Migrant Systems Change Leadership Certificate
By focusing on transforming the systems we are in, we will gain an understanding of how rules, norms, relationships, and ways of thinking can create long-term, meaningful change. We will explore concepts such as equity, power, racial justice, Indigenous rights, decolonization, solidarity, and collective liberation.
Program overview
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RADIUS’ Refugee Livelihood Lab offers the Migrant Systems Change Leadership certificate program to people in British Columbia with first-hand lived experiences of being a racialized refugee, newcomer, or migrant.
The Refugee Livelihood Lab facilitation team and participants will work together to deepen our understanding of systemic issues affecting migrant and refugee communities.
Applications have now closed
The program starts on Friday, September 12, 2025 until Saturday, January 17, 2026.
Topics we will learn more about
- The land we are on, and relationships between Indigenous and Migrant People
- The challenges we face in refugee and immigration systems (rules, relationships, power, and beliefs)
- How our identities shape our experiences in systems such as schools, health care, our work place, government institutions, and more
- How to shift away from blaming individuals, and building collective power instead
- How we can work towards equity and justice
- The different tools we can use to address the issues refugee and migrant communities face
Photos by: Xiaoyi Zhu
What will you get out of this program?
- Sharpened critical analysis of Canadian narratives
- Stronger understanding of Indigenous–migrant solidarity
- Personal and systemic issue-area toolkit (e.g., playbook, frameworks, community resources)
- A community of solidarity grounded in care and accountability
- A shared commitment for systems transformation
- A demonstrated application of your learning through storytelling, initiatives, campaigns, or other outlets
Cost and supports
With support from our funders, we are able to offer this program free of cost.
We recognize that inequitable structures create barriers that might prevent you from accessing this certificate program. We are committed to removing access barriers to the best of our ability.
Stipends and transportation subsidies are available to all. Access needs such as language interpreters, computers, Wi-Fi, dependent care support (childcare and elders), and more are available by request.
Note: If you have access to professional development funds from your workplace, we encourage you to let us know and use these funds as we are completely reliant on external fundraising to deliver this program and would like to further enhance participant experience. However, your access to funds will not determine if you are invited to be a part of this program.
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Nada El Masry
Manager, Refugee Livelihood Lab
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Nada El Masry (she/her) is a Libyan-born Palestinian who came to the unceded land of the Coast Salish peoples just over 10 years ago. Due to her life experiences and education, Nada has fostered a deep passion for social justice and has shaped her life goals around values rooted in that field. She has been working with and engaging newcomers for several years, and currently manages the Refugee Livelihood Lab, which aims to build social, economic, and political capital for racialized refugee and migrant communities.
Nada is pursuing a Master’s in Equity Studies in Education at SFU, and was recipient of a 2019 BC Anti-Racism Award. She has also been nominated by the Future of Good as a 2020 Top 21 Founders to Watch, and received a 2018 Leadership Award from Voices of Muslim Women. In her free time, Nada enjoys playing and watching soccer.
Yara Younis
Lab Manager, Refugee Livelihood Lab
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Born and raised in Dubai (UAE), Yara is a Palestinian refugee who had felt detached from her ‘home’ in the Gaza Strip for the longest time. Now, having spent years contemplating and unlearning colonial narratives, she considers the meaning of statelessness, as well as how systems of power co-opt and shape refugee experiences. Prior to settling on unceded Coast Salish lands, Yara worked at the Delma Institute in Abu Dhabi as a MENA research analyst and as the deputy advisor and project coordinator for the UAE Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development. She completed her MA in International Studies at Simon Fraser University, where she was a Researcher for the Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies. In her spare time, Yara enjoys reading sci-fi, listening to heavy metal, and walking for long hours to nowhere in particular.
Shikhank Sharma
Participatory Grantmaking Lead
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I am passionate about building a world where every person has access to opportunities to better their life while becoming an integral part of a vibrant and sustainable community and an innovative economy. My work focuses on equity-centred approaches to social innovation, impact investing, venture incubation and acceleration, and capacity strengthening. I also explore ways organizations can best structure themselves for listening and collaboration. In these contexts, I have experience working with capital providers, nonprofits, universities, social enterprises, and accelerators across North America and internationally.
My journey to grow and learn led me from my home in the vibrant city of Delhi in Northern India to North America. Since then, my migration journey has taken me to many different communities and brought me to the present, where I reside on the unceded lands of the Coast Salish peoples. I am grateful for the knowledge that those around me are willing to share to help me broaden my perspective on the world in all its brilliance and juxtapositions.
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December 10, 2025
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December 10, 2025
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November 28, 2025
Past cohorts
RADIUS Refugee Livelihood Lab
Migrant Systems Change Leadership Certificate Program
RADIUS Refugee Livelihood Lab
Beyond Borders Program
