The Tessellate Institute (TTI) is a private, not-for-profit, non-partisan research institute that aims to provide Canadian policymakers and the general public academically-rigorous research about policy relevant issues, particularly on topics pertaining to ethnic and religious minorities.
Founded in 2007, the current Board of Directors (2008 – ) are: Mr Mohamed Bhabha; Dr Katherine Bullock; and Mr Naseer (Irfan) Syed, L.L. B.
Board of Directors Bios:
Mohamed Bhabha was educated in South Africa and Canada. He is a retired former teacher, Canadian government official, school principal and teacher development advisor. He helped establish the Al Falah Islamic School in Oakville. His twin interests in education and international development have led him to projects in Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Israel/Palestine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. He has authored “Cultivating Civic Sensibilities – an Approach to Enhancing Civic Education in Palestine” and “A Manual for Teachers on Classroom Management”, as well as articles on education and politics published in Canada, South Africa and Australia.
Katherine Bullock completed her PhD in Political Science at the University of Toronto, in 1999. She has taught and lectured on Islamic Civilisation and Middle East politics in California and Toronto. Her most recent appointment is with the University of Toronto, where she has been teaching a course entitled “The Politics of Islam” since 2002. Her publications include: “Muslim Women Activists in North America: Speaking for Ourselves” and “Rethinking Muslim Women and the Veil: Challenging Historical and Modern Stereotypes” which has been translated into French and Turkish.
Naseer (Irfan) Syed is a Lawyer and Trade-Mark Agent at the law firm of Kutty, Syed & Mohamed, in Toronto, Ontario. Irfan advises a wide range of local and international clients on corporate and commercial matters, from individual entrepreneurs and family businesses to public companies. He has long been active in various community, not-for-profit and charitable organizations and provides legal advice related to start-up, governance, and participation in public policy. He was the Chair of the Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association (2001-2005) and a member of the planning committees for the 2005 and 2007 conferences for Judges and Lawyers in Toronto entitled “Combating Hatred in the 21st Century.”
For more information, please visit: www.tessellateinstitute.com
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The Olive Tree Foundation is dedicated to promoting and perpetuating philanthropy and enhancing community life through responsible grant making in Canada.
The Foundation is a charitable organization formed to attract and manage permanent endowment funds and to distribute income from those funds back to the community. We provide grants to registered charitable organizations for projects that maintain or improve quality of life in the community.
Unlike other charities, which are usually dedicated to a single cause, the Olive Tree Foundation supports a range of charitable activities in our community: social, community and health services; education and library services; policy institutes and think tanks; and arts, culture & heritage. Because of this unique mandate, we can provide seed funding for new projects or other initiatives that might otherwise fall between the cracks.
To find out more about Olive Tree Foundation please visit www.olivetreefoundation.ca
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IDRF (International Development and Relief Foundation) is a registered Canadian non-profit organization, dedicated to empowering the disadvantaged people of the world through emergency relief and participatory development programs based on the Islamic principles of human dignity, self-reliance and social justice.
Our projects are particularly effective as local partners implement them, and therefore are culturally sensitive, provide targeted assistance, and create the foundation for long-term sustainability.
For over 25 years, IDRF has successfully implemented relief and development projects in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and the Americas. IDRF has long benefited from the financial support and guidance of CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency).
To learn more, please go to: www.idrf.ca.