Anujan Rajah

I am an aspiring lawyer with a strong track record of successfully spearheading and coordinating community development initiatives within the non-profit sector. Moreover, I possess substantial expertise in political campaigning, grant proposal composition, research, and policy formulation.

2023 - York Graduate Scholarship - York University

2023 - York Graduate Fellowship - York University

2022 - Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Pin Award - Awarded by MP for Scarborough North Hon. Shaun Chen for Exemplary Community Involvement

2021 - York Graduate Scholarship - York University

2021 - York Graduate Fellowship - York University

2021 - Paul Pellegrini Award - York University

2021 - York University Continuing Student Scholarship 

2020 - Arthur Francis Williams Award in Canadian Studies

2015 - York University Entrance Scholarship

2015 - Gift of Life Campaign Award - Council of Agencies Serving South Asians 

2015 - Tropicana Summer Jobs for Youth Professional Development Award - Tropicana Community Services

2015 - Graduated Ontario Secondary School Diploma with 999 Community Volunteer Hours

Amnesty International - Lobbying and Advocacy, Write for Rights Writer 2019 – Currently

Amnesty International's “Write for Rights” campaign encourages people from around the world to take action on human rights issues by writing letters, emails, or messages to government officials, authorities, and individuals who have the power to make a difference.  As a member of this campaign team, I've sent emails to foreign government officials, political leaders, and other individuals in positions of authority to urge them to take specific actions, such as releasing political prisoners, ending human rights abuses, or changing discriminatory laws and practices. The campaign aims to add international scrutiny and political pressure on foreign governments.

Barrie Springwater Oro Medonte Federal Liberal Riding Association - Youth Chair 2020 - 2021

I served as the Youth Chair for my local federal electoral district association and encouraged young people to get involved in the political process by going out to vote for our progressive candidate.

Barrie Springwater Oro Medonte Provincial Liberal Riding Association - Youth Coordinator 2019 - 2021

I served as the Youth Coordinator for my local, provincial electoral district association and made a sincere attempt to increase the age of eligibility for discounted party convention delegate fees. Youth aged 25 and under can attend Ontario Liberal Party conventions for a significantly discounted rate. I attempted to increase the age to 29 as an increased number of young people are returning to school after the age of 25 and cannot afford to pay the full delegate fees. The discounted fees help encourage more young people to engage in the political process. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the policy proposal was put on hold.

Campaign for Adam Giambrone in Scarborough Guildwood ONDP - Volunteer 2013

Campaign to Re-elect Mary Ng in Markham Thornhill - Volunteer 2021

Campaign for Neethan Shan in Scarborough Rouge River - Campaign Volunteer 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, Campaign Manager 2017, and Assistant Campaign Manager 2018

At the age of 19/20, I served as the campaign manager for the labour union-supported candidate in the Ward 42 by-election for the Toronto City Council seat and successfully got the candidate elected.

Campaign to elect Yalini Rajakulasingam - Campaign Manager 2018, Chief Strategist 2022

Building on my experience as a strategic campaign manager, I served in the same role for another labour union-supported candidate for the TDSB Trustee election in 2018 who continues to serve in that role. In 2022, I served as the Chief Strategist and provided strategic advice for the candidate's successful re-election.

Campaign to re-elect Gary Anandasangaree - Campaign Volunteer 2019, 2021

Campaign to re-elect Shaun Chen - Campaign Volunteer 2019, 2021

Canadian Tamil Artist Association - Government Relations and Grant Writing 2019

Canadian Tamil Congress - Volunteer 2018, 2020

Canadian Tamil Youth Alliance - Government Relations and Grant Writing 2019 – 2021

City of Toronto - Constituency Office of Councillor Neethan Shan. Volunteer Project Coordinator 2017-2018      

In addition to serving in my paid role as the Constituency Assistant, I volunteered every week on projects I'm passionate about to ensure the projects are completed successfully, irrespective of budget restraints.      

Constituency Office of Rathika Sitsabaiesan Member of Parliament for Scarborough Rouge River - Volunteer 2011 – 2015

Constituency Office of Shaun Chen Member of Parliament for Scarborough North - Volunteer 2019, 2022

Council of Agencies Serving South Asians - General Volunteer 2012, 2015-2016

Edmonton Tamil Cultural Association - Government Relations and Grant Writing 2018 – 2020

Employment and Social Development Canada Enabling Accessibility Fund - Youth Accessibility Leader 2022 - Currently

Through this voluntary role, I helped make a local organization more accessible by working with them to identify accessibility issues at their office and submitting the necessary paperwork to obtain the funding. The funding was used to purchase technological equipment for neurodiverse individuals.

