About the village
Welcome
The village: a place of healing, peace & unity
history
The village: a place of healing, peace & unity
In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, we looked for a solution with a lasting impact. We are building communities – gathering spaces – where people of African Descent experience a strong sense of belonging. Regardless of skin colour, economic and social status, culture and religion, civil and political orientation, every member of The Village will experience true peace – a true, lasting, and sustainable progression towards justice, compassion, and full participation of all members of the community in every aspect of society.
The Village of Peace is an independent, not-for-profit that promotes the mental health and well-being of people of African descent with services that create gathering spaces, design trauma-informed, anti-racism curricula; certify community healers, health coaches, and psychotherapists as Trauma Recovery Specialists; and support the success of Black entrepreneurs.
God said to Abram, “Know for sure that your descendants will be strangers [living temporarily] in a land (Egypt) that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years.
- Genesis 15:13
Our Mission
What makes us different
Our mission is to unite people of African Descent in online and geographic spaces that heal the multiple and intersecting traumas associated with 465 of racial oppression.
Our vision is to become a peaceful, transforming and unifying presence among people of African Descent.
- Peace, justice, and mercy for all
- Protect the most vulnerable
- Heal, transform, and change the world
- Knowledge of God is wisdom
- Forgiveness is the path to true peace and freedom
- Develop a national Truth, Forgiveness and Reconciliation process to support healing within the Global African community
- Develop and deliver the Peace Ambassador Program
- Create Villages of Peace around the globe
- Work with national and international partners to acquire lands and financial reparations
- Community capacity building
Economic independence and self-governance
Our clients include students (K to post-secondary), mental health practitioners and Black entrepreneurs. We are located in two regions: Brampton, ON and Kamloops, BC.
We're Creating An Army of Peacemakers
An 18-month certificate program to certify community healers, health coaches, and psychotherapists as Trauma Recovery Specialists.
We're Doing Forgiveness
We believe forgiveness is very much an action that we must engage in before we can experience true healing and breakthrough.
We're Building Black Businesses
Our goal is to help position black business owners as servant leaders in the African diaspora to ensure prosperity in our community.
We're Creating An Army of Peacemakers
An 18-month certificate program to certify community healers, health coaches, and psychotherapists as Trauma Recovery Specialists.
We're Doing Forgiveness
We believe forgiveness is very much an action that we must engage in before we can experience true healing and breakthrough.
We're Building Black Businesses
Our goal is to help position black business owners as servant leaders in the African diaspora to ensure prosperity in our community.
New Program!
Smashing The Mirror
We're passionate about helping a generation overcome their traumas and fearlessly pursue a happy, healthy, purpose-filled life!
Smashing The Mirror is a 22-week trauma-informed, anti-racism, secondary school curriculum that contributes to the elimination of racism and racial discrimination in Canadian public schools. The program aims to address systemic racial barriers, conduct research to support the integration of health in education, and foster cultural and intercultural community building.
Message from our Founder
The Village of Peace was founded with a great sense of hope at one of the most dramatic moments in the 21st century. The murder of George Floyd sent every person of African descent a devastating message. “Until you choose to empower and protect yourself, you will not be safe.”
We are purposefully creating a gathering space in Kamloops, BC and calling people of African descent to come in. We’re responding to our Nation’s need for safety and protection, a strong sense of belonging, and esteem in our community.
We’re healing the traumatic wounds connected to the enslavement experience and ending the traumatic responses that hinder our full participation in all aspects of Canadian life. We are providing mental health care delivered by people who look like us and who value our spiritual ways of being. We’re creating economic independence as we support black entrepreneurs by bringing to life their creative business ideas!
I’m excited about what the next 30 years will bring for our Nation. We are building a village that will allow us to return to ourselves and from the center of that village, we will erect a monument and send a message to the world “We forgive you, but this will never happen again!”
Welcome to the village of peace!
Dr. Joan Samuels-Dennis
Founder, CEO
Dr. Joan Samuels-Dennis
Founder, CEO
Dr. Joan is a leading trauma therapist in Canada with over 15 years experience treating depression, anxiety, PTSD and other trauma-related issues. She is the founder of Becoming Canada Inc. and The Village of Peace. Both organizations work in different capacities to promote the mental health and well-being of individuals, couples, and families.
She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from Western University and expertise in Mental Health Promotion. She holds a master’s in Community Health Nursing with a specialization in public health and community development. She is a trained trauma recovery therapist with a keen focus on repairing the effects of domestic and interpersonal violence.
She is the author of 490: Forgive and Live fearlessly, Forgive: Master The Art of Letting Go, and Becoming the Journey to Love. She is using her extensive background in trauma recovery and expertise in truth, forgiveness and reconciliation processes to tackle the effects of current and historical traumas on the mental health of the African Diaspora and other oppressed people across the globe.
Dr. Joan is passionate about providing her clients (individuals, families, organizations, communities) with both advice and a safe space to overcome challenges, reclaim their lives and become their own advocate for change.
Meet Our Board
Harriet Obodo
Harriet Obodo
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Harriet Obodo has over 20 years of experience working in Labour Relations and Human Resources. These experiences span across the non-profit and private sectors. The early part of Harriet’s career was spent in the financial services sector, in the banking and insurance industry. She worked as frontline staff in Toronto shelters, groups, and long-term care homes before moving on to the settlement sector gaining invaluable knowledge of the issues that impact this sector.
