Nazila Isgandarova, an Azerbaijani diaspora activist in Canada, has been awarded the Champion of Diversity Award in Canada, according to Guivami Rahimli, PhD, Professor at Baku State University, who also served as president of the Azerbaijan-Norway Friendship Society, citing the Canadian media outlet YorkRegion.com.
Professor Rahimli had the opportunity to work with Nazila Isgandarova during the challenging period of the liberation of the Karabakh region from Armenian occupation and restoration of its internationally recognized territorial integrity, conveying an accurate picture of Azerbaijan to the international audience regarding the Karabakh conflict.
Nazila Isgandarova is a professor and Supervised Psychospiritual Education (SPE) Director at Emmanuel College at Victoria University in the University of Toronto.
Nazila is also the first Muslim woman chaplain, and spiritual care provider in Canada since 2004 and the first Muslim certified supervisor-educator at the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care.
Canada’s provincial government of Ontario has honored Nazila Isgandarova with the 2023 Champion of Diversity Award for being an outstanding community leader.
Nazila is a champion of diversity for demonstrating cross-cultural understanding, recognising those who make contribution toward preserving cultural heritage and supporting employees from different cultures.
One of the ways Nazila Isgandarova pays her inspiration forward and advocates is by co-founding the Azerbaijani Women’s Support Center (AWSC), alongside Minira Babayeva, Yegana Jafarova, Konul Gurbanova and Elmira Mammadova.
AWSC is a charity organization dedicated to helping women and families in need through various programs and initiatives and Canada’s only charity organization for Azerbaijani women.
Nazila tells that her journey toward community service in Canada was inspired by the compassionate women she encountered in various organizations and supporting employees from different cultures, motivating her to enhance the lives of others and strengthen her ties with the communities.
“I’m truly grateful to receive this prestigious award. This recognition marks a significant achievement in my community work and highlights efforts and commitment to diversity and interfaith relationships.”
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