is an Associate Professor in the Department of Justice Studies at the University of Regina and a recipient of the 2024 CTL Teaching Award. Recognized as a President’s Teaching Scholar, he holds a PhD in Criminology from Simon Fraser University and a Master’s in Conflict Transformation. His research focuses on restorative justice, decolonized education, and youth justice. He serves on several boards, including the Institute for Justice, Decolonization and Peace and the Saskatchewan Restorative Justice Network. A certified Nonviolent Communication trainer, he facilitates workshops on compassionate communication and contemplative practice in both academic and community settings.
is an educator, poet, and youth worker from Johannesburg, South Africa. Having been involved as a student activist with the national Muslim Students Association, the WoW Futurist Collective and Student Action 4 Palestine, Aasif moved to Regina in February to take on the role of Youth and Community Engagement Officer through the Regina Youth Leadership Institute. Aasif holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Witwatersrand and a BA(Honours) in the Study of Islam from the University of Johannesburg.
originally from Mauritius, has lived in Regina for over six years and works in the IT field. As a passionate advocate for youth empowerment and a member of the youth-led fellowship program, she encourages others to take meaningful steps forward with trust in Allah’s plan. Her message is simple: whether it’s sending an email or applying for a job take the step.
is a Grade 12 student at Winston Knoll Collegiate. In his free time, he enjoys trying out new things like cooking and running. He serves as the leader of the Muslim Student Association and the vice-president of the Student Representative Council (SRC) at his school. Ariq is passionate about bringing people together, which is a key reason behind his involvement in RYLI. He finds the initiative unique and appreciates that it’s directly geared towards Muslim youth, believing it has the potential to be beneficial for everyone involved.
is a pre-med student at the University of Regina, majoring in psychology and minoring in English. She served as the student council president at Regina Huda School and is the youngest person in Canada to work with CBC’s Creator Network, where she has shared powerful stories about OCD and mental health topics that are deeply personal to her and that she advocates for at every opportunity. Fiona is passionate about photography, video directing, and poetry, and is currently working on her first book.
is a second year pre-law student at the University of Regina dedicated to justice, discipline and meaningful impact. He is passionate about mentorship and believes strongly in the importance of developing ethical, well informed leaders. In his free time he likes working out. For Naveed being part of RYLI is about more than giving back its about helping shape the future of the ummah by guiding youth toward responsibility, fairness and strong leadership rooted in values.
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