The YMCA Peace Medallion recognizes individuals who strive to create a more peaceful world.  Selection committees have carefully chosen twelve recipients who were presented a medallion at the 2007 YMCA Peace Medallion ceremonies.  Ceremonies were held throughout the Greater Toronto Area during YMCA World Peace Week, November 17th to the 24th.

Const. Davis Ahlowalia
Richmond Hill YMCA Peace Medallion Recipient

Davis Ahlowalia joined York Regional Police in April 2004. He was enthusiastic and dedicated to his career. Const. Davis was deeply involved in improving the socioeconomic conditions of others in his community and abroad. His passion was in helping children, particularly an orphanage in Jamaica. This passion led to the adoption of the orphanage by York Regional Police, an effort that continues today. He was the director of a young adult group called “Truth Bound” within St. Mary Immaculate Church in Richmond Hill as well as volunteering his time for community organizations across York Region.

On January 6, 2007 Davis Ahlowalia lost his life in a tragic motor vehicle collision that also claimed the lives of three others. Const. Davis had a warm heart; he was a humanitarian with excellent people skills and a disarming sense of humour. He was a confident officer and brought goodness to anything he touched. 

Wanda Big Canoe
Keswick/Georgina YMCA Peace Medallion Recipient

Wanda Big Canoe is a long standing, committed member of the Georgina Community in York Region. With a graduate degree in Ethnic Cultural Studies, Wanda is a peacemaker in the greatest sense. Through her memberships with such organizations as The American Indian Scholarship Fund Association, the KCOP Minority Council, The Centre Native Artists Showcase and the Barrie Area Native Advisory Board , Wanda has been able to successfully bridge the gap between Georgina’s Aboriginal Community and various other communities and institutions over the past several decades. Wanda has effectively assisted aboriginal youth further their education by enabling them to receive scholarships, assisted street youth to become gainfully employed in her native jewelry endeavors, and has gone to great lengths to raise funds and awareness towards the restoration of Lake Simcoe.

Neguss Demoz-Goshu
Toronto YMCA Peace Medallion Recipient

An active member of Toronto’s Parkdale community, Neguss Demoz-Goshu is a big believer in justice and the democratization of developing countries. Since fleeing Ethiopia in 1985, he has been involved in many activities that range from lobbying law makers for defending democracy and human rights to anti-drug projects. He is the chair of  “Drug Awareness Week” and is also involved with the Mayor’s Task Force on Drugs, Regent Park Advisory Council and Ethiopian War Victims Relief Fund of Toronto. Demoz-Goshu is an avid drummer and is passionate about graphic arts. 

Walied Eldardiry has been volunteering at Atkinson Co-op/Alexander Park, a community he has lived in all his life. As a way to encourage kids to stay in school and provide them with peaceful solutions to conflict, Walied and Olu Quamina have engaged young people in a basketball program/homework club and dinner/movie nights. He is a graduate of Ryerson University with a degree in business and is planning on attending teacher’s college next year. He continues to volunteer in his community and promotes a different path for young people.

Julie Ham
Cedar Glen YMCA Peace Medallion Recipient

Julie Ham established and taught a Peer Helping program at St. Nicholas Catholic Elementary School that empowered young people to help their peers solve conflicts in a positive way. With the support of a small group of parents, teachers, school administration and Parents Council, the Peer Helping program was established to provide positive role models for younger students, re-direct unsafe play, assist injured or lonely children, help solve play ground disputes and report incidences of bullying. The Peer Helping program has made the play ground a happier and safer place to play. Julie is married and the mother of three boys and a resident of Newmarket Ontario.

Naomi Holtkamp
Brampton YMCA Peace Medallion Recipient

Naomi Holtkamp is an enthusiastic and devoted student role-model who has voluntarily dedicated a significant amount of her high school career to addressing a variety of local and global injustices. At the age of 14, Naomi demonstrated her passion for social justice by gathering a few close friends and initiating a social justice action called “The 2003-2004 Robert F. Hall Walk Against Male Violence” which attracted over 400 participants. Naomi and her dedicated group raised an astounding $4000 for women and girls in worn-torn Afghanistan. Two-thirds of the money raised was used to buy tents, rugs, and school supplies while the remaining portion was donated to a local woman’s transition home. In 2004, Naomi combined her vision of peace with a couple of friends and founded “The Robert F. Hall Nonviolence Action Committee (NVAC),” and began organizing events aimed at addressing social justice issues such as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, the Robert F. Hall Sock Drive for the Homeless and numerous peace protests. In the process, Naomi has become a student role model with visions and actions that truly inspire people of all ages to get involved.