Fair Vote Canada - Proportional Representation Campaign Volunteer 2018, 2021, 2022

Electoral reform is necessary for long-lasting progressive policies in Canada, and I've worked with Fair Vote Canada to advocate for proportional representation. During the 2018 referendum in British Columbia, I made phone calls to voters in B.C. from Ontario to persuade them to vote in support of Proportional Representation. During the 2021 federal election and 2022 provincial election in Ontario, I was the captain for my local riding of Pickering-Uxbridge. I supervised volunteers to drop informational flyers at voters' doors and encourage them to ask local candidates about their position on electoral reform.  

Jagmeet Singh Leadership Campaign - National Tamil Community Liaison 2017

As a Tamil community leader, I served in this voluntary role to persuade Tamils across Canada to become members of the federal NDP to elect a strong progressive and racialized leader. Many Tamil-Canadians did not believe that the federal NDP could form government. To tackle such firmly held beliefs, I introduced Jagmeet Singh as a progressive leader who had the potential to hold the balance of power in a minority government and could push to deliver progressive policies and programs. With the support of Tamil Canadians, Jagmeet Singh became the leader of the federal NDP in 2017, and our anticipation and predictions became reality in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

IBC Tamil Canada- Event Coordinator 2019

Inforce Foundation - COVID-19 Grant Writer 2020

Liberal Party of Canada - Party Volunteer and Policy Advocate 2019 - Currently

Malvern Family Resource Centre - General Volunteer and Project Lead 2011 - 2013

Morningside Heights Neighbourhood Association - Founder, Project Director, and Member of the Board of Directors 2015 - 2023

New Democratic Party of Canada - Party Volunteer 2011 - 2014

Oliparapu Media (Oliparapu means announcement in Tamil) - Legal Research and Interview Coordinator 2020 - 2022

I worked with a Tamil media station in a voluntary role to update them on information regarding ongoing criminal cases and legal matters, which were then published and telecasted. I also helped bring Tamil lawyers onto TV shows to help explain the complex legal issues in Tamil. My voluntary efforts helped make justice accessible for Tamil Canadians by keeping them informed and educated.

Ontario Liberal Party - Party Volunteer and Policy Advocate 2019 - Currently

Ontario New Democratic Party - Party Volunteer and Policy Advocate 2011 - 2016

Ontario Trillium Gift of Life - Be a Donor Campaign - Campaign Founder and Lead 2015, 2017

I personally initiated and led this campaign to encourage South Asian individuals to register their consent for organ donation, after their passing, through the Ontario Ministry of Health. Every eligible donor can potentially donate up to 8 organs. During the campaign, 223 South Asians living in Ontario newly registered their consent, potentially saving up to 1784 lives. Studies have shown that South Asian Canadians have a lower organ donation rate than the national average, despite the fact that South Asian Canadians face a higher risk of health issues due to genetic, intergenerational, colonial, and socio-economic factors. Additionally, research has indicated that a greater number of biological similarities, including race and ethnicity, between a donor and recipient can increase the chances of compatibility and a successful organ transplant with reduced risk of hyperacute and acute rejections. While not all 1784 organs will necessarily be donated to South Asians, this initiative increases the supply of organs from South Asian donors, which can potentially address the urgent healthcare needs of South Asians and help bridge a healthcare gap. The success of my campaign was recognized, and I was awarded the Gift of Life Campaign Award by the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians. 

Ontario Young Liberal - Volunteer and Policy Director for York University Campus Club 2020 – Currently
Scarborough Youth Vote; a campaign to encourage voter turnout - Founder 2015

I worked with elementary schools in the community to deliver Student Vote Canada's curriculum and mock election workshops and encouraged students to start voting as soon as they were eligible. The campaign was also conducted online to encourage young people to vote during the 2015 federal election. 

Scarborough Rouge River Federal NDP Riding Association - Youth Chair 2012, 2013

Scarborough Rouge River ONDP Riding Association - Youth Co-Chair 2012 - 2014

South Asian Health Alliance - Member of the Board of Directors and Grant Writer 2022-2023

The South Asian Health Alliance is an umbrella organization that represents all South Asian organizations in Ontario with a health mandate and South Asian healthcare professionals, intending to convince the Government of Ontario and all political parties to commit to a South Asian Health Equity Strategy to bridge the gaps identified in South Asian communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. I served on the Board and successfully wrote a grant application to obtain $50,000 to hire young South Asian Canadians to research health policies. I was responsible for governance and human resources related matters. 

Tamil Community Centre Steering Committee - Outreach Coordinator 2019 – 2020  
Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action - Member of the Board of Directors, Chair of Indigenous Relations Committee, Chair of Human Rights Committee, Chair of Civic Education Committee 2019 - 2023

TTC Riders - Phone Canvasser 2020

Young Liberals of Canada - Association Volunteer and Vice-President of Policy for York University Campus Club 2020 - 2023

York University Tamil Student Association - Director of Outreach 2015