Harriet is a certified human resources leader(CHRL) with the Human Resources Professional Association(HRPA) who has spent the last 12 years serving as a Strategic HR and Change Management Advisor to senior management and the board of directors. She describes herself as a people-centric change agent who inspires collaboration to effect the positive adoption of change to enhance performance and efficiency. Harriet Obodo has a degree in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management from the University of Lagos, and certificates in Labour Relations, Business Analysis and Health and Safety and I’m a graduate of the University of Toronto’s Continuing Education program in Human Resources Management.
In the words of Harriet, “I take a hands-on approach to leadership drawing on my experience and skills to drive collaboration and consensus. I enjoy traveling and experiencing new places and cultures. I am also an avid reader with a love for biographies of inspirational leaders, oh and I must add I love to laugh a lot.”
Richard Kanyangu
Richard Kanyangu
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Richard Kanyangu, a psychiatric nurse at Royal Inland Hospital and a pastor at the House of Destiny church in Kamloops, BC. Born in Zimbabwe, he is a strong community advocate who once ran for the presidency of Zimbabwe, but later turned his sights on the house of assembly. Ricard immigrated to Canada in 2010 and has an extensive and varied background that helps him support his community and the many African students who migrate to Kamloops, BC yearly. He was trained as a psychiatric nurse at Middlesex University in London Ponders End; a MSc in Management and Leadership in Health at Kingston University in the UK; and a Ph.D. in management with the Swiss Management University in Switzerland.
During his time in UK, he successfully ran a travel agency, nursing agency, and training institute. The quest for development and business has seen me travel to Sierra Leone and engage in business in some African countries in search of opportunities to enhance communities and make meaningful differences in people’s lives. His travel and business initiatives have resulted in the development of significant links and networks across the African continent. The networks allow him to pursue meaningful social development, change, leadership and governance.
Apart from working as a nurse, he and his wife founded and pastor one of the fastest-growing churches in Kamloops. They lead a vibrant congregation made up of mostly students from Thompson River University. He spends most of my free time offering free consultations to young African entrepreneurs and coaching them on life and business skills.
Peter Akarakiri
Peter Akarakiri
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As a service to the African community in Kamloops, B.C., Peter is the President of the African-Canadian Heritage Association of Kamloops (ACHAK). The mission of ACHAK is to connect African-based people in Kamloops, execute programs that better integrate African/ black groups and advocate for impact-driven contributions into our community.
In his day job, Peter is the Founder/CEO of Arabellsoft Inc., a remote software development company with a specialty in developing web-based software. He is also a family man, Software Engineer with 15+ years experience. He has designed, developed and launched projects in industries including Aerospace, Public Transportation, Market Research, Robotics and Public Safety, among others. He is grateful to have lived and worked across multiple continents including Africa, Europe and North America.
Peter Akarakiri, MSc. in Artificial Intelligence (with Distinction)
Founder/CEO, Arabellsoft Inc. | (778) 765-3633 | peter@arabellsoft.com | arabellsoft.com
Kimone Gustav
Kimone Gustav
From a very young age, Kimone Gustave has taken notice of individuals who are treated differently and tried to bridge the gap. She has worked in the social services field for over 13 years serving children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities in the school setting, day programs, as well as residential settings. Kimone completed her studies in Developmental Services and Addictions and Community Service at Algonquin college. She is passionate about helping individuals see and reach their highest potential. She has over 20 years of volunteer experience in many organizations that are dedicated to providing for the essential needs of lower-income and homeless individuals.
Jason Vilon
Jason Vilon
Jason’s goal is straightforward… to help purpose-driven business owners generate more clients, close more sales and increase their overall revenue and profits… quickly and inexpensively.
Jason specializes in sales and marketing for small business owners. He has over 25 years of sales experience and has developed a keen understanding of the complex issues facing small business owners in today’s volatile economy.
He has helped small business owners develop the skills to quickly and effectively teach business owners how to successfully apply the right strategies in the right order that will allow them to grow their business to its maximum capacity.
Cynthia Dorrington
Cynthia Dorrington
Cynthia Dorrington is the President of Vale & Associates Human Resource Management and Consulting Inc. Established in 2004, Vale & Associates is a boutique consulting firm specializing in providing strategy and advisory services as well as customized training and development for organizations. As President, Cynthia consults with small to medium-sized organizations across various industry sectors from start-ups, to businesses undergoing growth, to mergers/acquisitions with an emphasis on the strategic positioning of its human resources and managing change. She possesses expertise in organizational strategy, people strategy, equity, diversity and inclusion, supplier diversity, change management, governance, performance management, as well as HR advisory services has allowed Vale & Associates the opportunity to provide consulting services to a number of clients locally, nationally and internationally.
Aside from her Canadian business endeavours, Cynthia is a principal partner in an Australian business venture and balances her time strategically between her global work commitments and her various board commitments. Cynthia currently is the Chair of the Black Business Enterprise and Chairs of HR, Governance & Nominations Committees for Africville Heritage Trust, Halifax Hospice and Canadian Urban Institute. She is a member of the Governance and Finance and Audit Committees for VON Canada. Cynthia is a Commissioner on the board of the Nova Scotia Human Rights. Having recently completed her term as the Past Chair of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, Cynthia has become a Life-Time Member of the Board of Governors for the Halifax Chamber of Commerce.
Gathering Spaces
Kamloops, British Columbia
British Columbia offers it’s rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, forests, lakes, mountains, inland deserts and grassy plains to all who dare to visit, explore, or make it their home. We’re building a thriving settling place for black people all across the globe in Kamloops, BC, and there’s a place for you and your family here just waiting to be discovered!
Uniting people of African Descent in geographic spaces and places that heal their multiple and intersecting traumas.
