Farah N. Mawani, MSc, PhD Candidate
Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto

and Founder, Farahway Global

Farah N. Mawani is a PhD Candidate in Public Health Sciences at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. She has global research, writing, and teaching experience in inequalities in global mental health, social and cultural determinants of mental health, immigrant and refugee mental health, and community-based research. She has national experience in roles ranging from Senior Policy and Research Analyst, Mental Health Strategy, Mental Health Commission of Canada to National Coordinator for numerous national health research projects.

Farah recently founded Farahway Global, a Social Media, Public Engagement, Human Rights and Health agency. It builds on Farah’s experience directing the social media and public engagement components of Free the Hikers, which played a large role in freeing Josh Fattal, Shane Bauer and Sarah Shourd, held hostage in Iran for 2 years and 2 months.

Building global support within the incredibly complex and sensitive sociopolitical context of the Free the Hikers campaign was challenging on multiple levels. Farah applied her experience in leadership, community engagement and global social justice to carefully navigate the sensitive relationships. As a result, the campaign was successful at engaging and garnering the support of people around the world, including high-profile public figures and diverse members of the general public of all ages, through a sophisticated integration of website, media, social media, public statements and public events.

Farah’s expertise integrating social media and public engagement on a global scale is sought by organizations, businesses, political and advocacy campaigns, and leading publications in multiple sectors.

To learn more about Farah’s personal experience through the Free the Hikers campaign, that inspired the creation of Farahway Global, see her personal blog.

Salina Abji, PhD Candidate
Sociology, University of Toronto

and Collaborator, Farahway Global

Salina brings over ten years of experience providing management consulting, research, program development and facilitation for non-governmental organizations and post-secondary institutions. She is a doctoral candidate in Sociology at the University of Toronto and holds a Masters degree from Oxford University. Her current research (SSHRC-funded) focuses on social movements as key sites for participatory citizenship, human rights activism, and social change. Salina brings expertise in social media engagement strategies honed through her work with the Free the Hikers campaign. She currently works with a range of non-governmental, grassroots environmental and social justice organizations on integrating social media into their public education, outreach and fundraising efforts.

Additional Team Members

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