PeaceQuest Centre for Human Excellence

  A Note to TST and CVE Training Designers and Facilitators Abid Ullah Jan Content from PeaceQuest could be used for Muslim Youth Resilience projects to avoid a disproportionate number of them ending up in the criminal justice system. The themes that PeaceQuest has picked up and the relevant research that has been done will be helpful in building knowledge and capacity to develop the right training/workshop material for children as well as youth which might be at risk of criminal involvement. Adding the faith factor to the evidence-based Trauma Systems Therapy (TST) sessions for at-risk youth to address anti-social behaviour and preventing criminal inclement is necessary. The content on PeaceQeust shows which theme and what specific info needs to be incorporated for a deeper impact. Adding these Islamic concepts to the TST and other resilience-building programs add inspiration, hope and motivation to act moderately; to improve sense of safety, permanency, and wellbeing among the vu...

How to develop a counter narrative to address hate and violence ~ Abid Ullah Jan Protecting youth through the most powerful motivating and behaviour shaping concepts The content on PeaceQuest is also intended to help develop messages and narratives that counter the misconceptions that incite violence and hatred. Some individuals become so preoccupied with a misperceptions about Islam and Muslims that they join an extremist groups that promises to use violence to make change happen. Parents, teachers and youth workers are in best position to understand the content we are sharing through PeaceQuest because a direct message from Muslims and Islamic sources is viewed as having a hidden agenda. It is not possible for “outsiders” to share a counter narrative because these groups — especially if they experience opposition from mainstream society—to isolate themselves, where they increasingly rely on their own members for information, confirmation, and justification. Ignoring outside voices, e...

  Protecting youth through the most powerful motivating and behaviour shaping concepts Abid Ullah Jan The most disappointing moments are the ones when we hear the news about homicide and gun violence and find out that both the perpetrators and victims are Muslim youth. Or when we visit Ottawa police service and almost all wanted people are Muslims. These facts become even more disappointing when we come to know from  credible research  that religion and parental involvement plays a key role in shaping positive conduct of youth exposed to violence and crime. Other studies  have concluded that religion is a key protective factor in the severity of crimes committed by juveniles with sexually offending behaviour. There is no denying the fact that faith factor does reduce deviance and cut crimes. However, no research has systematically investigated the positive impact of Islamic concepts on children and youth. Anyone who understands the basics of Islam can tell that Islam...

  The real Jehad is connecting to the FORGOTTEN ASPECT OF OUR BEING for achieving human excellence. The real Jehad is reawakening your intrinsic nature, your true self, and aligning your ego with it. This Series is created as a gift to humanity by PeaceQuest Centre for Human Excellence. The series explains the holistic picture of Islam with all related components to highlight how Islam’s message, worship and the way of life are focused on one objective: To help us achieve human excellence, which is a pre-requisite for ultimate success. ‏‏ The series also talks about the most forgotten aspect of our being – our spirit, or Rooh. When who we are and what we do are not in alignment, we suffer and cause the suffering of others. A happier and contended world awaits us once we align our actions with our intrinsic nature (Fitra). There is a clear blueprint for that, provided we understand and follow it to achieve human excellence. This series explains the holistic picture of Islam with sev...

  The Value of Human Life and the Company We Keep ~ Abid Ullah Jan The value of human life and how our company shapes our perspective of others. This video discusses one of the root causes of our judgmental attitudes, our racist mentality, and our xenophobic attitudes; and explains how to rise from such a narrow mindset.

  It makes me cry – every single time I watch it. Probably enough for the description. How many of us go through how severe punishments – all because either they can’t prove their innocence or just don’t want to because they keep their good deeds secret – between them and their Creator – like the little boy in this story.

  IMPORTANT: We Need to Bridge the Gap Between Faith Community and Social Services Sector ~ Abid Ullah Jan A Conversation About the PeaceQuest's Approach  In our struggle to stem gun violence, youth joining gangs, drug dealing/abusing and stemming extremist tendencies, the most important protective factor that we are ignoring is the faith factor. For that we need to bridge the gap between social services sector and the faith organisations – particularly Muslim community centres/mosques. To understand Please also see: PeaceQuest in the broader context : Addressing gun violence and extremism in Ottawa through collective impact work Bridging the Gap: A conversation with Musleh Khan The Faith Factor: Attention Muslim Parents Developing a Counter Narrative A Note to CVE Training Designers