Firas Arafat | Toronto, Canada
Diana Méndez Ardila | Bogotá, Colombia
Master of globalisation and
economic development | 2003
If ever you pass through Toronto…
You should definitely visit the
Distillery district, with the highest
concentration of Victorian-era industrial architecture in North America
and many beautiful boutique shops
& cafés.
If you still have time, check out
Queen St. West, recognized worldwide as a hallmark of hipness! In that
hood, the city’s creative artists and
fashion conscious dwellers hang out.
Make sure to drop me an email at
[email protected] if you plan to
visit and I’ll be happy to recommend
many more exciting places to visit in
Toronto.
Where do you work?
Strategic Planning Consultant at Toronto Hydro Electric System Corporation. I lead the Strategic and Business
planning processes and set performance targets for the organization I
work for.
Recently, I have also joined Canadians for Justice and Peace in the
Middle East (CJPME), an NGO with
a mission to empower Canadians of
all backgrounds to promote justice,
development and peace in the Middle
East, and at home in Canada. CJPME
organizes public talks and communities’ to raise awareness of issues
related to advancing democracy and
human rights in the Middle East.
Some world-renowned speakers such
as writer and journalist Robert Fisk
and Dr. Norman Finkelstein have
participated in talks and debates
organized by CJPME. You can watch
many of those discussions on YouTube under CJPME uploads .
Passionate about …
I’m passionate about the Palestinian
aspiration for justice and peace in
their homeland. I’m a true believer
that ending the (internationally
6
recognized as illegal) occupation and
settlement activities can lead to a
more prosperous life for the inhabitants of the wholly land. I also believe
that violence leads to more violence
and killing civilians can never be justified or allowed. In the latest hostilities between Israel and Gaza, almost
2,000 Palestinians were killed, of
whom 459 were children and 239 were
women, and some 10,000 Palestinians injured. Sixty-four Israeli soldiers,
two Israeli civilians, and one foreign
national were killed, with a few dozen
Israelis injured by rockets or shrapnel
according to the UN statement. I
also have family living in Gaza who
experienced unprecedented fear for
their lives in the latest attack. Our
house in Gaza was shelled with tank
shells, our belongings destroyed, and
my parents’ only fault was to live on
the “wrong” side of the border.
René Claude Niyonkuru | Bujumbura, Burundi
Master of Governance
and Development | 2013
If ever you pass through Bogotá…
You should go to Monserrate, where
you can find the biggest cathedral of
Bogotá, and have a beautiful sight
of the whole city, from above. Then,
go to the Chorro de Quevedo, where
the city was born, you can see there
street teller stories and artists, also
you find nice restaurants and bars;
you must go to the main square,
where the president’s house is, the
mayor’s house and court of justice,
and walk around to discover the
culture life of Bogotá, because there
are a lot of theaters, cultural activities
and so on. The night life in Bogotá is
the best. Go to a bar called Quiebracanto, which is a really nice bar where
you can hear the best salsa music,
hear live music, and see the best
dancers, and of course, dance salsa!
document of the government, which
is the route the government should
follow during its four years.
Passionate about …
I am passionate about the current
Colombian reality. Given that Colombia is now passing through a peace
process with the oldest rebel group
in the world, FARC, it generates a lot
of expectations about the future. The
possibility of a post-conflict situation
in Colombia makes me dream about a
better place to live. A lot of opportunities could come through to work for
peace building after the agreements
of the peace process are signed.
If ever you pass through Bujumbura...
... do not leave out a stop at Café
Gourmand for bakery and ice cream.
For those who want to enjoy the
beauty of nature and fresh air in the
capital city, go to the“Jardin Public”,
the most green and relaxing place
in the capital city, or to the beach of