​Empowering Communities of Kindness to Innovate for a Sustainable Future

Aatif Baskanderi is a Muslim Newfoundlander. He grew up in a small community on an island in the Atlantic Ocean where very few people looked like him, or believed in the same things. In spite of those differences, the people in that place always accepted and encouraged him, leading him to achieve great things in his life. This small island in Atlantic Canada has a unique character with the ability to create profound change in the world. Now, Aatif is going back to his home province with his wife for the first time to share his story for everyone today who feels different, sometime anxious, and highlight how Newfoundland showed him and others a way to build communities of kindness that can build people up in great ways.

We are appealing to you to help us raise funds to produce a documentary film show that we can widely share the story of these inspiring communities who brought up this proud Muslim Newfoundlander.

Why?

In an age of growing tension among communities, we think this is the best time and place for such a film. This is not a story of adversity or pressure, but one of love and kindness forming a young Pakistani-Canadian Muslim child to serve his society to the best of his ability. We seek to highlight how the good in people and these communities of kindness can create dramatic positive change in the world. Not about assimilating people, forcing groups to chip away at their uniqueness, or falling into stereotypes, but appreciating and empowering their differences to learn from one another and build stronger bonds and societies together. We expect this story to build public dialogue on how social inclusion and letting people be true to themselves is critical to creating a sustainable future.

About the Story + Tour

Salaam B’y – A Story of a Muslim Newfoundlander initially started as a Facebook essay about Aatif’s life growing up in a rural Atlantic Canadian town and how it formed his future.

Significant interest from schools and public venues led to a speaking tour in September 2017 consisting of traveling over 2000km across the island of Newfoundland, Canada to visit 7 towns over 11 days. All dates and locations have been secured to speak at high schools, public libraries and the province's university.

The events are open and free for attendees, and we will be providing the opportunity to donate to a local youth empowerment charity operating in each town. Many of the towns we are visiting have recently sponsored Syrian refugees and have invited us as they believe their communities would greatly benefit to learn of Newfoundland’s history of empowering Muslims and people of various backgrounds. Aatif will be joined by his parents and his wife, Nazia. This will be the first time Nazia will visit Newfoundland to see Aatif's hometown, including the people and places that formed his character and quirks, which she continues to appreciate and empower everyday.

The story is also receiving growing local media attention (8/25/2017 CBC radio interview; 7/23/2017 VOCM radio interview).

A Facebook page has been setup for the story + tour: www.facebook.com/salaamby/

All funds collected from this LaunchGood campaign will be used only for developing the video documentary. All other costs associated with the speaking tour are being covered by the speaker.

About Aatif

Aatif was born in Ontario, and then moved to Clarenville, Newfoundland in 1989 at the age of five with his parents and older brother and sister. Clarenville was a town of 4000 that lacked access to many resources and services, like many small towns, but provided a fantastic community to grow up in. While Aatif’s father had a stable job as a chemical engineer, changes in the economy led to job insecurity which drove them to Vancouver for several years, and then returning to Newfoundland for high school and university to observe a unique contrast.

As an engineer with a keen interest in social justice, he embarked on a journey to connect the two into a career. This niche led him to many places around the world, including studying at the London School of Economics, researching Fair Trade olive farmers in Palestine, working for malaria prevention in Sierra Leone, informing science policy in Canada, developing multi-country initiatives on global grand challenges with United Kingdom Government’s Science and Innovation Network in Canada, creating forums at the European Commission, leading Engineers Without Borders Chapters across Canada, and now being an innovation specialist at a not-for-profit in Calgary, Alberta trying to evolve businesses in a changing world to help create sustainable jobs. He was fortunate to marry someone who continues to empower all these unique nuances of his character and he looks forward to showing her his hometown for the first time.

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Aatif sincerely believes that Newfoundland provided the environment to uniquely engage with Islam and fostered his quirky traits that allowed him to develop a life built around all his passions.

​About the Filmmaker

We are thrilled to have Amar Wala on our team. With his debut feature The Secret Trial 5 (2014), Amar established himself as a daring new voice in Canadian cinema. The film would earn him the 2014 Magnus Isaacson Award at RIDM, and the Special Jury Award for Emerging Filmmaker at Hot Docs. Amar is known for his incredible eye and keen sense of social justice. His works often revolves around themes of race, immigration, and identity. Amar's films have garnered high praise at home and abroad.

Spread the Word!

Unable to make a financial contribution or want to make the most of your donation? Here's how to take action. 

• Share this LaunchGood page on social media
• Join our Facebook page
• Let your friends and family know about this story
• Contact your favorite news or media outlet

Thank you very much and we appreciate if you can help us share this story in the hopes of encouraging inclusive communities where people can be themselves and pursue their dreams to create the future we need.