Promising Practices Team

Dr. Liza Lorenzetti (she/they) is from Italian heritage, born in Tiohtià:ke (Montréal) and living in Mokhinistsis (Calgary), Treaty 7. She lives in an intercultural and multilingual family with her partner Arya Boustani, from Iranian roots, and inspirational teen Parisa. As an activist-educator in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary, Liza’s teaching and research is informed by three decades of practice, and participation in social movements to counter and eventually transform gender-based violence, wealth inequality, racism, and settler colonialism. She continues to work within the community to impact policies and practices, and strengthen the capacities of leaders, researchers, and students to advance social justice and well-being through an intersectional lens. As a white settler, Liza is committed to walking a path of learning and action towards Truth and Reconciliation and racial and gender justice.

Fanny Oliphant has a degree in clinical psychology from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico U.N.A.M. She completed a Language and Practice enhancement Program for International of Trained Psychologists in Calgary at the Calgary Counselling Centre. Fanny was born in Mexico and has been living in Calgary for more than 30 years. She has been working in the community for more than 25 years and is passionate about working with families, supporting men’s well-being, and promoting healthy relationships, which enhances their lives, as well as the lives of women and children in our community. Her experience includes individual, couples, and family counseling, including facilitating well-being groups with men, women, and adolescents. Fanny lead the design and facilitation of the Men’s Well-Being Group curriculum as well as training and supporting community leaders as facilitators to conduct the well-being groups within their own communities.

Sarah, born on Treaty 7, land of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Tsuut’ina and Îyâxe Nakoda Nations and the Otipemisiwak Métis Government (Districts 5 and 6), is from Dutch, heritage. Sarah is an emerging activist scholar, feminist, and aspiring ally for gender, race, and ani-colonial justice and reconciliation from Dutch heritage. She completed her Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Calgary and is a recent graduate of the Master of Social Work program at York University where she conducted a critical narrative study with social work activist on how they sustain hope amidst slow change. Sarah has over 6 years of experience in grassroots community organizing and community-based research and her current areas of interest include knowledge mobilization, ethical relationship building, and mutual aid engagement.

Roxanne Singlot immigrated to Canada from the Philippines in 2011 and resides in Mokhinistsis (Calgary). She finished her undergraduate degree in Psychology and is pursuing her master’s in counselling at City University. Her work as a program coordinator for Mental Wellness at the Alberta Network of Immigrant Women reflects her passion and interest in women’s empowerment. She has been an active volunteer in the community for over eight years, with a focus on youth mentorship and program development. She is a fun Tita (aunty) to her long list of nieces and nephews, a karaoke fanatic, and a life-long learner. 

Danial Jamal is a New York born, Pashtun, currently residing on the Traditional Lands of the Treaty Seven Territory in Mohkinstsis. He is a Bachelor of Social Work Student at the University of Calgary, alongside the President of Breathe Easy where he and his team put together Meditation Groups and Dialogue Circles for diverse communities on campus. As Research Coordinator with the Alberta Network of Immigrant Women, Danial is supporting the Men's Well-Being Groups, engaging ethno-cultural men as community leaders in violence prevention.

Lateef Habib is an Assistant Professor, Teaching at the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary as well as a Clinical Supervisor at AHS. His career and work has spanned community, acute care, private and public sector, outpatient, Intensive Outpatient program (IOP), Day Hospital, providing supervision, teaching, and training others. His extensive clinical experience with adolescent and adult populations in addictions and mental health in a wide range of settings as a Clinical Supervisor, Clinician, Educator and Trainer. His therapeutic approach is one of compassion, collaboration and recognizing the people are resilient, having inherent wisdom about their lives, and are hardwired for connection with others. Lateef is a Registered Clinical Social Worker (RCSW) an Approved Clinical Supervisor with Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW). He believes that helpers are energized by fresh ideas and approaches. Subsequently, Lateef draws upon professional experience in the field and passion to provide energetic, enlightening, and interactive presentation.

Kamal Sehgal is the Executive Director of the Alberta Network of Immigrant Women. She has over 30 years of experience in program and organizational leadership in the areas of women's rights, gender-based violence prevention, and anti-racism and is a regional leader in social justice policy change, rights, and access for immigrant populations.

