Sharmarke Dubow pulls on a red rubber wristband marked with the word “Hope” when asked if, as a refugee in Africa, he could ever have imagined where life has taken him.

“I can’t speak for other cities, but for Victoria, it speaks for who we are because they elected me the first time I attempted this,” said Mr. Dubow, who became a Canadian citizen just last year. This moment calls us to go all in for all of us. Dubow is six-foot-four and thinly built. Dubow said it may sound like a contradiction, but despite having spent much of his young life in a refugee camp, one of his favourite things to do in Canada is pitch a tent and sit around a campfire. “We are living in historic times where two major things are happening, the COVID-19 crisis and the civil rights movement,” he says. Founded in 2004, the magazine began with a mandate to "inform, educate and motivate" immigrants to Canada and assist them in their new found journey. Electing progressive councillors.

I wasn’t in a camp but I was a refugee under the UN HRC.

It was the first time he’d voted, anywhere.

"I saw someone there who was a great advocate, someone who would stick up for human rights, and thought that would be a really great voice on council. Building an affordable, inclusive, and thriving city. Please try again. He has helped make public transit free, started a renters advisory committee, fought for the addition of affordable housing in Victoria, and initiated reconciliation dialogues between Indigenous and newcomer community members. © 2020 Vancouver Sun, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Her past awards include the Young Humanitarian Award of Manitoba, Global Bayaning Filipino Award, TD Scholarships for Community Leadership and the Youth Premier Healthy Living Award. City: Winnipeg Read our, I'm a print subscriber, link to my account, Avoid the use of toxic and offensive language. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Since then, the magazine has grown to be the only national multi-platform brand for all immigrants to Canada, on topics from careers to education to settlement. He went into politics with a profile elevated by his advocacy in various Victoria organizations, said Together Victoria treasurer Seamus Wolfe. Ben Isitt tried to amend the motion, asking council to postpone the decision to the Oct. 22 committee of the whole meeting to have staff report back on … And sometimes I wonder if I could fill his shoes. She hopes to work for the United Nations one day to create policies for mental health across the world. Aquino has worked alongside a branch of the Government of Manitoba on several projects. Mr. Wolfe said the slate wanted Mr. Dubow as part of an effort to run young people, women and people of varied ethnic backgrounds. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings. After years of challenging governments on refugee issues, he wants to use his new position as an elected councillor to give back and bring people together. “We have a system that works, that will protect my rights regardless of my sexuality, my race, my background,” he said. Sharmarke Dubow a former Somali refugee who was recently elected to Victoria city council is photographed at City Hall in Victoria on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. Student; activist

In Ethiopia I was undocumented, meaning I was not registered under the United Nations Human Rights Commission or the Ethiopian government,” he said. Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. He has lived there since last year, after losing his rental housing in Victoria and spending a month in a hostel. A handful of high schools across Manitoba have created Peace of Mind groups within their school to sustain mental health conversations throughout the school year. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Dubow said his life as a refugee and stateless person influenced him to become an advocate for human rights across Africa and ultimately brought him to Canada where he took a job at the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society. Dubow said he is still a newcomer to the workings of municipal politics. “When you are a refugee for 20 years, living with  restricted rights and movement, you don’t know what your life will be. The next issue of Vancouver Sun Headline News will soon be in your inbox. "Coming to Victoria and calling that home and doing [this] work is a second golden ticket.”. “I was holding myself to cry,” he said in a recent interview. I remember looking back at my mother,” said Dubow, whose mother was able to join them in the camp after a later boat voyage. He’s photographed with a a picture of him and Canadian figure skating Olympians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir who he met earlier in the day in Victoria on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. tap here to see other videos from our team.

Since the election, Dubow has been an active voice for an affordable, inclusive, thriving city, with a focus on  equitable communities in these difficult times. 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4. Sharmarke Dubow is photographed at City Hall in Victoria, B.C., on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018.