Marilyn Ize-Dukuze
Scarborough YMCA Peace Medallion Recipient

Born as the third generation of Rwandese refugees in Burundi, Marilyn Ize-Dukuze and her family went back to Rwanda after the genocide of 1994 before she moved to Canada at the age of 6. In 2004, she created Greenhope for Children, a young foundation dedicated to give hope and foster a peaceful lifestyle through education. To date, the organization has raised more than $10,000 for the education of orphans in Africa. Marilyn has given speeches in schools, colleges, universities and churches and other organizations; where she discussed the realities of being a refugee and called on Canadian youth to work together, to rebuild hope in distressed children. Marilyn has written an educational book titled “I made peace the passion of my life”, in which she defines education as a gift that lasts forever. Her dream is to expand Greenhope for Children to other countries in order to reach more children and give them hope.

Marilyn is 15 years old and a Grade 10 student at Pope John Paul II Catholic Secondary High School in Scarborough.

Ranjit Kumar
Markham YMCA Peace Medallion Recipient

Ranjit Kumar was the founding president/CEO of the Foundation for International Training (FIT), a non-profit, international agency dedicated to human resource development that has engaged in more than 600 development projects in over 60 countries. Prior to establishing FIT, Kumar was the founding director of the Center for International Programs at Seneca College and was an active member of numerous international and local organizations. Ranjit has had a long and abiding interest in promoting inclusivity and harmony among diverse communities in York Region. When the Tsunami struck in December 2004, Ranjit immediately took action to show support or the victims and their families here in York Region. Along with other community members, Ranjit quickly organized an inter-faith memorial service that was held at the Markham Civic Centre within the weeks immediately following this tragedy. Recently, he spearheaded an initiative with the Regional Municipality of York that resulted in proclaiming June 1 as the Peace Tree Day in the Region. He has participated in many international conferences concerned with human development and governance of civil society and for the past several decades has been a very integral member of the Markham community.

Jeanene Luckhart
Mississauga YMCA Peace Medallion Recipient

Jeanene Luckhart immigrated to Canada from Australia. Volunteering her time and using her own resources, she has reached out to conflict ridden parts of the world through her work with Canadian Food For Children. She has traveled to many countries including Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Honduras and Guatemala to distribute care and aid packages. Jeanene is a tireless public educator and fund raiser, and will soon be taking a 3-month leave of absence from her work as a physiotherapist to volunteer at a clinic for amputees in Sierra Leone. She is married and has six children.

Sanya Manchanda
Durham YMCA Peace Medallion Recipient

Sanya Manchanda is a grade 12 student at Anderson C.V.I. For four years she has been part of various groups such as the HIV/AIDS Committee, White Ribbon Campaign, Black History Month, Gay-Straight Alliance, Amnesty International and more. She has helped organize events to raise funds and awareness among the school and community. She is student council president, co-editor of the school newspaper, a graduate of various leadership programs and an ambassador for her school. She loves writing and art and hopes to be a psychiatrist in the future.

Fowzia Mohammed
Etobicoke YMCA Peace Medallion Recipient

Fowzia Mohammed has dedicated much of her time to addressing violence-related issues and educational inequalities for youth living in north-west Toronto, working extensively with the community to effectively meet identified needs. She currently sits on the Mayor’s Safety Panel where she is the lead for addressing violence-related issues/needs of women and girls and volunteered with the summer enrichment project at West Humber Collegiate in Jamestown. Fowzia has completed a Master’s degree in the Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education through the University of Toronto.

Olu Quamina
Toronto YMCA Peace Medallion Recipient

Olu Quamina is a community worker at the Alexander Park Community Centre in the Alexandra Park/Atkinson community who has volunteered countless hours. Olu promotes programs that encourage responsibility, hard work, and community pride. Along with Walied Eldardiry, Quamina plans dinner and movie nights and an outdoor basketball league for youth, providing them with peaceful solutions and pride in their community. He is the proud father of a young daughter and attends Ryerson University part time.

Adam Wheeler
Peace by Piece YMCA Peace Medallion Recipient

Adam is a grade 12 student at Oakwood Collegiate who is an incredibly passionate and successful community activist and student leader. Adam’s volunteerism is based in his education work to fight discrimination and violence by teaching others about issues facing marginalized communities to promote greater understanding and harmony. Adam developed “Breaking Down the Barriers”, a week long series of workshops for students addressing topics such as poverty, racism, and other types of discrimination. He is an executive member of Free the Children, is Chair of the Students and Teachers of Oakwood for Peace (STOP), and an active member of the Toronto Youth Cabinet. Additionally Adam is a facilitator for TEACH, Teens Educating and Confronting Homophobia, a program of Planned Parenthood. Adam continues his volunteer work with the Toronto Public Library and has initiated programs to provide youth with opportunities and alternatives.