Canadian Immigrant honour for humanitarian Diana Alli
August 22, 2022
Some people are so giving that you often wonder how they find the time.
To the needy and those seeking to achieve their potential, they give generously, selflessly and without expectation of return while taking care of their families and, in many instances, excelling in their profession.
Such a person is Diana Alli whose altruism mirrors that of Mother Teresa who lived humbly and understood the hardships people faced.
Like the late nun and missionary, she dedicated her life to helping others.
The 71-year-old humanitarian is among a distinguished group of Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award honourees.
Presented by ‘Canadian Immigrant’ magazine and sponsored by Royal Bank of Canada, the program was launched 13 years ago.
The winners are chosen based on a combination of nationwide online voting and judges’ scores.
“I am in absolute awe of the recognition,” said Alli. “It means as much to me as the Order of Canada because to get the country’s highest civilian award is not an easy feat. To know that I am part of a group of immigrants who have made this country what it is is special. We come here and people often think we are here to take jobs and other things. That is not the case. We are here to make others feel that they can excel in their own special way by providing them with opportunities and mentorship. Winning this award means that all I have done for nearly five decades has truly surpassed what I expected as a young girl growing up in Mumbai.”
Diana Alli (c) with Dr. Ana Jarvis & the late Dr. Miriam Rossi (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
While pursuing higher education in England, she fell in love with a Guyanese jeweler studying there and they moved to the South American country in the late 1960s.
With the marriage falling apart a few years later, the mother of three children settled in Canada.
Living in Guyana for nearly five years until 1974, Alli said, was eye opening.
“There are caste systems in India, but when I went to Guyana, there were irritating racial tensions that were obvious,” the 2012 University of Toronto Arbor Award winner said. “If you were to look at South Asian Indians everywhere in the world, they excel and are treated better than Blacks. When I came to Toronto, I decided I was going to do everything I could to help remove the barriers they face.
“I have a passion for humanitarianism and making this world a more just and equitable society for all, serving and supporting the most marginalized and underrepresented populations, in particular, Indigenous and Black kids and youth.”
For nearly four decades, Alli has organized and also taught and mentored young people in Guyana, India, Canada and other parts of the world. She has also been at the forefront of many organizations established to ensure young people from challenged communities achieve their full potential.
In response to the under-representation of Blacks and other visible minorities in the medical field, she co-founded the University of Toronto Summer Mentorship Program (SMP) in 1994 that provides a focus for Black and Indigenous students with both an interest and aptitude for the sciences, particularly for those who otherwise would not have available mentorship opportunities.
“I have known Diana since the outset of my medical career 36 years ago and have witnessed first-hand her dedication to supporting others in the community,” said Dr. Dominick Shelton. “She has consistently been a champion of diversity and equity in her work over the decades.”
In the last 28 years, nearly 1,200 students have graduated from the four-week program. Almost all have attained undergraduate degrees and about half have completed a medical degree or professional program in health sciences.
Harry Jerome Award winner Dr. Joseph Acquaye graduated from the SMP in 2005.
“I can say in full confidence that if it weren’t for Diana’s efforts in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, I would not be where I am today,” said Acquaye who is in the Department of Urology at Wellstar Medical Group in Atlanta. “Her legacy as the champion of underserved students, academic Mafia and countless cohorts of U of T trained doctors will live on forever.”
Cataract and glaucoma specialist Dr. Garfield Miller met Alli nearly three decades ago when she visited his high school to promote the SMP.
“The impact she has had on my life and countless others is hard to put into words,” said the University of Ottawa Eye Institute Associate Professor and the first Black to enter the U of T ophthalmology residency program in 2005. “She has shown genuine compassion, a commitment to excellence and most importantly consistency. The impact of her lifelong commitment to promoting excellence and dignity within Canada’s racialized communities cannot be measured.”
Diana Alli with SMP graduates Karen Grant (l), Kareem Banyan, Clinton Hunter & Tahira Quick (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
In Alli’s 38 years with the U of T Faculty of Medicine, she had a hand in establishing over 20 outreach programs in the faculty, serving marginalized youths in the Greater Toronto Area.
“Diana has been a passionate role model, trailblazer and champion of social responsibility by raising awareness of the struggles faced by citizens of developing countries around the world,” said Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Sean Wharton who founded the U of T Black Medical Students Association in 1999. “She is a visionary of change, making inroads to support marginalized groups.”
Alli co-founded many organizations, including the Association for the Advancement of Blacks in Health Sciences, Adventures in Science, the Interprofessional Medical Allied Group for Improving Neighbourhood Environment, Parkdale and Scadding Park Mentorship Programs, Woodgreen Tutoring Program, Woodgreen Homeward Bound, Books with Wings and the Seniors Outreach Experience for residents in St, James, Moss Park, Regent Park, Woodgreen and Danforth.
After retirement from U of T 10 years ago, she started Access Empowerment Council that is a non-profit organization inspiring disengaged, marginalized and under-represented youth. It also engages isolated elderly people globally with a focus in the Himalayas.
Diana Alli with Acute Care Surgeon Dr. Jerome Byam who is a Clinical Associate Professor at John Hopkins School of Medicine (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
Prior to COVID, Alli spent nearly six months a year in Rishikesh besides the Ganges River, working with three non-governmental organizations to enhance the standard of living in poverty-stricken villages.
She taught English as a Second Language, funded the cost of internet coverage in the area and donated books and computers.
“Being a philanthropist, mentor and English teacher has been my biggest blessing,” said the 2004 Order of Ontario recipient who was a member of Mayor John Tory campaign team in 2014.
During the pandemic, Alli supported local soup kitchens, including Ripples of Kindness.
“What is most remarkable about Diana’s work, life and resume is that it is entirely consistent, even while there is a wide range of professional and volunteer engagement,” said Gender at Work Interim Executive Director Ilana Landsberg-Lewis. “At every turn, whether starting foundations, working with students or staging events, she is tireless in her work to empower others, create opportunities for those who are so often marginalized and made invisible to shine and excel, always with an intersectional, anti-racist, diversity, equity and inclusive imperative.”
