What inspires you?

Seeing how collaborative action at the community-level can create larger change is what inspires me to continue advocating and working towards equality.

Tell us about an issue that matters to you and how you became aware and involved.

Every year millions of people migrate from one place to another. This migration is ongoing and the impacts on the individual, community, and nation from where migrants left and arrive is great. As an undergraduate student I wrote an honour's thesis on Canadian immigration and presented it at a number of conferences. Concurrently I worked towards identifying settlement challenges for newcomers in my province with a local settlement agency. I also volunteered with the UNHCR, WUSC Student Refugee Program, and acted as a volunteer tutor for newcomers and international students at the University of PEI. Later I studied migration at the University of Malta and developed an English language training program in the country's largest Refugee Reception Centre. Returning to Canada I completed a Master's degree at Ryerson University, Toronto where I further explored the experiences of migrants at the Centre through my Master's research project. Finally, I began an PhD degree in immigration policy where I had the opportunity to present at a conference on refugee issues in Canada and also study migration policy during a methods program in Kerala, India. Today I continue to volunteer in the immigration and settlement sector through such activities as my province's annual Diverse City multicultural festival.

Share your perspectives on what makes a good leader.

A good leader ought to first listen to his or her group and work towards building an equal atmosphere for positive collaboration. This involves being in tune with what needs to be done and what your team members are communicating. A leader should show initiative, act as a role model, and also be knowledgeable about the issues which surround you.

Do you think TakingITGlobal can help you achieve some of your goals? Have we already? Please tell us how.

Most definitely TakingITGlobal can help me achieve my goals. This easy-to-access community allows for smooth collaboration among members, sharing of ideas and new opportunities, a forum to allow for the free flow of discourse, and most importantly its reach is global; allowing people from all countries to collaborate towards similar goals. TakingITGlobal has given me more exposure and allowed others to contact me for sharing and information. I look forward to using TakingITGlobal in the future to promote my projects and activities.

Bobby's website can be found here