A partnership in Fredericton that connects Muslim and Arab families to social services aims to curb family violence and help newcomers integrate with the community.

The partnership between the Arabic Culture Centre (ACC), the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research, and the Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration (MRCSSI) in London, Ontario was formed in 2019.

Since then, the project team has delivered workshops, conducted a community mapping project, created educational videos for service providers, and supported the remote delivery of the MRCSSI’s Strengthening Families Program.

Muslim and Arab families revealed to the project team the significant post-migration stress they face in addition to trauma that some families bring with them from experiences of war and civil unrest. These challenges, coupled with barriers to social supports, can contribute to tension, conflict, and in some cases, violence and abuse.

Mahmoud Alhallak, a board member with the ACC, says it’s important for Muslim and Arab families to understand the resources available to them as they integrate into their new homes and before challenges escalate.

The Fredericton Community Foundation has provided $7,500 to support the ongoing delivery of the Strengthening Families Program.

“We would like to express our deepest gratitude for the generous fund made by the Fredericton Community Foundation,” says Mahmoud. “Their support will help us continue the program, improve the level of its services, and deliver them to a greater number of families who need them.”