Arya Boustani has been involved with gender justice in more than two decades with other activist men creating Men’s Auxiliary in early 2000, following his contribution to MANC (Men’s Action Network Calgary) a decade later. He has been an active member of Alberta Men’s Network core group and helped creating and publicizing content for healthy masculinity and importance of men’s roles to be in the centre of dialogues with other men and being the inspiration for creating a massive shift in men’s attitudes and behaviours to create a respectful and safe environment for everyone, especially for women and children. He is a father, son, husband, uncle, father-figure, and brother. He has background of chemical engineering but changed his field to media arts to disengage with and oppose unhealthy practices of oil and gas and other chemical processing corporations, and tries to make up for it by participating in environmental activism. He loves listening to music, playing musical instruments, and creating visual media.

Badri Karki came from Nepal to Canada in 2013. He is a registered social worker and researcher who is passionate and committed to serving the community and individuals for positive change in their lives. He has several years of direct and indirect social work experience, including practice with individuals and families, developmental disabilities, mental health, community social work, and community action research in Nepal and Canada. 

Selam Fsehaye, Eritrean, came as a refugee in 2012 to Canada. She has a master’s degree in counselling psychology from Yorkville University. She has the designation of CCC, Certified Canadian Counselor. Having the diploma in Psychosocial Intervention from the American University in Cairo, she worked with the United Nations Higher Commission Refugee (UNHCR) with Eritrean, Ethiopian and Sudanese refuges in fields such as domestic violence, addiction, community awareness and education, settlement and integration. She worked in non for profit newcomers agencies in Calgary for more than 10 years in educating, building, and counseling newcomers to Calgary being very passionate and culturally sensitive and culturally responsive.

Aurelio Camilo “Jun” Naraval is a new settler in Calgary from the Philippines. Above all, he is a husband to Marissa and a father to three children – Carisse, Celille, and Justine. He has extensive leadership experience in the areas of public health, policy change, and program management. He dedicated more than 25 years as a medical doctor and public health epidemiologist in the field of gender, sexual and reproductive health and rights. Prior to his current role as Director, Programs and Public Policy of ActionDignity, he was the Executive Director of an international organization for South and Southeast Asia and parts of Africa on reproductive health and population dynamics. He is known for his strong advocacy on gender and reproductive health rights. His pioneering research on “Filipino Men and Domestic Violence,” which is a first in the Philippines, led to a movement of men called "Men's Responsibilities in Gender and Development" advancing gender equality. This practice has since become an ordinance in Davao City, Philippines.

Kamal Khatiwada is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) with Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) and serves as a Training and Mentorship Coordinator in the Transforming Field Education Landscape (TFEL) project at the University of Calgary in the Faculty of Social Work. Kamal completed his Bachelor of Health Sciences from the University of Lethbridge and Master of Social Work from the University of Calgary. Kamal is a trained men's well-being facilitator and runs a group with the Nepali speaking Bhutanese men in Lethbridge, Alberta, which is a Treaty 7 territory, traditional land of Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai.

Tsegay Gebrelibanos has his Ph.D. in Culture and History from the Norwegian National University of Science and Technology (NTNU), having taken graduate courses at the University of Alberta as well, a collaborating institution with NTNU. The published version of his PhD Thesis, "The Political Economy of Salt Production and Arhotat Trading System, 1830-2005," reflected on the off-farm trading system and the impacts on rural artisanal salt production, labour mobilization, rural to urban trading system and the rural economy. He has a Post Graduate Diploma in Education from the Indira Gandhi National Open University and both a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in History. Dr. Gebrelibanos has been a lecturer at the Universities of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia for close to two decades and has lectured at NTNU and the University of Calgary, Department of Anthropology and Archaeology. He has taught courses such as History Teaching Methods and Pedagogy, both within departments of History and Teacher Education in undergraduate and graduate programs. In the realms of community services and academic administration, Dr. Gebrelibanos served as Director of Ombudsperson at the University of Addis Ababa from 2010-2015 and as Academic Vice-President of Adigrat University, Ethiopia in the years 2018-2020. His research interests include political economy, ethnohistory, curriculum and teachers' education, gender, mental health, and community engagement. In Calgary, Dr. Gebrelibanos has worked as community engagement facilitator, Covid Health Awareness Raising Facilitator, and Anti-Racism Facilitator with Action Dignity and other Non-for-Profit Organizations.