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Carlos Craverio: 1:30pm-1:50pm & 2:10pm-2:30pm
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Born in Kingston, Ont. and raised in Victoria, BC. As a child witnessed violence towards his mother by his father, who was an alcoholic and an absent father. Joined the Canadian Army as a young adult, lived in Germany for a few years where he witnessed the deaths of people due to motor vehicle accidents and stabbings, when he and his friends and fellow soldiers tried to help but could not save the victims. Began working at Uvic in 2009, and in 2016 was placed on medical leave for 1.5 yrs, due to severe depression until 2018, which was exacerbated due to the trauma he witnessed as a child and in Germany. Unfortunately Carlos did not get the support he needed at home or at work during this time. In Dec 2021, Carlos chose to convert to Islam, a decision that has caused significant people in his family to not support him, while a few do. Though he has felt supported at work by some, he has also experienced verbal discrimination when dressed in visible Muslim attire when out and about in the community. |
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Kay Martin: 1:30pm-1:50pm & 2:30pm-2:50pm
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Hello, My is Kay Martin and I am the Voices of Experience Co Ordinator for the Greater Victoria Coalition to end Homelessness. I lead and facilitate Face 2 Face with Stigma an anti-stigma program. But I feel, more importantly, I am a substance user in recovery, I live with several mental health diagnosis and I have experienced homelessness. All of which has led and enabled me to do the work I do in the community. I have lived in Victoria for about 15 years and have built relationships with those in all parts of my community and am here to amplify the voice of all those who are living in the fringe and shadows of society due to stigma. |
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Leonard: 1:50pm-2:10pm & 2:50pm-3:10pm
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Hello my name is Leonard, my Indian name is Quart.whey.Tun. I have lived experiences with homelessness, stigma, discrimination. I am a residential school survivor from the 60’s scoop as a direct result of a tragic event in which a very close family member died. That was my mother. I have also spent time in prison, my whole life has been institutionalized. I really like being a sounding board and telling my own side of the story of lived and living experience. As a direct result of public forum speeches, I have been able to get a better understanding, support, comfort and positive reactions. Which is what I always needed. |
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Zainab Bint Younus: 1:30pm-1:50pm & 2:10-2:30pm  |
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Zainab Bint Younus is a Canadian Muslim woman who writes on Muslim women's issues, gender-related injustice int he Muslim community, and Muslim women in Islamic History. She is a grassroots activist and community worker within the Victoria Muslim community. |
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Jean Graciela Penola: 1:30pm-1:50pm & 1:50pm-2:10pm
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Jean Graciela Peñola was a Filipino international student. She knew her life would be different in Canada, so she decided to pursue another degree to better prepare her as she integrated into the Canadian community. Since she has not had any Canadian work experience, Jean started doing minimum wage jobs. She experienced being looked down upon and discriminated against because of her perceived characteristics as a person of colour. Despite the challenges, Jean was resilient and committed to ensuring her family was given an opportunity for a good life here in Canada. She is now building a new career path and finds community work truly engaging and rewarding. |
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Jessica Stepushyn: 1:50pm--2:10pm & 2:30pm-2:50pm |
| Jessica Stepushyn is an artist and retired nurse living and working in Greater Victoria Area. They have lived experience with mental illness, homelessness, and stigma, and actively works towards improving the lives of peoples with this issue. When they aren’t working on social justice, you can find them painting in an open field, or strumming on the guitar in a sunny park meadow. | |
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Kya Berryman: 1:50pm-2:10pm & 2:50pm-3:10pm
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Kya Berryman is a first-year international student in Camosun’s Community, Family, and Child Studies program. Kya was born in Santa Cruz California to Israeli immigrant parents, where she lived until moving to Asia at the age of 18. Kya met her now fiance in Nepal and moved to Victoria in order to live with her fiance. Kya has a wonderful and supportive family and is grateful for so much that she has been given, however, she has had to overcome a number of barriers, from growing up in a marginalized community to navigating the arduous process of immigrating. The most prominent barrier Kya has had to face has been the experience of being trans in a less than accepting community. Kya will speak about the challenges that face trans people and the trans community, how you can be an effective ally, and what changes need to happen in our society going forward. |
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Chelsea McDougall (She/Her): 2:10pm-2:30pm & 2:50pm-3:10pm
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I am a current Camosun College student in the Community, Family, and Child Studies program. I am also an Indigenous woman who experienced the loss of culture and connection from my Mi’kmaq heritage and roots. As an adolescent, I made a decision that would change the path and journey of my development into early and middle adulthood. In addition to reclaiming my cultural identity and traditions, I believe in the power of sharing knowledge with others through my lived experiences provides an in-depth understanding of the challenges and barriers youth and children may face in institutional systems such as the Ministry of Family and Child Protection. By sharing my story, I have begun to heal and claim the traditions of my people and not as a victim, but as a resilient survivor. Wela'in |
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Diana Mamdouh: 2:10pm-2:30pm
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Diana was born and raised in Shebin Elkom, the Capital of Almonofyia, Egypt. She was married in 2006, then immigrated to Canada in 2008, after which time she began experiencing domestic abuse in different ways. In 2016 she separated from her husband after many years of initially trying to make her marriage work due to having two small children, no English language skills and no family support here. During that time she experienced living in a few transition homes, the courts, Min. of Children & Family , social workers and legal aid, taking programs for women in DV situations , gone back to school to learn English and is currently about to complete her studies in Educational Assistance Diploma from Camosun. |
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Tracy Yarr: 2:30pm- 2:50pm & 2:50pm-3:10pm
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Hello. My name is Tracy Yarr and I am a high school teacher here in Victoria. I differ from most of the panel in that I have been incredibly fortunate, having been born into a stable family dynamic, one with wonderful grandparents, so I was able to get an education and hold down a good job. However, the great gift and the great wound at the heart of my life was my son, Tristan, who was born on the Autism Spectrum. Tristan was glorious and difficult, and while being his mom was, by any measure, a trial, he taught me how to love, without reservation or condition, something not taught in my immediate family of origin. My journey with Tris was marked by tremendous joy but also pain, some of which was the consequence of the stigma experienced by individuals who are not neurotypical and simply cannot fit into larger social norms. |
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Mustafa Ismail: 2:30pm-2:50pm
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Mustafa is from Idlib in Syria where he was born and raised. When the war began, he and his family initially remained in Syria then lived in Turkey for a year as refugees before coming to Canada in 2016. He works as a taxi driver. |
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