By Véronik Campbell
As 2025 comes to a close, I’ve been thinking about what it means to do this work in a world that feels more raw and uncertain than ever. Political tensions are showing their true colours, and the discomfort we’ve always embraced at RADIUS—the kind that comes with challenging systems—feels even more necessary now.
This year hasn’t been smooth sailing. At times, it felt like we were weathering a storm. And honestly? There’s no other crew I’d want to be on that ship with. Our team leaned into the hard conversations, held space for vulnerability, and kept steering toward equity and innovation.
Some moments that stand out for me:
- Launching the 2026 edition of our Migrant Systems Change Leadership Certificate, a very loved RADIUS program that builds leadership capacity and systems-change skills among racialized refugee and immigrant communities.
- Continuing to integrate anti-racist and equitable practices into institutional decision making through our consulting work with committed partners like the City of Burnaby, the Planning Institute of British Columbia, and the City of Calgary. This work remains simultaneously fulfilling and… yes, a little tiring.
- Celebrating alumni who are leading bold initiatives in their communities—proof that this work ripples far beyond our walls.
In 2026, we want to double down on the work that matters most, like:
- Deepening the focus and actions of our Land & Liberation Collective. This is a staff-led initiative that the team launched this year and that we want to see infiltrate all that we do. We look forward to taking bolder steps toward actionable decolonial practices, embedding Indigenous priorities across programs, and fostering meaningful migrant-Indigenous solidarity. This is about moving from intention to sustained action.
- Amplifying stories that shift systems. Our goal is to increase our publication of narratives that center equity-denied communities, challenge harmful norms, and spark systemic change. We know that this content, both original to RADIUS but also from our community, is essential in dismantling colonial perspectives and illuminating pathways to a just future.
Before we dive into the new year, I want to share something that shaped how I want to show up in 2026: a simple but powerful exercise where each of us at RADIUS went around the table and unabashedly named our own strenghts—things that we’re both skilled at AND that bring us energy. The exercise was full of love and validation, and it reminded us that in harsh times, abundance starts with what we can give without feeling like it’s depleting us.
So here’s my humble invitation to you, if you have it in you (and it’s okay if you don’t, because #WeAreHuman): offer a strength. To a neighbour, a colleague, a family member. Share what lights you up and see how it feeds not just you, but the people around you.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Your presence, and your strength, matters more than ever.
Some staff reflect on the question “What’s grounding you or guiding your work right now?”
Ilhan Abdullahi
EDDI Facilitator and Health Equity Action Lab Manager
What’s grounding me right now is a deep sense of collectivism and care that I feel at my workplace on the daily. At RADIUS, I’m surrounded by colleagues who show up with humanity, solidarity, and genuine friendship. Even when the work is heavy, that shared commitment to care makes each day feel lighter and reminds me why this work matters.
Oh–and lots of readings. The book I constantly go back to is Imagination: A Manifesto by Ruha Benjamin. It’s a constant reminder that we can transform the systems we’re in through radical imagination. I just love this book so much!
Miranda Eng
Associate Director of Consulting and Training Services
We are in a critical moment for equity, decolonization, diversity, and inclusion (EDDI) work—one that demands strategic thinking alongside compassion, care, and courage. Our team has been stepping up to build lenses, competencies, and capacity for inclusive leadership at all levels and across sectors.
As the year wraps up, I’ve been feeling really proud of the RADIUS Consulting and Training team – Raphael, Alia, Ilhan, Sude – and how they have been showing up to meet this moment.
Read more about Miranda’s reflection in The highs and lows of equity consulting in these times.
Nada El-Masry
Refugee Livelihood Lab Manager
The last two years have been especially trying for me. Being a new mom when many of my family members are living through a genocide has brought so many intense and unimaginable moments of pain, fear, and just pure exhaustion. But as a Muslim, I kept turning back to my faith. Nothing else could help me make sense of or survive the horror of what we have been witnessing. It’s my ultimate source of strength, patience, and purpose. It allows me to focus on that which is within my means, and let go of that which I have no control over.
An aspect of Islam that deeply resonates with me is Silat al rahm, kinship and maintaining good ties with others. Islam guides us toward building and nurturing those bonds, knowing that so much of our strength comes from trusting Allah swt first and foremost, but also leaning on one another. Becoming a mom made this even clearer; in every avenue of my life, it truly does take a village to sustain us. Holding onto my faith while being held by my community has kept me steady, allowing me to do my part and trust that ultimately Allah swt, the Creator, the Most Merciful, the All Powerful will bring mercy, justice, and healing to a world that desperately needs it.