human rights violations where I was responsible for organizing evidence and completing human rights complaints forms on behalf of those whose rights were violated.
Are there any learnings or challenges you have experienced through this work that you’d like to share?
As an advocate, I was sometimes limited in how much I could help a member of the public. For example, often a person would seek help years after an incident happened that violated their rights and the human rights complaint form required that only those incidents that happened within 1 year would be considered. This created a challenge for me as an advocate.
What has surprised you the most about this role?
I was surprised to learn that a small amount of my time and effort can help someone immensely. Before joining Stride I expected advocacy to be something that lawyers and lobby groups would do, but it is something that most of us are capable of doing given the right resources and guidance which the JHC does a great job of providing.
What is it like to volunteer with JHC as a whole?
It is rewarding for me to know that I am making a difference by advocating for members of the public who need a voice. I have always been interested in volunteering my time to the community and being a Stride advocate gives me a chance to help those in the community whose rights have been undermined. I have also learned more about ways to advocate for others which is a valuable skill.
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.