REMZI CEJ: A LEADER OF HOPE DRIVING CHANGE TO COUNTLESS OF NEWCOMERS & REFUGEES

Since arriving in Canada at the age of 16-years-old as a refugee, Remzi Cej hasn’t stopped sharing his stories with many organizations, events and people from all walks of life. From holding TED Talks to advancing human rights as a chief commissioner, Remzi Cej has been an inspiring voice for refugees, immigrants, and overall newcomers in Canada. Upon arriving to Canada as refugees escaping the war in Kosovo in 1999, Cej’s family settled in Newfoundland where they have been living since their arrival in Canada. But 25 years ago, his life hung by a thread in Kosovo where a pistol was pointed at his head due to his bravery, standing up to help others, leading his life to rely on a piece of jewelry his mother carried, and gave it up in an attempt to save her son’s life. This took place as they were forced out of their hometown Mitrovica, which was ambushed by Serbian forces.

Professionally, He is a Rhodes scholar, recipient of the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award, and two-time recipient of the YMCA Human Rights Medallion. He’s worked for United Nations Association of Canada and a founding member of Bridge to the Rock, a volunteer organization that sponsored LGBTQ+ refugees from around the world to name a few. But what makes Cej’s story unique is not only his professional life. It’s his poise, determination and being a leader of change for not just Kosovo refugees. At the age of 17, Cej came out to his family as gay. Being gay in Kosovo can be challenging as stereotypes toward minority groups persist, despite the country's major achievements, including holding the biggest Pride celebrations in southeast Europe. Cej says he has been lucky as he has not been marginalized by the Albanian community in Newfoundland and overall, in Canada, where he says he’s been supported. He has been active in the social justice community, particularly in advocacy for 2SLGBTQIA+.

Cej says being in Canada has given him the support, and tools to use his story to empower others but it all began from an accepting family where he was allowed to be and express himself. He says he did meet Canadians who have faced stigma and were marginalized or feared coming out because of the same stigma many in Kosovo face. But Cej’s mother Hafize is a prime example of a woman of strength and courage. Not only by accepting and supporting her son’s identity, a bold move for a newcomer family, learning a new language, a new culture faced with an influx of differences and changes. But she also faced other difficulties as Cej’s late brother was missing due to the war, for six years. Adnan was sent to stay with his uncle in Turkiye during the war to keep him safe from being targeted by Serbian police due to his disability as he was deaf in his early twenties and that put him at high risk. But his brother’s journey took a wrong turn, as he lost contact with his uncle and the family.

The family believed and feared Adnan was killed during the war by Serbian military before he was found in Turkiye; recognized on local news by a Kosovar teacher while vacationing who saw Adnan sharing his story as he was searching for his lost family. While Canada gave the family the chance of reunification, Cej's brother “passed away last year, reminders of him missing for nearly six years are even more painful” says Cej. This year, as Kosovo refugees marked 25 years in Canada remembering their humble beginnings and recognizing Canada’s outstanding contribution of ‘Operation Parasol’ Cej attended the anniversary events in Halifax at Pier21 in May and in Toronto at Carleton University this month in Toronto, sharing his triumph and his pain and remembering that peace does not come without a price and for some families it was the ultimate loss, including his. “I’m feeling grateful for both of my homes".