ROOTED IN COMMUNITY, GROWING RESILIENCE

By the community, for the community - building unbreakable futures together.

Our Approach

At Shift to Shine, research is woven into the fabric of community voices. We partner with immigrants, refugees, and marginalized groups to uncover the strengths and challenges that shape life in Canada. This isn’t just data – it’s the blueprint for real-world programs that uplift families and dismantle barriers.

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Community-Led
Studies designed with participants, not about them.
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Strength-Focused
We amplify what’s already working—like elder-led conflict resolution or youth art collectives.
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Action-Oriented
Every finding fuels tangible tools, trainings, and policy shifts.

Research Areas of Interest

Determinants of Social & Health Well-Being

We examine how gender, race, systemic barriers, and racism create unequal outcomes for ethnic minorities—and design solutions that disrupt these patterns.

Culturally Sensitive Family Well-Being

Key Focuses:
  • Community-Driven Data: Focus groups and in-depth interviews with stakeholders to expose gaps and advocate for equity.
  • From Insight to Innovation: Transforming research into:
    • Culturally tailored training programs
    • New evaluation tools for racialized communities
    • Leadership pipelines for marginalized groups
  • Violence as a Systemic Issue: Addressing root causes (poverty, discrimination) while empowering communities with prevention strategies.
  • Capacity Building: Training service providers, clients, and organizations to break cycles of harm.
Recent Publications:
  • Mohammed Baobaid, Ph.D., Elyas Farooqi, Amanda Odoi, Ph.D., Abir Al Jamal, BSW, MSW, RSW, Laura MacDiarmid, Ph.D., Raja Abdel-Majid, Ph.D. and Wisam Osman. Situational Analysis Report – Supporting Muslim Gender-Based Violence Survivors: The Culturally Integrative Family Safety Response. 2025
  • Raja Abdel-Majid, Ph.D. PIVP, Monica Riutort, Manager Peel Institute on Violence Prevention. Voices of Refugee Women from the Middle East: Strategies for Violence Prevention. The 5th Lillian Meighen Wright Learning Institute, York University. 2019.
  • Family Services of Peel: Voices of Refugee Women from the Middle East: Final Report. July 2018.
Recent Presentations:
• Bridging the Gap: Culturally Integrated Responses to GBV, Islamophobia, and Hate. London, Ontario. May 2025