Center for Peace Canada is a Canada-based non-profit building peace and promoting human rights across Asia, with a special focus on South Asia. This is our story, our purpose and the people behind it.
Center for Peace Canada was founded in 2023 in Scarborough, Ontario, with a simple conviction: lasting peace is impossible without justice, and justice is impossible without people who are equipped and supported to stand up for it.
We work with peacebuilders, human rights defenders, scholars and community leaders across Asia. Our programs focus especially on South Asia, where we support conflict-affected communities, promote accountability and justice, and train the next generation of peace leaders.
From Canada, we connect these voices to the wider world, through global conferences, partnerships and advocacy guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
We connect peacebuilders, equip them with skills, and stand with them for the long road.
Guided by our commitment to peace, human rights and the dignity of every person.
A peaceful, just and inclusive Asia, where every person lives in safety and dignity and human rights are respected everywhere.
To build peace and promote human rights across Asia, with a focus on South Asia, through dialogue, training, advocacy and inclusive development.
Three commitments shape every program we run, every partnership we build and every dollar we spend.
We bring together peacebuilders, human rights defenders, scholars, policymakers and community leaders, locally and through global conferences, so knowledge and solidarity travel across borders.
We provide practical training in conflict analysis, mediation, human rights documentation and leadership, so local people can lead change in their own communities.
We advocate alongside conflict-affected communities and those who defend them, promoting accountability, justice and development that lasts.
South Asia is home to nearly a quarter of humanity and to communities still recovering from conflict. We work alongside local partners to build peace, protect rights and support development that lasts.
Our base in Canada lets us raise support, build international partnerships and amplify the voices of the people we work with.
"Peace is not only the absence of war. It is the presence of justice, dignity and the courage to stand up for the rights of others."
When I founded Center for Peace Canada in 2023, I saw a need for a Canadian organization that would build peace and promote human rights where it is needed most, in communities across Asia, and especially South Asia, still living with the legacy of conflict and injustice.
That is where our peacebuilding and human rights work takes place, and where we train local peace workers and human rights defenders to lead change in their own communities. Through our conferences and partnerships, we bring their voices to Canada and to the world, so they can learn from one another and be heard.
I am deeply grateful to our volunteers, donors, partners and supporters who make this work possible.
Thank you for standing with us for peace and human rights.
The dedicated people who bring our mission to life every day.
A lawyer by training and an advocate by conviction, Pooja guides the Center's programs from the ground up. Her background in immigration and human rights law shapes how she works: turning complex legal frameworks into clear, practical steps. As Project Director, she keeps our peace, human rights and training projects across Asia focused and accountable, and brings legal rigour to our documentation and advocacy work.
Michal believes that every dollar entrusted to a non-profit carries a promise. A Chartered Professional Accountant with a background in corporate finance and charitable stewardship, he oversees budgeting, transparency and reporting, ensuring that funds raised in Canada translate directly into peace and human rights work across Asia. Colleagues know him as the steady hand who insists good intentions be matched by good accountability.
Urvi has spent her career championing women whose voices are too often overlooked. Drawing on years of experience in women's empowerment and community work, she leads the Center's programs for women, from leadership and human rights training to mentorship circles that prepare women to lead as peacebuilders and advocates. For many of the women she works with, Urvi is the first person to tell them their skills, stories and voices matter.
Narshad arrived in Canada as a young newcomer himself and has never forgotten how it felt to search for belonging. He channels that experience into the Center's youth programs, creating spaces where young people find mentorship, leadership skills and a community of peers. Through workshops and leadership circles, he helps them see themselves as the next generation of peace workers and human rights champions.
A young organization with a clear purpose, growing year by year.
Dr. AMM. Fahath founds Center for Peace Canada with a mission to build peace and promote human rights across Asia.
Launch of our human rights documentation project to record and raise awareness of issues in South Asia.
New partnerships with community organizations and a fast-growing volunteer network extend our reach.
Official recognition from Members of Parliament and Provincial Parliament for our contributions to peace and human rights.
Launch of our peacebuilding dialogue series and expansion into youth leadership and women's empowerment programs.
Training peace workers and human rights defenders, and convening global conferences that connect voices from South Asia with the world.
The principles that guide our work and define who we are.
Dialogue and understanding are stronger than violence and division.
Fairness, equality and accountability for all people.
We serve with empathy and respect for every person's dignity.
We stand with peace workers, defenders and marginalized communities.
Transparency, accountability and high ethical standards.
Women, youth and minorities at the centre of our work.
We share knowledge so others can lead change.
Support raised in Canada, action where it matters most.
Our programs contribute to the 2030 Agenda, with peace, justice and strong institutions at the heart of everything we do.
Volunteer, partner with us or support our work, and help promote peace and human rights across Asia.
